Last Thursday, April 17, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton launched a three-year plan designed to get more students involved in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subject areas. But how does this plan aim to incentivise students to take up STEM subjects, and why is doing so important? Science Foundation Ireland’s […]
Almost half (49%) of the lecturers in Irish public universities are women – a fact that seemingly suggests a strong sense of gender equality. However, according to a recent study, all is not quite as it seems. According to Pat O’Connor, a sociology professor at the University of Limerick, the gender gap widens as […]
The low level of female participation in physics is something that universities have been looking to address for some time, but a new rewards-based scheme aims to encourage more engagement – for men and women – through better practice. Three physics departments at Irish universities are already involved in the Juno initiative, which gives awards […]
NUI Galway is to make available a limited number of places in the creative arts for students of exceptional achievements under its novel Creative Arts Scholarship Scheme – the first scheme of its kind among Irish universities. The scheme is offering 40 CAO ‘Performance Points’ in recognition of the significant time and dedication applicants have […]
There was some good news for Irish emigrants this week when it was announced that colleges would cut fees for children of Irish emigrants. Previously, if a student was not resident in Ireland for three out of the previous five years then he or she would be required to pay the same fees as an […]
Data released by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) reveals that since 2008, the core staff numbers at universities have dropped by 12 per cent. Student numbers, on the other hand, have shot up by 10 per cent, thereby widening the student-staff ratio by 17 per cent. The statistic is a cause of some concern […]
Last week, we reported that the number of college applications arriving at the Central Applications Office was the highest ever. In all likelihood, we can expect the figure to grow in the coming years: the Department of Education & Skills estimates that student numbers will increase from 168,000 in 2012 to 200,000 by 2025. But […]
Ireland might be almost ready for a new kind of university. New legislation is currently being prepared which would allow institutes of technology to apply for technological university status. It’s been estimated that the necessary legislation will be drawn later this year, meaning that applications for the new status could start to come in by […]
The February 1 closing date for CAO applications is fast approaching, but now is not the time to panic or make rash decisions. To help you, we’ve put together a brief list of things to bear in mind when making your choices. You can amend choices online for free until January 31 Students who […]
It can be tough to determine how well a college performs. Do we measure performance by the amount of publicity a college’s activities receive? The amount of funding it benefits from? The products it creates? Or maybe the employment levels of its graduates? Oftentimes, comparing one college’s performance against another’s can be confusing, disorientating, […]
When it comes to college life, an important voice is often a bit under-appreciated – that of the student. The Irish Survey of Student Engagement is a pilot national survey that aims to give students their say on what college life in Ireland is like. Almost 13,000 students responded to the survey, which was conducted […]
Ever watched Dragons’ Den and thought ‘Is that it? Is that the idea those guys are pitching? Mine’s way better!’? If so, then Griffith College Dublin challenge you to put your idea on paper and battle it out with other creative enterprises in its Business Enterprise Competition 2014. Stage 1 In teams of 4 people […]
New figures from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) show that Irish students are among the top performers in the world when it comes to maths, reading and science. This year’s results are a huge improvement on figures released last year’s, which indicated a significant slump in basic reading and numeracy standards. However, […]
It was a promise that students could hardly refuse. Apply for your grant online, get it processed in double-quick time, pay your college fees, and continue your upward trajectory. Like any meaningful relationship, things just couldn’t be that simple. As a general rule of thumb, whenever a new system is put in place you […]
When it comes to college education, it’s only natural that so much media attention is given to the areas with the most employment opportunities lie, such as in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). But there are plenty of exciting alternatives and opportunities elsewhere too. Some are dramatically exciting. Like acting. There are […]
The good news for students who have applied for third-level grants this year is that almost two-thirds of them have already been awarded. This is according to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), which has released figures that show a huge improvement in the body’s efficiency over this time last year. So, far, some 39,000 […]
According to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, there are around 6,000 vacancies in the IT sector in Ireland. When talking about Europe, this figure fills out to a whopping 700,000. Some commentators believe that part of the problem with finding employees for these roles lies in the evident lack of female […]
So the fuss is almost all over for 2013’s Leaving Cert students. I say nearly, because there is still the bevy of first- and second-round college offers to look forward to. Preliminary reports in the media have exhibited an almost obsessive tendency to cite numbers: students who sat Higher Maths, and the percentage of them […]
From 2014 on, Irish universities and colleges may face cuts of up to 10 percent to their state funding if their performances do not meet new measures. Colleges will soon be assessed on their ability to retain students as well as how successful they are in matching them to industry needs. A failure to reach […]
More people are reliant on state support for their educational needs than in previous years. At least this is what the number of new applications for the SUSI online grant application system seems to suggest. So far, the figure stands at 59,000 new applicants, which represents an increase of 50 per cent on this […]
