The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway) was recently named as ‘University of the Year 2022’.
The Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) was also named the ‘Institute of Technology of the Year’ 2022 in The Sunday Times ‘Good University Guide’.
It marks the fourth time in 20 years that both the university and institute have been awarded the titles.
The Sunday Times accredited NUI Galway’s “community-based ethos, support of the arts and culture and Covid-19 research response” as the reason why it was the “standout candidate”.
The newspaper recognised the Covid-19 research projects of Dr Bairbre McNicholas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Dr Aoife Murray, Medical Researcher, Irial Conroy, Fellow, and Professor Máire Connolly of the School of Medicine.
Dr McNicholas, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) consultant, leads a global research project on care for critically ill Covid-19 patients in ICU’s.
Dr Murray and Conroy head the ‘IBM-CISCO FamilyLink Project’ aimed at virtually connecting ICU patients with their loved ones when physical visits are restricted.
Professor Connolly coordinates the ‘Pandem II’ project, an EU-wide initiative looking to plan and prepare for future pandemic risks.
Accepting the award, President of the NUI Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “We are being recognised as University of the Year after a year which was particularly challenging for us all. The elements that distinguished NUI Galway have a humanity, a kindness, our people at their core.”
“Our success reflects our strategy, launched just before Covid, where we committed ourselves to the public good, reflecting the sense at NUI Galway of being in and for our community, the commitment to our place by looking beyond our place with curiosity and ambition”: he continued.
“I am delighted for and grateful to all our students and our colleagues that this commitment is being realised, and is recognised in this award.”
Ó hÓghartaigh also congratulated GMIT’s victory, saying: “Congratulations to everyone at GMIT and particularly to Dr Orla Flynn, President of GMIT.”
He continued: “It is a tremendous boost for our region to see such a strong, ambitious and competitive third level education ecosystem and it is equally a great boost as GMIT embarks on its new journey to Technological University status.”
