Autumn 2012 Edition
UCD Search
Published: 12 September 2012
Pope’s representative, Cardinal Marc Ouellet visits UCD as Dublin hosts 50th International Eucharistic congress
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops in Rome, who represented the pope as Papal Legate at the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, visited University College Dublin on 11 June 2012.
The Cardinal was accompanied by a group of Québécois pilgrims and others which included the Archbishop of Quebec, Gérald Lacroix, and Mgr Ciarán O’Carroll, Rector of the Irish College in Rome and former pastor of University Church, St Stephen’s Green.
Dr Pádraic Conway, Director of the UCD International Centre for Newman Studies and UCD Vice-President for University Relations, greeted Cardinal Ouellet on arrival and presented him with a copy of the UCD edition of Newman’s The Idea of a University as a souvenir of his visit.
After concelebrating Mass with, inter alia, UCD chaplains John McNerney, John Callinan S.J. and León Ó Giolláin S.J., the Cardinal departed for the RDS where most of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress was conducted.
Dr Conway co-chaired with Trinity College Senior Lecturer, Dr Patrick Geoghegan, a session on the programme at the RDS entitled “Taking Shorthand in Latin at the Second Vatican Council”, a personal reflection on Vatican II on its 50th anniversary by Bishop Michael Smith of Meath.
UCD Chaplain John McNerney, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops in Rome and Dr Pádraic Conway, Director of the UCD International Centre for Newman Studies and UCD Vice-President for University Relations
UCD to share expertise with leading Chinese Dairy Producer
During an Irish food & agri-services mission to China in spring of this year, it was announced that UCD has singed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a leading Chinese dairy producer, Dairy United. The MOU which will result in multi-million euro contracts for products and services, envisages the development of a China-Ireland Agricultural demonstration farm in Hohhot, (Inner Mongolia) collaborative research projects, the provision of education and training services, and collaboration on the creation of a trade corridor to facilitate the introduction of Irish exporters to the Inner Mongolian region.
UCD will be collaborating with a number of Irish agricultural equipment and services companies to deliver an integrated package of education and training, research, services and technology to Dairy United.
Witnessing the signing of the MOU in Shanghai the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney stated, “Food is the largest export sector for Irish industry. We have developed a very strong reputation for quality products. This excellence is recognised globally and provides a strong opportunity for the export of agriculture services & technology.”
Commenting on the origins of the deal the UCD Dean of Agriculture and Food Science Professor Alex Evans stated “This partnership came about because of Ireland’s global reputation in dairy production and the ability of UCD and Irish agri-service companies to offer a complete solution, incorporating education, training, agricultural products and services, that meet Dairy United requirements and will form the basis of a long term relationship.”
Professor Grace Mulcahy, Dean. UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, commented "This MOU paves the way for exciting developments in research, education and innovation that have the potential to be transformative for both parties. I am really looking forward to helping to turn this vision into reality”.
At the signing in China of the MOU between UCD and leading Chinese dairy producer Dairy United are (l-r) Julie Sinnamon, Executive Director, Enterprise Ireland; Professor Grace Mulcahy, Dean, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and Mr Lee Zhenghong, General Manager, Dairy United
Three out of five ‘Ireland’s Champions of EU Research’ awards go to UCD researchers
UCD researchers received three of the five special awards presented by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins to academic researchers in recognition of their projects which were ranked 1st in Europe in their research areas. The UCD recipients of ‘Ireland’s Champions of EU Research’ awards were: Dr Louise Dunne, UCD School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy, for her leadership of the TURAS project on “Transitioning towards Urban Resilience and Sustainability”, ranked 1st in Sustainable and Resilient Green Cities in the Environment area; Professor James Heckman, Nobel Laureate (2000), UCD Professor of Science and Society, UCD Geary Institute, for his leadership of the DEVHEALTH project on “Understanding Health across the Lifecourse: An Integrated Developmental Approach”, ranked 1st in European Research Council Advanced Grant in the Ideas area; Dr Jennifer Claire McElwain, UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, for her leadership of the OXYEVOL project on “Atmospheric oxygen as a driver of plant evolution over the past 400 million years”, ranked 1st in the European Research Council Starter Grant in the Ideas area.
The ‘Ireland’s Champions of EU Research’ awards acknowledge the immense contribution of the winners, and of the additional 275 research project leaders from across Ireland (including 48 from UCD), to our national success in the €50 billion EU research fund known as the Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research (FP7).
“UCD researchers have been awarded nearly €50m by the EU during the lifetime of the current Framework, placing UCD within the top 100 of institutions in Europe. This is a remarkable achievement,” said Professor Des Fitzgerald, Vice-President for Research at UCD. For more information visit www.fp7ireland.com
Appraising the EU experiment after 60 years
What is the European Union for? What is it's raison d'etre? These questions were raised during the UCD School of Law's annual John M. Kelly Memorial Lecture, by guest speaker Professor Gráinne de Búrca. The Florence Ellinwood Allen Professor of Law at New York University Law School, Professor de Búrca is an alumna of the UCD School of Law (BCL) and was previously Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, Fordham Law School, and at the European University Institute in Florence. During the lecture, entitled "Appraising the EU Experiment after 60 Years" she examined the development of the European Union over the period and shared some thoughts about what paths it might take through and beyond the current crisis.
Pictured above: At the UCD School of Law's Annual John M. Kelly Memorial Lecture were (l-r) Mr. Nick Kelly, Prof Gráinne de Búrca, Professor of law at New York University Law School, Prof Colin Scott, Dean UCD School of Law
Professor de Búrca pointed out that this had been clear 60 years ago when the foundations for the EU were first laid and when the goals of peace, prosperity and supranationality were widely shared and clearly understood. Over time, however, the EU had delivered significantly on these three goals and its achievements in this respect were largely taken for granted. Despite its achievements, the EU had persistently failed to earn the kind of unquestioned legitimacy that nation states in Europe enjoy. The EU was still expected to justify itself in terms of the outputs it can deliver for ordinary people and was not taken for granted or accepted as a legitimate polity but is constantly judged on its performance and outputs. The current economic crisis was exacerbating this problem, since the EU was now seen to be hindering prosperity, even if the causes of the crisis are multiple and complex and do not rest only or mainly with the EU.
Produced by UCD University Relations
Share this story...
Download Full Edition
