Bizstartup.ie - NewsNUI Galway business programme teams up with business leaders

The course, which has been developed by Michael Campion, module leader at NUI Galway, Pádraig Ó Céidigh, chairman of Aer Arann and adjunct professor with NUI Galway’s J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, and Páraic Breathnach, managing director of Galway Arts Centre, involves students participating in innovative practice in all aspects of business and community enterprise.

The objective of the Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise module is to encourage self-confidence in students in their ability to be creative and innovative in whatever future business and/or community settings that they are working in.

Being creative, enterprising and innovating

With the support of 22 local business and community leaders who mentored the students, this module provides opportunities for over 330 students to engage in group-based projects requiring them to innovate with the community in many interest areas.

The Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise module is part of a wider initiative within the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, supported by funding from the NUI Galway Students Projects Fund, to focus on student personal-development planning and employability skill development.

Prominent business mentors from Galway region

As part of the module, groups of students from the Bachelor of Commerce final-year class were required to present their innovation projects to various mentors through various judging stages, resulting in the selection of four finalist groups.  

On 26 March, these groups presented to the final judging panel, which consisted of Caroline O’Dea, Crospon, Neil Johnson, Croí, and Rory Coll, Coll & Co. Financial Consultants.

The overall winners were Patrick Farrell from Claregalway, Co Galway, Patrice Lacken from Ballina, Co. Mayo and Zhongyi Ren from China, for their group presentation entitled ‘Interactive Computerised Training Programme for a Service Sector Industry’.

The winning group was mentored by Fiona Monaghan from Fáilte Ireland West, who said the Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise is a big breakthrough in providing an opportunity for students to gain first-hand experience of putting theory into practice with the support and resources of the mentoring panel from the business community, which also having backing from teachers at the school.

“The interesting phase is now to progress the ideas to see how realistic it is to bring them to market in a cost effective manner that will provide a return on investment,” said Monaghan.

One of the business mentors, John Concannon, managing director, JFC Manufacturing, added: “This course is a great initiative. Businesses are made up of ideas and a good business is built around these.”

Photo: From left: Rory Coll, Coll & Co, Chartered Accountants, winners of the innovation project, Zhongyi Ellen Ren from China, Patrick Farrell from Claregalway, and Patrice Lacken from Ballina and Neil Johnson, Croí; and Caroline O'Dea, Crospon