‘Dedicated’ students receive €100,000 in UL scholarships

ALMOST €100,000 worth of scholarships were presented to 49 new students at the University of Limerick, in recognition of their Leaving Certificate achievements this year.

For the fourth year running, each first year student was awarded €2,000 entrance scholarships, which was an initiative first established to celebrate the university’s 40 years.

The awardees were presented the scholarships at a special ceremony on the campus, with their parents and former school principals, and were given a commemorative certificate to mark the occasion.

UL president Prof Don Barry congratulated all the recipients and wished them “continued success” in the years ahead.

“To our award winners today let me say that I have no doubt that your work ethic and drive for excellence will be the foundation for your success in the years ahead. This occasion offers the due public recognition of your hard work, dedication and achievement. It is also a day of pride for your families and friends,” he said at the ceremony.

Some of the Limerick recipients were Jenna Bromell and Eoin O’Brien, both received the Stryker Scholarship; the Edith and Leslie Downer Scholarship went to Chloe O’Connell; and the Elaine Fagan Scholarship was received by Aaron Mullane.

All CAO applicants are automatically included in the selection process provided they have not already received another bursary or scholarship from UL.

Ten scholarships were also awarded to new mature students and five Women in Engineering Awards were also presented to top scoring female applicants to programmes in the faculty of Science and Engineering.

The scholarships are on offer across all disciplines including nine scholarships for numerous faculties at the university.

The Microsemi Scholarship, which was awarded to Wiktoria Malicka, provides €50,000 to the UL Foundation to help support excellence in engineering on campus.

Meanwhile, a deal facilitating collaboration between universities in Limerick and Ghana has been signed.

UL signed the formal agreement with the University of Ghana to “develop models of cooperation in a number of areas including education and in academic research”.

The signing ceremony took place during the visit to the Ghanaian institution by agriculture minister Simon Coveney and Ireland’s ambassador to Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, H.E. Sean Hoy, with UL vice president academic and registrar Professor Paul McCutcheon and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey also in attendance.

The “groundbreaking agreement” will facilitate staff and student exchanges as well as institutional collaboration, UL said