University of Galway

University of Galway

Aoife Flanagan

W100 Representative

Aoife Flanagan

Advisor to the President on Reputation Strategy

Aoife Flanagan is responsible for Reputation Strategy at the University of Galway. With over 15 years’ experience in Higher Education, Aoife has held a number senior roles as Head of Planning and Institutional Research at both RCSI and University of Galway. Prior to this Aoife worked in a number of senior Business Intelligence roles in both Irish and international organisations.

University of Galway

Queen’s College Galway was founded in 1845. Following the construction of the iconic Quadrangle building, the University opened its doors four years later to the first cohort of just 68 students.

University of Galway has grown massively in size and reputation over the past 175 years, with a student population today of over 18,000. According to QS World University Rankings, we are ranked 259 in the world and have been increasing our global reach and reputation over the past decade.

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Shaping the world & inspiring leaders since 1845. University of Galway.

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A distinct and vibrant region,
deeply connected internationally

Inspired by the unique qualities of the region, including its rich culture and traditions, and history of diversity and trade, University of Galway reaches outwards to the world, through a global network of partnerships, collaborations, and alumni, as well as a globally connected faculty.

University of Galway is firmly committed to investing in the social, economic, and intellectual development of the entire region.

By building on the strengths of its local communities and resources, the University is inspired to leave its mark on the rest of the world and its international reach provides a firm platform for its future development.

Values

"We champion our core values of respect, excellence, openness and sustainability. We intend that these values will reinforce each other and, together, they will enhance our university’s distinctiveness."

#PurposePeoplePlace

5

Research institutes

96%

Of graduates are employed or in further study 6 months after graduating

University of Galway is a globally focused research-led university. It recognises that research areas are neither standalone nor static and that the problems of the world are not and cannot be solved from just one perspective. With that in mind research at University of Galway incorporates the university’s knowledge of global challenges, national needs, and regional necessities so that its research areas enable an interdisciplinarity approach and impact.

The University’s approach to research is focused on the following three words: Purpose, People, Place.  The purpose of research and innovation at University of Galway is to benefit humanity, society, and the economy, in other words, to create impact. Its people are creative in their thinking and collaborative in their approach and it’s place is distinct—a vibrant region on the edge of Europe—connected globally.

Engaging with its partners locally, nationally, and worldwide, the university invites ambition in research that underpins the following areas:

Enhancing Society and Policy

Enriching creativity and culture

Improving health and wellbeing

Realising potential through data and enabling technologies

Sustaining our planet and people

The University of Galway’s research displays breadth, depth, and interdisciplinarity of its expertise, both fundamental and applied, across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This is key to its success and ability to drive impact and respond to emerging fields of research.

Become a Member

The World 100 Reputation Network is a group of the best universities in the world, delivering research that enhances reputation and offering leaders the chance to develop their own careers on a global stage. Members benefit from events and study tours, training, monthly media monitoring, and unique reputation research to provide institutional advantage.

find out more

by Ruth Davison

Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI)

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

abi kelly Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI)

W100 Representative

Abi Kelly
Director of International Engagement and External Relations

Abi Kelly joined RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in 2020 as Director of International Engagement and External Relations with responsibility for the Office for Institutional Research and Planning.

Her role is to support the University’s reputation raising strategy and build its brand among key stakeholders. A key ambition for RCSI is to be recognised in the Top 200 of universities in the world.

Prior to her role with RCSI, Abi spent 8 years at Newcastle University (UK) where she was Executive Director of Corporate Affairs managing the external profile of this Russell Group university. She also led communications for the N8 Research Partnership, a collaborative mission group of the eight research-intensive universities in the North of England.

She has spent 28 years working in the Public Relations industry in the UK, including roles in local and regional government, and as a PR Consultant for private-sector clients including Whitbread and Nissan.

Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI)

Founded as the national training body for surgery in Ireland, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has been at the forefront of healthcare education since its establishment in 1784. As an independent, not-for-profit institution, we chart our own course in the pursuit of excellence in human healthcare.

Today we are an innovative, world-leading international health sciences education and research institution with undergraduate and postgraduate schools and faculties across the health sciences spectrum. We are home to numerous healthcare institutes as well as leading research centres driving pioneering breakthroughs in human health.

A deep professional responsibility to enhance human health through endeavour, innovation and collaboration in education, research and service inform all that we do. We welcome students and researchers into programmes of academic excellence and a lifelong community of colleagues that is clinically led, nurturing and supportive to enable them to realise their potential to serve our global patient community.

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Developing students to
become ‘world citizens’

RCSI has extensive international partnerships including:

Clinical/research elective agreements and Erasmus partnerships with an extensive list of international institutions including Johns Hopkins University, McMaster University and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Joint undergraduate Pharmacy programme with Soochow University, China

Transnational education operations/partnerships in Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain), Malaysia (RCSI UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC) and PU-RCSI School of Medicine) and Dubai (RCSI Dubai)

5% of research output produced through international collaboration with 1,758 institutions worldwide (Source: SciVal 2013-2017 accessed February 2019)

Mission and vision

  • To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health
  • Respect
  • Collaboration
  • Scholarship
  • Innovation

At the global forefront of pioneering medical research

18,000

alumni, practicing in 97 countries

€35.1m

Research grant income 2018

The mission of RCSI’s research strategy is to improve human health through translational research: clinical, laboratory-based and health service research informed by bedside problems, and societal and global health challenges. We promote innovative research that leads to improved diagnostics, therapeutics and devices; tackles important healthcare delivery issues; informs policy and clinical practice and enhances the quality of education of healthcare professionals.

RCSI is developing research centres in areas of excellence and critical mass, focused on clinical and patient-centred research:

Become a Member

The World 100 Reputation Network is a group of the best universities in the world, delivering research that enhances reputation and offering leaders the chance to develop their own careers on a global stage. Members benefit from events and study tours, training, monthly media monitoring, and unique reputation research to provide institutional advantage.

find out more

by Ruth Davison

University College Dublin

University College Dublin

Eilis O’Brien - Director of Communication

W100 Representative

Eilis O’Brien
Director of Communication

Eilis is Director of communication at University College Dublin. Previously she held a similar role at Dublin City University. In addition to her marketing experience in brand identity and corporate reputation, Eilis has extensive strategic and operational experience in running media and corporate public relations operations with a high degree of crisis management.

Prior to her current role, she was director of communication, education & training during the start-up phase of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Eilis was public relations manager with Bank of Ireland for eight years and with Bord Gais Eireann, the national natural gas operator in Ireland, for five years.

Eilis has held a number of senior communication and marketing roles in a variety of sectors including finance, natural gas, food safety, health and higher education. Her experience covers the public and private sectors.

In addition to her marketing experience in brand identity and corporate reputation, she has extensive strategic and operational experience in running media and corporate public relations operations with a high degree of crisis management.

Within the realm of public affairs she has worked on clean air designation, tobacco control, food safety enforcement and Government funding.

University College Dublin

Founded in 185 Year by John Henry Newman, University College Dublin is one of Europe’s leading research-intensive universities. UCD is Ireland’s largest and most diverse university. It actively promotes university life as a journey of intellectual and personal discovery through its highly innovative and flexible UCD Horizons undergraduate curriculum and is the most popular destination for Irish school-leavers.

The University places great emphasis on the internationalisation of the Irish student experience – preparing all UCD students for future employment and life that crosses borders, boundaries and cultures.

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Successful engagement with Irish society on
every level and across every sphere of activity

UCD’s world extends beyond its campus, city and borders. UCD students and worldwide network of 279,000 alumni benefit from a UCD education that enables them to thrive and contribute in an increasingly global community. As the number one ‘university of destination’ for international students coming to Ireland, UCD’s 8,428 international students make up 29% of the student body, while international academics make up 30% of UCD’s faculty.

As Ireland’s Global University we value global research, teaching, exchange, and collaborative programmes. University College Dublin has an extensive global network of partner institutions, comprised of over 400 institutions across more than 89 countries.

UCD has established the first Beijing-based awarding institution and the first Confucius Institute for Ireland. We have a comprehensive network of mobility, study abroad and joint awarding partners across the globe, ensuring opportunities for UCD staff and students to partake in overseas study.

UCD Global seeks to foster and develop links by supporting a variety of University-wide and College-level collaborations.

UCD is a member of several international networks and collaborations within research and education, such as Universitas 21 (U21), Tempus, Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus Action 1 and Action 2. Being a part of international networks and programmes offers exceptional opportunities for student and staff mobility, scholarships as well as research and teaching collaboration. In addition to our network of university partners we have a number of other strategic relationships with government ministries, sponsors and funding bodies.

Mission and vision

  • To contribute to the flourishing of Dublin, Ireland, Europe and the world through:
  • The excellence and impact of our research and scholarship
  • The quality of our graduates
  • Our global engagement; providing a supportive community in which every member of the University is enabled to achieve their full potential

Ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide

1,611+

PhD Students

€153m

in research grants

Research and innovation are essential drivers of a dynamic economy, an informed society and a vibrant culture. The spectrum of research and innovation at UCD encompasses individual scholars, research groups, start-up companies and large-scale collaborations with industry and other partners. Research is conducted within each of the University’s extensive range of disciplines, and in multidisciplinary research programmes addressing challenges of global scale.

UCD expertise is recognised worldwide, with international accreditations for UCD degrees from the world’s leading professional organisations in Veterinary Medicine, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Regional and Urban Planning, and Engineering.

In 2018/19 UCD researchers secured €153 million in research grants from national and international funding agencies, companies and foundations. Since 2009/10 UCD researchers have secured over €1 billion in such grants. Their research underpins national research and technology institutes and centres. UCD has had nationally-leading success in many of the most prestigious European awards, including European Research Council and Marie Sklodowska-Curie schemes.

Over the last decade UCD researchers have increased their annual number of papers in the international literature by 40% and have authored more than 31,000 papers in total. 54% of the papers were co-authored with researchers from more than 130 countries. These papers are cited by other researchers at a rate that is 71% above the world average.

As Ireland’s leader in innovation, technology transfer and commercialisation, UCD’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship recognises the importance of active participation and collaboration to exploit leading-edge research and development outputs. Supports for innovation include NovaUCD – the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs and NexusUCD – the Industry Partnership Centre. Since 2003 UCD has provided support to over 360 companies and early-stage ventures through the services and supports provided across the university, through NovaUCD, and through business support programmes run and managed by NovaUCD.

Become a Member

The World 100 Reputation Network is a group of the best universities in the world, delivering research that enhances reputation and offering leaders the chance to develop their own careers on a global stage. Members benefit from events and study tours, training, monthly media monitoring, and unique reputation research to provide institutional advantage.

find out more

by Ruth Davison