Teacher's Pet

An insider's guide to education

The so-called "new wave" of university presidents may have their detractors. But the Economist magazine is not among them.

In its current survey on the Republic, the influential magazine lavishes praise on Hugh Brady at UCD, John Hegarty at Trinity and the embattled Gerry Wrixon in UCC. It comments favourably on how all three have been influenced by the American model of close links between universities and hi-tech industry.

The survey also focuses on Wrixon's academic and professional career. According to the report, the UCC head "unabashedly proclaims that, if a university is to thrive, it must be a research-based, elite institution".

After this, and high praise from the Tánaiste, Mary Harney, in UCC News, Wrixon should be confident of securing a five-year extension of service. But the campaign against him from some UCC academics is continuing. One critic, let's call him Dr X, insists osending foul-mouthed tirades by e-mail to delicate journalistic souls. Emotions are clearly running high.

In UCC News, Mary Harney also singled out the same Three Amigos (Brady, Hegarty and Wrixon) for praise. "At the moment we have some fantastic presidents John Hegarty, Hugh Brady and Gerry Wrixon here at UCC, and many of them are from the same background. . . They have a scientific background in common, it's wonderful," she said.

Department of Education officials are regaling all and sundry with tales about the inscription on a cushion in Minister Hanafin's new Ministerial Merc. It reads: "Some leaders are born women!"

Olwyn Enright retained the job as education spokesperson for Fine Gael in last week's reshuffle. This was not unexpected. The party did very, very well in highlighting the broken promises on school buildings made by Fianna Fáil in the run-up to the last election.

The new Minister, Mary Hanafin, faces a formidable array of heavy hitters on the Opposition benches, including Enright and Labour's hugely impressive Jan O'Sullivan.

Hardly a day goes by without O'Sullivan sending a press release on education issues to the hacks. The impressive thing is this; almost all are well researched and, actually, say something interesting.

At a time when interest in science in declining, all credit to the physics department in NUI Galway.

Its four-year-old physics and astronomy degree has been a big hit in attracting students to science. With the assistance of broadcaster Leo Enright, the department has also now produced a DVD explaining some of the key ideas and methods used to teach physics through the medium of astronomy.

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