The Future of Engineering
School of Engineering
“As a key driver of the regional economy and as the main output of the entrepreneurs and technologists who will guarantee national competitiveness, the Engineering School at NUI Galway is a vital project not only for the University and its students, but for the entire West of Ireland and beyond.”
Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President
A new €53 million School of Engineering is underway at NUI Galway. The 14,000 square metre building, consolidating the five Departments of Civil, Electronic, Industrial, Engineering Hydrology and Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering under the one roof, will be located alongside the new €16 million JE Cairnes Graduate School of Business & Public Policy, forming the core of the University's North campus redevelopment. The largest capital project to be undertaken to date at the University, it will receive €25 million from the government, with significant funding coming from private donors. NUI Galway has engaged renowned architects RMJM designers of the award-winning Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh for the new School of Engineering. State-of-the art
undergraduate and postgraduate student accommodation will include laboratories, project rooms, research facilities, workshops, computer suites, lecture theatres, classrooms and associated academic and student facilities. A faculty since the founding of Queen's College Galway in 1849, NUI Galway's Faculty of Engineering has more than 40 full-time academics across five departments. There are eight degree programmes on offer all of which are accredited by Engineers Ireland. Over the years, the faculty has responded to national and local needs by providing new programmes and specialist training courses appropriate to the needs of enterprise in areas such Environmental Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Computer Engineering. Almost 1,200 students are currently studying Engineering with demand for places in all disciplines remaining consistently high.
The Future of Engineering
School of Engineering
Engineering & the Irish Economy
Engineers and engineering are at the heart of Ireland's economic development. Building expertise in engineering as well as in sectors such as science and technology is key to the development of a knowledge-based economy. Between 1991-2001, a period of huge economic growth, the number of engineers in Ireland more than doubled. For each 1% of economic growth, the amount of engineers grew by 1.25%. For a knowledge-based economy, this relationship is expected to continue. Future growth and prosperity will depend on the level of investment in education. The pace and extent of global competition are extreme. A high level of graduate output is required for Ireland to keep ahead. Engineering graduates of NUI Galway have played a significant role in the tremendous economic growth that has taken place in Ireland over the last decade. Engineers are major players in the provision of infrastructure including housing, transport, power, energy, communications, environment, industry, public health and waste management. The University is well-placed to develop education and training systems that serve the needs of enterprise creating synergy between those who generate knowledge and those who transform it into saleable products and services A viable Faculty of Engineering plays a vital role in the economic well-being of the Border, Midlands and West region. It can foster innovation; conduct research and development; expand the linkages established between industry and academia and act as an attractive enticement for direct inward investment in the region.
industry. The Faculty has expanded to embrace today's cluster-driven and crossdisciplinary research agenda. Over €6 million in research income generated per annum. Research is carried out in collaboration with universities in other European countries as well as in Asia and the USA. Expertise includes biomedical engineering, composite materials, cromechanics, hydrology, manufacturing and computational methods. Students and faculty work closely with new research centres on campus including the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science and the Environmental Change Institute.
Project Benefits
The benefits of the entire project are very significant and include: • Consolidation of all engineering education and research activities into one building • Allowing the Faculty to compete on level terms for the best graduates and academic staff • Providing facilities of an international standard for learning and research • Supporting the research and employment needs of industry including the construction, health, IT and electronic sectors, vital to major regional and national infrastructure projects • Providing resources to grow the Faculty's increasing research output • Contributing to government policy of doubling the output of engineering, science and technology graduates over the next ten years.
Research
The increasing role of knowledge as a driver of economic development is widely acknowledged. Investment in research and development is necessary to develop Ireland as a knowledge based society. Innovative research helps existing and emerging
All gifts to the programme are tax deductible. Galway University Foundation is a Registered Charity (CHY 12894) in the Republic of Ireland. For further information contact Galway University Foundation. Tel: +353 91 492972 www.nuigalway.ie/foundation