The University of Limerick and NUI Galway announced plans early last week to partner with Shannon Development and the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) to create a new “Shannon Energy Valley”. Speaking at the announcement of the launch at a conference in Silicon Valley, NUIG Vice-President for Research Professor Terry Smith explained that the Shannon Energy Valley will act as a national green “energy hub” for research and development, industry and commerce while providing much needed employment and attracting foreign investment.
The initiative’s location is said to be influenced by Shannon’s history of renewable energy projects, with the 1920s Ardnacrusha project functioning as the world’s largest renewable energy initiative at the time. The area’s pre-existing grid infrastructure, alongside its coal, oil and gas generating stations and the construction of a liquid natural gas terminal, also made Shannon a convenient location for the energy valley.
Inspired by Silicon Valley, the initiative aims to develop alternative energy sources through the use of the area’s natural resources. Speaking at the conference Professor Brian Fitzgerald, Vice-President of Research at UL, commented on Ireland’s worrying present relationship with renewable energy, but highlighted the initiative’s aim to change this. “The European Wind Energy Association has estimated that the spending on importing energy in Ireland works out at almost €1,000 per annum for every man, woman and child. Ireland is surrounded by natural resources in the form of wind, wave, tidal, solar and local geothermal energy. This is a major opportunity for Ireland to become a leader in energy research.”
The two universities, UL and NUIG, are said to be at the head of this research objective. The initiative, Prof. Smith stated, is “the first major initiative in regional development to flow directly from the Strategic Alliance between NUI Galway and UL launched by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD, on February 18th last”. Commenting on NUIG’s B.E. in Energy Systems Engineering and UL’s BSc. Energy courses, Prof. Smith remarked that both courses have been operating successfully since their launches in 2009. UL is also set to appoint their newly created Professorial position in Energy later his year.
Also noted at the conference were UL and NUIG’s aims to collaborate in offering more energy courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels with the hopes of providing the continual knowledge and expertise needed for the Shannon Energy Valley. Other aims of the initiative include eventual self-sufficiency in energy, lowering Ireland’s carbon footprint and industrial costs to meet emission targets, and the creation of an Energy and Environment Park in which both businesses and the public can gain access and knowledge concerning Ireland’s renewable energy projects.
An estimated €10 billion will also be spent on the construction of wind-farms across Ireland with the majority of these located within a one hour range from the Shannon Energy Valley. Through these aims the initiative hopes to create both immediate short-term employment and skilled jobs by offering re-training and advanced training within the long-term project of the sustainable energy industry.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen introduced plans to lower third-level fees in Ireland for second- and third-generation Irish at a press conference in Washington last week. The “Ireland Homecoming Study Programme” is an attempt to generate €10 million for the Irish economy, by offering significantly discounted fees to attract descendants of the Irish diaspora. Eight institutes of technology are set to take part in the scheme.
At the moment non-EU students need to pay fees to study in Ireland, but this new scheme will offer discounts of up to 40% for the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Irish emigrants. The idea was first suggested during last year’s conference in Farmleigh, where Irish-Americans discussed the economic problems facing Ireland and possible solutions to these problems.
The programme is expected to attract over 500 students in the next three years and Mr. Cowen estimated it will contribute around €10 million to the Irish economy. The eight institutes offering the discounted fee of €5,950 include Athlone, Carlow, Cork and Waterford.
The creator of the programme, Brian McNamara, claimed the new system would allow the “global Irish” to attain affordable qualifications. “As a nation, we have long recognised the important role that the Irish diaspora or global Irish play in promoting Irish culture and trade,” he said. “This initiative will offer a practical benefit to the offspring of Irish people abroad by allowing their children obtain an exceptional Irish education at highly competitive rates.”
The Taoiseach’s announcement came as Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes launched a comparable programme intended to encourage international students to come to Ireland. It is claimed the programme could create up to 6,000 new jobs in the education sector. Fine Gael claim thier plan will radically enhance standards and quality in third-level education by overhauling the quality assurance system currently in place. Suggestions made by ther proposal include automatic green cards for PhD students graduating into areas like engineering, a new student visa procedure, and the appointment of a Minister of State with direct responsibility for the third-level sector.
The Fine Gael move comes amid claims that Ireland is “punching below its weight” on international education. While various studies have pointed to the potential of the sector, there has been criticism that visa requirements and other restrictions are inhibiting growth.
At a news conference in Dublin, Brian Hayes said the Fine Gael party in government will provide the political leadership to develop Ireland’s reputation globally as a prime international education destination.

UCD has awarded the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste an Honorary Doctor of Laws. Dr. José Ramos-Horta was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo for “their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor”. He was honoured by UCD in recognition of the commitment he has shown to human rights along with his dedication to establishing the independence of Timor-Leste, which has had a tumultuous history of foreign occupation.
In 1970, at 21 years of age, after working as a journalist in his homeland, which was then a Portugese colony, José Ramos-Horta was exiled for one year to Mozambique, another Portuguese colony, where he began his efforts to secure independence for Timor-Leste.
Although Timor-Leste secured independence in 1975, it was invaded by Indonesian forces after their proclamation of independence. Working from Australia and the USA, Ramos-Horta lobbied governments to cut ties with the Indonesian President Suharto’s regime and promoted a peace plan to end the violence in his homeland.
After 24 years of occupation and armed conflict, in May 2002 Timor-Leste achieved its independence from Indonesia. The small country has made progess since this event, despite some violence and disruption. José Manuel Ramos-Horta formally took office as President on 20th May 2007, following a landslide victory in the first national elections since the restoration of independence.
In February 2008, he was the victim of an assassination attempt which he survived following multiple operations in Australia.
Timor-Leste remains in an embryonic state, with a delicate security situation and a stagnant economy. It also remains one of the world’s poorest countries. According to data from the WHO, in Timor-Leste 14% of children younger than 5 years of age suffer from acute malnutrition, and 56% are chronically malnourished.
After receiving the award, President Ramos-Horta delivered an address entitled “Timor-Leste and opportunities for Asia in the 21st Century”. In the paper he described how a small country like Timor-Leste struggles to integrate itself strategically, economically and diplomatically after becoming independent. Despite gaining its independence in May 2002, the country still remains in a fragile condition. In February 2008, Dr Ramos-Horta was the victim of an assassination attempt which he survived following several operations.
“President Ramos-Horta is a moral giant, who from a young age has acted as a voice of his people to assist them towards independence from oppression,” said Dr. Niamh Hardiman, who gave the citation at the honorary conferral ceremony. “His advocacy has shown that the best way to respect the rights of the oppressed, and to achieve freedom and justice, is through peace building.”
“He played a vital role in healing divisions within his own country, building bridges with its nearest neighbour, and keeping faith with the principles of freedom, justice, peace and reconciliation that have informed his whole life’s work.”

A minor controversy has developed surrounding the newly constructed residence of UL President Don Barry on the campus of the University. Both the Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe and the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny have criticised the extremely expensive project, which is expected to come to over €3 million when costs of fixtures and outside infrastructure are added to the €1.1 million cost of the building itself.  Speaking on Morning Ireland, Mr O’Keeffe commented that “obviously at a time of stringent financial constraints one would always ask people in authority to exercise restraint. It sounds lavish.” He declared that he will be ordering a report into the construction of the house.
The lavish building comes at a time when, according to the Sunday Independent, the university has now accumulated debts of over €3 million. In a large exposé on the new house, the paper detailed the extravagant spending on its interior. It emerged for example, that a quantity of Japanese silk wallpaper had been purchased at an estimated cost of over €40,000 for the president’s office. There was further controversy over the fact that the existing president’s €1 million house in Killaloe, remains under the ownership of the college, thus leading many to question the need for this second residence in the first place.
The university and its Students’ Union have been vocal in their defence of the project. The university emphasised that the money used for the house is private money, rather than that of taxpayers. It is understood to have been donated by Atlantic Philanthropies. This private foundation created in 1982 by the American billionaire Chuck Feeney, has donated over €40 million to UL, and been an essential driving force behind the university’s success. Eamonn Cregan, director of corporate affairs at UL, was also keen to stress that the university will have the building “at its disposal for a wide range of public events and campus functions as well as obviously providing residence for the president.”
Surprisingly, students were also keen to support the building of the residence, despite seeing a massive increase in their registration fees and various other educational cutbacks this year. Students’ Union President Ruan Dillon-McLoughlin acknowledged that it forms “part of the long term strategic plan for the university that will help see the university become a world class university in terms of infrastructure.” Many students were sceptical about the Minister’s sudden admonishment of a project that has been planned for a number of years now. 
Some like business student Shane O’Sullivan thought the Minister was looking for an “easy headline.” Others rationalised the spending of such an amount on the president’s residence by contrasting it with the vast sums of money that have been donated to UL, thus seeking to demonstrate that in comparative terms, the amount spent on the residence did not amount to much.
Despite the obvious need for a fully functioning president’s house on campus and the fact that it was paid for through private funding, it must still be acknowledged that the excessive sum of money spent on the property is difficult to reconcile with the realities of the current economic climate. Such profligacy frustrates many people who are being forced to tighten their belts and suffer the consequences of the extraordinary wastefulness that has permeated Irish public life over the past twelve years.
Even though the donor has the right to ask and dictate where the money should be spent, it would have been nice if, in the words of Deputy  Kenny, “the board had been more concentrated on seeking funding for the education resources of the students who attend UL.”

Describing the struggle of scientists to counteract climate change scepticism as a “science communication war”, Professor John Sweeney, director of the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Unit (ICARUS) at NUI Maynooth and lecturer in the college’s geography department, spoke of the battle between scientists and sceptics last week at a conference held by DCU’s research group Celsius. These sceptics, says Sweeney, include journalists and lobbyists whose communication skills give them an advantage in voicing their doubts about the rapidity of climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) retraction of its claim on the melting of the Himalayan glaciers by 2035 has been seen as fundamental in fueling this scepticism. This incident has raised a serious call – even among environmentalists – for the reorganisation of the IPCC and an apology from its head, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, which so far has gone unanswered.
Given the IPCC’s role as the UN’s advisor on climate change, the exaggeration of the claim roused substantial suspicion on the reality of climate change as a whole. Such suspicions have been furthered, commentators believe, by the failure of world leaders at December’s Copenhagen summit to reach any resolution. Deniers of climate change have also created their own arguments, stating that the world is actually cooling down and citing the fact that recorded temperatures of the past decade have not been as high as in 1998.
Professor Sweeney criticised the sceptics, claiming that while climate change researchers have committed mistakes, these were being “blown out of proportion” and their counter-arguments were limited, pseudo-scientific and “very well-rehearsed”.
Believing such journalists and sceptics to possess superior communication skills, Prof Sweeney lamented scientists’ “lousy” abilities to communicate to a wide audience. “Not having being brought up in the literary and debating societies, scientists are not very good at winning arguments” Prof Sweeney commented.
As a result, the sceptics’ claim that climate change is a myth appears to be winning. Professor Sweeney cited the existence of institutes such as the Heartland Institute in the United States, which attempts to counteract the arguments concerning tobacco and health damage, as an example of the potentially damaging effect of scepticisim on scientific research. Numerous blogs and internet websites suspicious of climate change claims, such as the Sceptics Notebook, have also emerged, providing a guide for sceptics on dealing with climate change believers.
Climate change research scientists have been called upon to accept this scepticism as a vital part of the scientific process. China now recommends the IPCC to include sceptical points of view in their reports.
Researchers have also been encouraged to be more open about their own doubts and uncertainties in order to gain public confidence as the urge for the inclusion of ‘grey’ material in future IPCC reports starts to mount. While Prof Sweeney continues to see scepticism and science as antagonistic, others are wishing for a more complementary relationship between the two – for now, only time can tell who will win this battle.

Climate Facts:

19 demonstrators were arrested at a march during the Copenhagen Summit on December 12th for carrying pocket knives and wearing masks.

Marches protesting the inadequacies of the Summit occurred around the world with 20,000 marching in London and 50,000 in Australia.

Four Greenpeace activists were arrested during the Summit for gate-crashing a dinner attended by the heads of states.

A national survey carried out by Pew Research Center has discovered that Americans are steadily losing belief in the credibility of climate change hypotheses.

Global temperatures in 2009 were the 5th warmest since 1890

One bus emits greenhouse gases equal to that emitted by 50 cars.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen from 290 (ppm – parts per million) in 1900 to nearly 400 ppm.

Ireland’s mean annual temperature increased by 0.7 degrees celcius (°C) between 1890 and 2004.

Taxpayers will face a legal bill of up to €1.2 million after Dublin City University lost their three year battle to dismiss an associate professor. Sources described the DCU President, Professor Von Prondzynski, as ‘embarrassed’ by the decision.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the High Court judgement finding that Dublin City University had not used fair procedures in dismissing Professor Paul Cahill, a former associate professor of biotechnology in DCU. In March 2006, Professor Cahill had a meeting with Professor Ferdinand Von Prondzynski, the president of Dublin City University. The meeting was to inform Von Prondzynski that Cahill had been offered a position as chair of molecular medicine in NUI Galway, an offer which required his research team to join him, and to ascertain whether he would receive an improved offer from DCU.   
Although Von Prondzynski stated he had been given the clear impression Cahill was accepting the NUIG position, Cahill denies he indicated that such a departure was a certainty. Von Prondzynski admits he did not receive a formal resignation. Cahill would not name a date for his departure and the university decided the only option available was to dismiss him.   
Cahill challenged this in the High Court, which found his dismissal to be unlawful. DCU appealed to the Supreme Court but it was found again that the dismissal violated the terms of the Universities Act 1997 and the university’s own statutes, because Cahill had not been given the opportunity to make a submission as to why his contract should not be terminated.

Councillor Emer Costello visited the Royal College of Surgeons last week as part of an event celebrating the institution’s 200th year in its premises on St. Stephen’s Green. The commemorative reception invited student representatives, RCSI staff and nearby businesses to mark the anniversary of the historic college, which was given a royal charter in 1784. The charter granted by King George III made the college the sole legally recognised body representing the science and art of surgery.
It moved to its current site in 1810, which was formerly a Quaker burial ground. The college has been the scene for many dramatic moments in Irish history- it was occupied during the 1916 Easter Rising by Countess Markievicz and 150 soldiers.
Professor Frank Keane, the President of RCSI, said: “For over 200 years, RCSI has been central to the advancement of surgery and medical education in Ireland. From our earliest days we have trained doctors and surgeons who have given exemplary service throughout the world and the advances in surgical procedures that we use today, represent the culmination of centuries of learning and enquiry.  Surgery, as well as being our heritage, is fundamental to the delivery of healthcare in Ireland and our responsibilities reach into the training, standards and practice delivery of surgery in Ireland to ensure that safe surgery saves lives.”
A book on the history of RCSI will be published in February, and tours will be hosted throughout the year to introduce the public to the institution’s history.

A photography exhibition called “Fire & Ice: A Photographic Journey of Antarctica,” by Prof John Gamble, was launched on the 20th of January at the Jennings Gallery in UCC. The exhibition was opened by Dr Clare O’Leary, who in 2008 led the first Irish team to walk 1,100km across the Antarctic ice to the South Pole.    John Gamble is a Professor of Geology in UCC.
A PhD graduate of Queens College Belfast, Gamble made seven field trips to the icy tundra of Antarctica, where he researched the geochemistry of deep Earth and the processes that lead to volcanism. He even has three terrestrial landmarks named after him –Gamble Glacier, Gamble Cone and Gamble Volcanic Complex, a submarine volcano in the South-West Pacific.
Considered a desert, Antarctica is on average the driest, coldest, windiest and highest continent on the planet. “Fire & Ice,” is compiled of a collection of beautiful, previously unseen photographs taken by Gamble during his time in Antarctica. They include stunning images of volcanoes, and shots of the wildlife able to survive the harsh conditions. The exhibition also showcases a visit to the historic huts of Arctic explorers Scott and Shackleton, on Ross Island. “Fire & Ice” will run from the 21st of January until the 3rd of February.

Twelve members of the UCD Volunteers Overseas (UCDVO) charity organisation arrived back from Haiti on Monday January 11, just a day before the massive earthquake that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the Caribbean nation. The team of volunteers had spent two weeks building two houses in Gros Morne, a town that is a seven hour drive north of the capital Port-au-Prince.
While still recovering from jet lag, the volunteers were faced with the devastating news of the earthquake and their immediate thoughts were with the many friends they had left behind on the island. Eventually, after some degree of difficulty, they managed to contact their partners in the project and the new friends they had made over the two weeks.
According to Commerce graduate Marc McCabe (25), from Clonskeagh, despite one nun, a member of the UCDVO’s missionary partners the Sisters of Jesus and Mary who suffered a shattered shoulder, “the majority seem to be OK.” This is in part thanks to the fact that the town of Gros Morne was not directly affected by the disaster,  as unlike the capital Port-au-Prince, the town was not sufficiently near the epicentre of the earthquake for a great deal of damage to be caused.
The volunteers have also expressed great relief at having made it out of the country safely themselves. Speaking to the Evening Herald, Accountancy student Patrick O’Neill (24), from Murrintown, Wexford, said: “It has definitely crossed our minds that we could easily still have been there because everyone has been saying ‘thank God you’re home’ so there is great relief.”
UCD has been sending volunteers to Haiti since 2005, a country that student Marc McCabe described as being; “already in disarray before the earthquake even struck.” Despite the volunteers now being back in Ireland, they are continuing to strive to help the country in its time of need. Since Wednesday January 14, UCDVO have been running an appeal for funds to aid the relief operations and its Manager, Caroline O’Connor, has called on any students with ideas for events to raise funds to contact the group.
Events that have already taken place include a nightclub fundraiser in BaseBar last Friday 22nd January, while members of UCDVO have been visible on Grafton Street collecting money over the past two weeks.
Haiti continues to be in disarray, after a new earthquake jolted Port-Au-Prince late last week complicating aid efforts and prompting the US to pledge 4’000 more soldiers to the relief force.
 Seismologists said the epicentre was about 35 miles south-west of the city and the focus was six miles deep. They warned of possible stronger aftershocks to come as the earth adjusted to new stresses caused by the original quake.
“Sometimes [they] die out very quickly. In other cases they can go on for weeks, or if we’re really unlucky it could go on for months,” explained Bruce Pressgrave, of the US Geological Survey.

»» €132 spent monthly on socialising, alcohol and cigarettes, claims report
»» Books “causing significant financial strain”

According to the Sunday Independent, a government report is set to reveal that grant-aided students spend three times more a month on alcohol and socialising than they do on academic resources. Despite this, students questioned by researchers considered books to be causing the most financial difficulties. “Books were cited by most students as causing significant and sometimes unexpected financial strain”, the report will explain.
The report, commissioned by the Economic and Social Report Institute, will show that students spend €132 a month on socialising, and only €30 a month on books and other study aids. One source quoted in the Independent suggests that “students who receive the full maintenance grant of €3’250 may be spending more than a third of this on alcohol and cigarettes.”
Over the nine month college year, students on the full grant receive just under €400 a month. 25 percent of third-level students receive financial assistance, which is intended to encourage students from low-income families to progress into third level education. A student questioned by the survey said that “everyone in my class goes out once or twice a week. I’d say socialising is the biggest expense outside trying to actually live.”
The Sunday Independent’s report quoted “an education figure”, who argued that the research, which is based on figures from 2007, proved “this constant moaning about the college grant is just a joke. They have been found out here. It’s time now to stop doing their degrees by going on the beer, get off the booze bus, and get back to the lecture hall with their sandwiches in their pockets”.
The publication of the report follows a cut of the grant by five percent in December’s budget, after a year in which many grants remained unpaid until midway through the college year- some have still not received their initial payments.
Professor von Prondzynski of DCU had this to say about the cut. “Asking students from wealthier families to contribute to the cost of their studies was seen as politically undesirable; cutting the support for poorer students was not such a problem.” Peter Mannion of the USI echoed these sentiments. “These new student grant restrictions will seriously decrease the potential for thousands of students around Ireland to make the leap into Further and Higher Education. Mature students, in particular, were badly hit by yesterday’s Budget. Many of these students have children and will also feel the effects of the cuts in child benefit. How can people be encouraged to enter, or re-enter, education if at every turn the access is being made more difficult? It will be impossible to tempt the unemployed back to education, if financially it becomes unbearable to continue with further or higher education.”
The Independent’s report has prompted some discussion amongst students and professors. Liam Delaney, an Economics lecturer in UCD, posted this on Twitter. “Student grants, like any expenditure, need to be looked at. Irish Indo attempts to whip up anti-student sentiment not a good way to do this.” Students on popular form Boards.ie admitted that in some cases the report’s argument was fair, although accepting the unfairness of generalizing. One student explained that “not a cent of my grant is spent on books. It all goes to my landlord and the ESB”.