Postgrad Expo To Be Held in UCC on 26th January
By James Kemmy
A postgraduate information exhibition will be hosted in UCC on Thursday the 26th January. The event, which will be held in the Hub from 3-8pm, will showcase over 200 courses that are available in the college for those interested in pursuing further study. Over four disciplinary schools, a wide set of talks and workshops focusing on postgrad diplomas and certificates, higher diplomas, and structured or practitioner PhDs will take place in the Dr Dora Allman room and the Shtepps.
In addition to this, there will be representatives present from the university’s Fees Office, the Skills Centre and the Accommodation and Community Life Office to answer any questions from attendees. Information on postgrad scholarships will be available too, with details provided on various schemes and application processes. A number of career consultants will be present on the Hub’s ground floor to assist visitors with queries relating to their career goals and how to align them with suitable study courses. A special Career Advice Zone will be active in the Career Services consultation rooms, with no booking required.
Speaking to Carol Veiga and Catherine O’Sullivan from UCC’s student recruitment team, January 26th’s event is a highly valuable opportunity for anyone seeking to solidify their aspirations for specialised study and career development. Further, UCC is the highest ranking university in Ireland for research income from industry sources, with over 70 different institutes and centres dedicated to innovation, entrepreneurship, research and societal impact. On the day of the event, there will be two alumni panel discussions held, where former postgraduate students will lend their insights and speak of their experiences of further study at UCC. Similarly, there will be a collaborative roundtable discussion where current students of both research and taught programmes will detail their stories on the reality of postgrad life.
Included in the Expo’s timetable is a Postgrad Conversion Course, a session that will provide advice and guidance for people seeking to change direction in their field of study and explore a new vocational field. There will also be a 101 on financing PhDs, where expert advice will be provided to students looking to fund doctoral studies. A workshop provided by UCC Career Services will discuss how to write a personal statement within a CV and job application context. With an emphasis on student wellbeing, a self-care session informed by Dr Eithne Hunt’s digital badge programme ‘Everyday Matters – Healthy Habits for University Life’ will be available to attend. This session will enable students to explore how to spend time across study/work, leisure, self-care and sleep, and aims to cultivate positive habits of the mind including self-compassion, a growth mindset and joy and gratitude.
For attendees interested in entrepreneurial start-ups, there will be an IGNITE information stand showcasing UCC’s flagship programme aimed at providing mentorship and advice to aspiring business owners. Student representatives from UCC’s online post-grad journal, The Boolean, which highlights the doctoral research carried out in the college, will also be present - with information available on how students can get their work published in future editions.
Undoubtedly, an attractive feature of postgrad study in UCC is the university’s comprehensive alignment of research and learning activity with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is a blueprint of seventeen policy objectives for a more peaceful, prosperous and environmentally viable world. Speaking to the Express, Niamh Guiry, who completed a Masters in Environment and Natural Resources Law in 2021, highlights the benefits of UCC’s dedicated centre for Law and the Environment (CLE), whereby innovative environmental research is carried out. Niamh is currently undertaking a PhD project, mapping the relationship between the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and international law.
“The overall sustainable ethos of UCC allows me to pursue my research, work, and extracurricular activities in an environment that values the student voice and climate action” she says.
Another postgrad alumni of UCC, Chris Moran, completed an MSc in Sustainable Development, Agri-Food and Co-Operatives, three years after finishing his undergraduate programme in Commerce. A course which promotes the emergent link between food and sustainability, Chris says his postgrad served as a “launchpad” for his PhD in sustainable food consumption. “One of the biggest factors contributing to my positive postgraduate experience in UCC has been the people that I have interacted with. Both staff and fellow students have helped me to learn and grow both personally and professionally”.
Free goodie bags and valuable networking opportunities are also on offer. To learn more and register for the event, visit: www.ucc.ie/postgradexpo.