Month: October 2018

UCD Foundation is pleased to announce that Shire plc, the global biotechnology leader in rare diseases, are supporting an academic scholarship programme for student’s undertaking the Masters in Biopharmaceutical Engineering in University College Dublin (UCD).

The scholarship, which will run from 2018 through to 2020, will be awarded to the top performing students each year. Separately, there will also be a prize funded by Shire for the best Bioprocess Engineering Design Project, submitted in semester 3 by a team of students.

Susan Hynes, Site Lead for Shire Dunboyne, said: “We are delighted to announce this collaboration with UCD’s Masters in Biopharmaceutical Engineering. Shire is committed to support the drive to expand skills and talent. This is essential in order to meet the demand for high calibre graduates in Ireland’s growing Biopharma sector and this university programme is a great way of doing this. This is key for us as we continue to build our presence in Ireland with our state-of-the-art biologics facility in Dunboyne.”

The Biopharmaceutical MEngSC Engineering programme provides intensive training for a professional engineer or scientist in the biopharmaceutical sector. The course content addresses the principal scientific and engineering challenges involved in the design, operation and management of biopharmaceutical production facilities today.

The scholarship will be awarded upon graduation in December, for both the individuals and design project teams.

Leading Irish law firm Matheson, together with UCD Sutherland School of Law, hosted a morning seminar for senior executives and general counsel working in the agri-food and beverage sectors on 4th October 2018. The event, entitled Cultivating New Opportunities: The Agri-Food and Beverage Perspective on Brexit and China, assessed the challenges and opportunities facing the agri-food and beverage sectors as a result of Brexit.

The sector, which employs over 250,000 people directly and indirectly, is central to Ireland’s export-led growth strategy.  Asian markets, particularly China, present significant opportunities for these sectors, in 2017 alone exports to Asia grew 6% to €850 million.

Michael Creed TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine delivered the keynote address at the seminar, taking place in the new UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland at University College Dublin. Business leaders from the agri-food and beverage sectors and leading academics in the fields of law, economics, food and agriculture also shared their insights.

Tim Scanlon, Partnership Chairman, Matheson commented: “Today’s conference has reflected the unique set of challenges which Brexit presents for the Irish agri-food and beverage sector – but it has also shown the commitment, drive and determination of the sector to meet those challenges full on and to harness any potential opportunities that may arise.”

Speaking at the conference, Professor Imelda Maher, UCD Dean of Law remarked: “Whatever the final agreement between the UK and the EU after Brexit, it marks a major legal, political and economic challenge for Ireland. The disruption also points the way to opportunities, with UCD research shedding light on those new avenues across law, society, economy and culture. We are pleased to host this forum with Matheson, a close collaborator and valued supporter of UCD Sutherland School of Law.”

UCD Foundation are delighted to announce Ireland’s first Masters Programme in Retail Leadership launched on Monday, 1st of October 2018 at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

The MSc has emerged from a collaboration between the Garfield Weston Foundation and UCD leadership. Inspired by Breege O’Donoghue’s outstanding retail career with Primark, the partnership recognises Breege’s contributions to the sector by funding the creation of the MSc in Retail Leadership programme alongside numerous scholarships in her name.

The goal of the MSc in Retail Leadership is to provide students with a detailed understanding of the retail landscape as the business world undergoes fundamental technological and commercial challenges. Students will develop critical skills and competencies to enhance their management careers in retail and related industries.

The programme is open to graduates from a wide variety of disciplines including general business, social sciences, digital technology, philosophy and financial management who want to pursue a leadership career in the retail and allied sectors. Modules on the course include retailing fundamentals, leading retail in a digital age, marketing insights and analytics, marketing strategy, retail consumer experience, omnichannel marketing, retail and digital procurement as well as an industry project.

For information on how to apply for the MSc in Retail Leadership click here.