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North/South University Collaboration directory This directory was launched in UCD on Monday 19th June 2000 by Dr. Sean Farren MLA Minister for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment and Mr. Noel Treacy Minister of State with responsibility for Science and Technology. This directory can now be accessed on the CRI Website and can be updated on a regular basis. Lecture series on political developments in Ireland CSIS A new series of lectures has been organised in conjunction with the Institute of British Irish Studies. The lectures were as follows:
Speakers Deaglan de Breadun and Steven King
Speakers Martin Mansergh and Andy Pollak The
lectures in the Autumn will cover the following:
Lecture series on links between Scotland and IrelandA new
series of lectures has been organised in conjunction with the Centre for
Scottish Irish Studies. The lectures
were as follows: May 10th
‘Keeping the Accent: Poetry in Ireland and Scotland’ – Seamus Heaney June 7th
‘Religion, Riot and Romance: Scottish-Gaelic perspectives on Ireland in the
19th century’ –
Professor Donald Meek (University of Aberdeen) Combined Business Schools in Ireland The Business schools are
currently looking at ways of making their research expertise available to the
business and trade union community in both parts of Ireland. CRI/ICTU Working Party A joint meeting of researchers
from the universities and the trade unions met in September 2000. The objective of the
meeting was to enhance the links between the universities and the trade
unions, particularly in the research area.
A working party was established with the following terms of reference: a) To establish the basis of research and teaching co-operation between the trade unions and university sectors. b) To prepare the ground, identify the agenda and scope for future co-operation initiatives. c) To develop practical measures to give effect to such co-operation. The
main areas of activity are as follows: 1) Examine funding opportunities. 2) Examine the key policy issues with a view to holding a conference. 3) Develop a proposal for a workplace industrial relations survey. 4) Develop a directory of researchers (both in the universities and trade unions) in the area. InterTrade Ireland A
meeting of the InterTrade Ireland (ITI) and representatives from the Business
Schools took place on 25th April 2001 to discuss ITI’s research
agenda and how the Business Schools might be able to contribute to it. It was agreed to hold a series of
workshops in the following areas: ·
E-Commerce. ·
Skills shortages and how these can be alleviated on
a cross border basis. ·
Level and nature of interfirm linkages. ·
Cross border trade and investment patterns. MBA Directors A
directory of teaching staff on MBA programmes and their research interests is
being compiled. Discussion Groups Three groups have been formed to discuss the following topics
North/South Research Opportunities The
Conference of University Rectors in Ireland (CRI) was formed in 1992 with the
objective of encouraging and facilitating greater North/South university
linkages. At that time there was a very low of contact between the
universities in the North and those in the South. While there has been a
substantial increase in the level of contacts, these are probably quite low
if comparisons were drawn with other regions in Europe. Researchers
in North and South tend to look outside the island to Great Britain, Western
Europe and the US for collaboration. These will continue but CRI would like
researchers in both parts of Ireland to engage in areas of useful
co-operation. These may be areas where critical mass may be required to
ensure that the research group has an international presence. Other areas may
be where there are common problems in both parts of Ireland. North/South FundA £18m fund has been created. CRI is currently preparing a submission on how this fund should operate. Technology Foresight The
Irish Government has established a fund of IR£560M over the next seven years
to fund research projects in the areas of biotechnology and information and
communications technologies. The process is a bottom up one where research
proposals in these two broad areas are submitted and judged by a panel of
experts. CRI is currently examining ways of involving the two Northern
universities to increase the critical mass available. It will be up to the
various research groups to make contact with each other to develop possible
submissions. Common issues Under
the 'Good Friday Agreement' six cross border bodies (CBB's) were established
and six areas were agreed for co-operation between the two administrations in
Ireland and Northern Ireland. The six CBB's are as follows: Food Safety Promotion Board The Food Safety Promotion Board is principally charged with tasks involving food safety awareness - through public campaigns, conferences, training and advising processionals and the general public. It is also involved in supporting North/South scientific co-operation, and links between institutions working in the field of food safety - laboratories, statutory food safety enforcement agencies, international and domestic research bodies. It's remit also includes the promotion of specialised laboratory services, North and South. Cross-Border co-operation in all of these areas, between organisations working these fields, will be central to the work of this particular Body. The programme of activity ahead for the Body will include: finalising decisions on the precise scope of work of the Body, drawing
on the work of six Expert Groups set up to advise the Body on its six main
functions. (These are promotion of food safety; research into food safety;
communication of food alerts; promotion of scientific co-operation; and the
development of cost-effective facilities for specialised laboratory testing). Language Board (incorporating the Irish language and Scots Irish) The
Language Body is a single Body reporting to the NSMC, but composed of two
separate and largely autonomous agencies: the Irish Language Agency
and the Ulster-Scots Agencies. The Irish Language Agency, which took over the
functions of Bord na Gaeilge, has responsibility for the promotion of the
Irish language on an all-island basis. The Ulster-Scots Agency has
responsibility for the promotion of greater awareness and use of Ullans and
of Ulster-Scots cultural issues, both within Northern Ireland and throughout
the island. The
programme of activity ahead for the Language Body will include: the expansion of the Irish Language Agency's policy development role; the preparation of a new English-Irish dictionary by the Irish
Language Agency; the taking forward of a programme of funding of Voluntary Groups by
the Irish Language Agency; and the development of a programme of joint
projects between the two agencies. InterTrade Ireland InterTrade Ireland exercises a valuable range of
functions in the trade and business sector. Under the overall policy
direction of the NSMC, it will work in close collaboration with the existing
agencies in the field, North and South, with a focus on value added. The
Body will develop for NSMC approval a number of specific operational schemes,
such as administering a programme to enable companies to undertake joint
product and process development projects of commercial benefit; implementing
a Science and Technology awareness programme on a North/South basis; an innovation
aware scheme on the same basis. It also has a role in relation to increasing
the competitiveness of the business environment, North and South, including
in respect of critical areas such as e-commerce, the Information Society and
so on. In addition the Body is tasked with bringing forward to the NSMC
within three months of its coming into being proposals on the development of
a North/South equity investment fund programme for consideration and decision
by the Council. . The programme of activity ahead for the Body will be: - the completion by the Body of Studies on four key areas relating to
its potential role - Testing and Analytical Services, Standards Certification
and - Accreditation, Graduate Placement Programmes, Equity Investment Funds;
taking forward North/South E-Commerce work; - the preparation of an all-island business-to-business Trade
Directory; - the establishment of an Inter-Agency Forum, bringing together
company support staff in all the development Agencies on island; - organising a major public procurement conference; and - arranging a major sub-supply road show bringing together small
companies and major multinational buyers to develop new markets and trading
links. Waterways Ireland The
headquarters will be established in Enniskillen and regional offices have
been established in Carrick-on-Shannon, Scarriff and Dublin. Waterways
Ireland initially assumed responsibility for the Shannon Erne Waterway. On 1
April 2000 all of the Island's currently navigable waterways were transferred
to the Body, when a three region structure - Eastern, Western and Northern -
came into effect. The Body is empowered to engage in promotion,
including marketing and development, of the tourism and commercial potential
of the inland waterways for which it has responsibility. The Body thus has
the opportunity and the capacity to make a major contribution to the
development of parts of the island, yet to reap the fullest benefit from
tourism. The Chief Executive of the Body will be appointed by the
NSMC. When fully operational it is projected that it will have a staff of
362. The
programme of Activity Ahead for Waterways Ireland will include: updating a feasibility study of the Ulster Canal project (this is potentially a major project - the last estimate was IR£70m). The Loughs Agency The
Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission will develop the
significant potential for the development of aquaculture and marine tourism
in the areas concerned, with obvious benefit to the local economies. The
programme of activity ahead will be: -
taking forward Fisheries legislation; -
continuing discussions with relevant Authorities to enable the transfer of
Lights functions to the Body; and -
the Loughs Agency will be setting up operations in the Carlingford Area
(possible premises have been identified at Carlingford Marina). In addition to its ongoing operation in the Foyle Area, the Loughs Agency will be actively examining the potential for enhanced marine tourism in the Foyle and Carlingford Areas, and for the development of shell fisheries and aquaculture as these have significant job-creation potential. Special EU Programmes The
Special EU Programmes Body, has significant managerial and oversight
functions in relation to the new so-called Community Initiatives under the
post-1999 Structural Funds [INTERREG III, LEADER III AND EQUAL]. The Body
also has responsibility for monitoring and promoting the implementation of
the Common Chapter in the National Development Plans of the two
Administrations, North and South. The Body's importance was significantly
enhanced by the decision of the European Council to allocate substantial
funds for a new Peace Programme - the North/South elements of which fall to
the Body to implement. The programme of activity ahead for the Special EU Programmes Body is: - implementing remaining aspects of the current Peace and Interreg
programmes; - taking forward planning for the next Interreg and Peace Programmes,
including public consultations. The
six areas for agreed co-operation are as follows: Education Education
for children with special needs; educational under-achievement; teacher
qualifications; school, youth and teacher exchanges. Under the programme of
activity ahead in this sector Joint Working Groups of Officials from the
two Departments of Education, which have been established, will bring forward
concrete proposals for action on the following four areas: - Special Education Needs Provision - Educational Underachievement (Three Groups, covering Pupil
Attendance/Retention; Literacy/Numeracy; Child Protection) - Teacher Qualifications - School, Youth and Teacher Exchanges In addition, work will proceed on the organisation of a Language
Learning Conference and a repeat of the highly successful North/South
"Doors" project. Health Accident
and emergency planning; co-operation on high technology equipment; cancer
research; health promotion. Joint Working Groups of officials of the two Departments of Health
have been established and will bring forward concrete proposals for action on
the following five areas: - Cancer Research (in tandem with US National Cancer Institute - this
is major area of focus) - Health Promotion - major potential and significant co-operation in this
area also - High Technology - Accident and Emergency Services - Major Emergencies Agriculture Discussion
of CAP issues; animal and plant health policy and research; rural
development. The
programme for Agriculture and Sectoral meetings ahead is for: officials
to prepare proposals for action on the outline work programme. (Issues
to be covered include the implementation of EU Agenda 2000 Schemes); - a particular focus on Animal and Plant Health Research Development;
taking forward a common approach on the pigmeat sector; - a special focus on Low Incidence BSE Status for NI and new Less
Favoured Area Schemes; and - taking forward common approaches on Rural Development. Transport Strategic planning and development of cross-border co-operation in
transport: primarily road and rail planning and safety but also issues
arising in the port and airport sectors. Tourism A
publicly-owned limited company will be established by Bord Failte and the
Northern Ireland Tourist Board to provide services including
international tourism marketing programmes, publication of information on
tourism and market research. Environment Research
into environmental protection; water quality management and waste management
in cross-border context. The
Environment Ministers, North and South -
adopted a Situation Report on the seven areas for co-operation agreed at the
Inaugural Plenary in Armagh; and -
identified Environmental Research and Water Quality Management as
initial priorities for co-operation and approved action on taking them
forward. On Environmental Research, this will include the establishment of a
joint register of current research projects and identifying new technologies
for monitoring. On WaterQuality, this will include the taking forward of
activity by a newly established North/South Working Party on water quality
matters in relation to the Erne and Foyle catchments and the implementation
of a proposed EU Water Framework Directive. |
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