UNIVERSITY College, Galway, has launched a £24.5 million five-year capital development programme. More than half of it will be paid for by the private sector, to develop its arts, modern languages, science, library and information technology facilities.
Dr Patrick Fottrell, UCG's president, launched the plan yesterday, saying his aim was to make Galway "one of the most attractive campuses in Europe". He said it already had 800 international students, who bring in £3 million every year in fees.
The development programme will include the building of a modern languages centre; a new post-graduate arts building; two large lecture theatres; a library extension; a new science building incorporating the environmental science R and D unit; and an information technology unit.
Dr Fottrell said work had already begun on a new information and parents and students welcome centre; a new restaurant, student theatre and creche facilities; and the reconstruction of the former Carna Technical School for Irish language programmes. Last week, the new university bar - "the largest bar in Ireland", with room for 800 people - was opened.
He said that to raise the necessary funding from the private sector the Galway University Foundation had been established, with chapters in Boston, New York and St Louis.
The UCG president said the university would become the first in Ireland to offer information technology as an arts subject. From next September, all English and legal studies students will be offered it as a separate subject, with the aim of extending the option to all arts students. At a time of high technology skills shortages, he emphasised the importance of well-rounded, skilled arts graduates who would be "trainable by industry".
He also announced a new BE in electronic and computer engineering; computing science and earth science for first-year science students; and joint master's programmes in criminal justice and human rights with Queen's University. Belfast.
Dr Fottrell said he was setting up a £200,000 Programme Innovation Fund to develop new programmes which would "differentiate us from other universities". These could include "an external experience" such as a placement at home or abroad, in industry or in the voluntary sector. He hoped to increase this fund to £1 million. He also said UCG would open a Centre for Quality Teaching next January.