Lois Roberts-Lebbie, who is from Sierra Leone, had her idea of Christmas completely changed by a wonderful experience with a family in Cork

The Government has announced the extension of the requirement for a pre-departure negative/not detected PCR tests to passenger arrivals from ALL countries from Saturday 16th January 2021. The test must be taken within 72 hours prior to arrival.

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we wish to highlight important information for students, researchers and staff members who may be arriving to Ireland or returning to Ireland.

Happy birthday UCC!

Esha Phalke, first year Pharmacy student and a class rep 2020/21 shares her experience of life as an International student during Covid times.

This Sunday , December 13th, in this the most unique and strange of championships, the All-Ireland senior hurling final comes to fruition as Limerick and Waterford meet in Croke Park.

The first one was a resounding success.  Now Cork City Council has announced the locations of ten new parklets, similar to the pop-up park on Douglas Street, that will be created throughout Cork City as part of the ‘Re-imagining Cork’ programme.

Eight UCC students will get the opportunity to be mentored by Oscar-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam, after each being awarded a prestigious scholarship.

An international ranking which examines sustainability practices in universities across the world, has ranked University College Cork (UCC) today at ninth, the only Irish university to make the top 10 of the ‘greenest universities’ in the world.

Background

The International Student Ambassadors program is organized annually by Education Ireland.  Ireland’s Student Ambassador Programme is one of a series of new initiatives from Education in Ireland aimed at raising awareness of the quality of Irish education, and assisting and encouraging interested students from overseas as they embark on their search for the right university or college.

Student Ambassadors share their experience of living and studying in Ireland, as well introduce their culture and passions to the wider UCC community, and create a campus-wide forum for open dialogue, inter-cultural learning and mutual understanding. 

A team of academics from University College Cork (UCC) braved riots and tear-gas to encourage sustainable education, amid political unrest in Honduras.

A cork based duo have launched Green Friday 2020 to help support small businesses across Ireland and encourage people to shop local.

The Choctaw-Ireland Scholarship was established by the Irish Government and the Chahta Foundation in 2018 in recognition of the act of generosity and humanitarianism shown by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma towards the people of Ireland during the Great Famine of the mid-Nineteenth Century and is designed to foster and deepen the ties between the two nations today.

Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year.

Cork Discovers has brought research to life in Cork since 2018, as part of European Researchers' Night. 

Wishing all our Indian students a Happy Diwali from the International Office!

A 5-part documentary series by RTÉ and the Irish Universities Association which shines a light on seven university students helping to change the face of higher education. 

UCC launches virtual learning ‘one-stop shop’ for students.

Almost 50 dedicated services available to support students through new term.

18 September 2020.

All such permissions that are due to expire from 20th September 2020 - 20th January 2021 are automatically renewed by the Minister to the 20th January 2021. The renewal of permission is on the same basis as the existing permission and the same conditions attach. 

The International Office team is looking forward to welcoming our new students for the coming term.

“Indian at heart and Irish by soul" is how UCC alum Lekha Menon Margassery fondly describes herself.  

University College Cork (UCC) is Ireland’s leading university for industry collaboration, as highlighted in today’s national Knowledge Transfer Ireland report.

The Knowledge Transfer Ireland Annual Review assesses the engagement of Irish universities across Ireland with industry, and UCC is Ireland’s leading university for research income, both overall and in terms of research funding from industry partners.

Following on from last year's inaugural Ireland Wildlife Film Festival, which was organised by Mr. Carter McCormick, filmmaker and PhD candidate in the Department of Film and Screen Media and by filmmaker Ms. Paula Sprenger, we are delighted to announce the lineup for this year's online event. 

The Festival will showcase an incredible array of films from around the world, directed by some of the leading practitioners in wildlife filmmaking and featuring a dazzling variety of animals!

UCC Student Health are delighted to welcome our International Students to Ireland for the 2020/2021 academic year. As you know, we are entering this academic year in very unusual circumstances as Ireland, like the rest of the world, is in the midst of grappling with the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

In order to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, there are some steps that UCC students arriving into Ireland from overseas must comply with. This document advises you of your health obligations with respect to your arrival into Ireland and safe commencement or continuation of your studies at UCC.

The Fulbright programme has enabled academic and cultural exchanges between more than 2,500 Irish and American citizens since 1957.

Included within the four UCC Fulbright Awardees, two previously studied abroad with UCC, Brigita Gallagher and Róisín Ní Chinnéide

The International Office staff were invited for tea, coffee and Christmas treats to celebrate the start of the festive season. 

The coffee morning took place in The Dr Dora Allman Room, 4^th Floor of The Hub.

 Included in the photo is Deputy President and Registrar, Professor John O’Halloran along with Jim McEvoy, Alexandra Weiß, Deirdre Crone, Anne-Marie Scarry, Gerda Coyne, Gary Hurley, Zita O' Sullivan and Marita Foster (International Office, UCC)

*Published by the International Office.

Experience the festive season as A Cork Christmas Celebration, the most loved free festival organised by Cork City Council. In 2011 the festival attracted over 150,000 visitors making it Cork's most successful festival. It is expected that the festival will attract even greater numbers this year.

International Office staff meet with future UCC students to discuss studying abroad as part of their UCC degree. 

UCC graduate attributes and values get translated into Chinese! 

Ireland’s first and largest film festival, the 64th Cork Film Festival will take place 7th – 17th November 2019.

Our fathers, partners, brothers and friends face a health crisis that isn’t being talked about. Men are dying too young. We can’t afford to stay silent.  

The Dragon of Shandon will take place on 31st October 2019 on the streets of Cork.

The Guinness Cork Jazz Parade will be unleashing its fantastic talents on the streets of Cork on the 24th of October.

The IndieCork Film and Music Festival 2019 takes place from 6th to 13th October.

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.

Our mission is to provide an outlet for all of those on campus, both students and staff, who have a passion for musical theatre. We provide workshops to cater for backstage and performance, so everyone is included.

Join us for our first Stitch and Bitch of semester 1 for a chance to get to know the committee and the other fantastic knitters of UCC.

In 1847, during the height of the Potato Famine in Ireland, the Choctaw Nation donated $170 to the people of Cork, despite having recently endured the trauma of the Trail of Tears. This huge act of kindness has never been forgotten by the Irish and is commemorated in the Kindred Spirit monument in Midleton, Cork, Ireland. 

Come join our society and snuggle some puppies at Societies Day. We will be outside Boole Library on the 11th of September, from 11 am - 3 pm. This is an event not to be missed!

You are invited, along with your family and friends, to celebrate integration and inclusion in East Cork, where over 15 nationalities working together to showcase the diversity of cultures by giving a taste of foods from around the world.

The UCC Indian Alumni Community in association with the UCC Alumni Network cordially invite you to “Spandan” — our annual fundraiser and networking event. 

Come say hi to us at Fresher's Fest, which takes place Saturday, 7th of September outside Boole Library from 9 am- 3 pm.

The UCC International Office welcomes 1,800 international students who will spend their Autumn semester/full year here in Cork.  Orientation is carried out over 3 days which includes academic information, social information and a jam packed welcome programme.  

The Student Support Team launched the International Office Swap Shop for the second time this Autumn semester.  The Swap shop ran two pop up events on Tuesday 3rd September and Tuesday 10th September, and was organisd by our student help team. 

National Heritage Week is a nine day celebration of the heritage that Ireland has to offer that runs from 17-25 August 2019.

This is genius.

She is Sustainable, in partnership with Twig Refill, brings you our first bitesize event - The Clothes Swap.

We are delighted to announce that singing sensation Tommy Fleming will deliver a powerful performance of beloved classics and contemporary favourites on Saturday 13 July 2019 for this year’s A Summer’s Evening on the Quad at UCC.

Cork Midsummer Festival is an annual multi-disciplinary arts festival that uses the city as its backdrop and inspiration. It provides high-quality arts events, both national and international, for audiences of all ages. Its programme provides opportunities for significant public participation and engagement, supports the development of emerging artists across all artforms, and provides a unique platform for work by local and national artists.

If you are an Indian passport holder, and are applying for a study visa to fly to Ireland, please read.

Stop Food Waste Week 2019 is running from the 12th – 19th June.

Congratulations to Natalie, Suzanne and Manuela who won the poster project for Swap Shop at the Student Affairs Ireland 2019 Summit.

The International Office attends the annual NAFSA Conference and Expo each year.  This year it was held in Washington D.C.

Congratulations to the Dentistry Class of 2019 on your examination results.  Well wishes from all at the International Office.

SeaFest is Ireland’s largest free maritime festival, and is fun, free and for all ages.  Get onboard and head to the Port of Cork, Cork City from Friday, 7th June to Sunday, 9th June.

A University College Cork student is using beekeeping to teach mindfulness to vulnerable young people in a Cork city centre school.

Sarah Kearney, a 4th year Social Work student, introduced beehives to help students at the Cork City Learning Support Centre to develop life skills.

The Student Support Team launched the International Office Swap Shop pilot last December.  The concept of the Swap Shop was based on feedback from departing students that they would love to have a place to donate gently used, pre loved items, instead of ending up in landfill.  I had read Bea Johnson’s book, Zero Waste Home, and so was really inspired to see if the students were on to something.

The International Office is delighted to welcome the North Carolina State University Engineering Summer School group to UCC.  NC State is a long standing partner university of UCC. 

Marks and Spencers have released limited edition sandwiches in celebration of the upcoming pride month.

The increasingly popular annual festival ‘Soul in the City’ returns to the victorian quarter Cork this June bank holiday weekend.

Congratulations to the Medicine Class of 2019 on your examination results.  Well wishes from all at the International Office.

To celebrate Ireland’s National Workplace Wellbeing Day UCC ran a University-wide wellbeing compeition.  We were asked to take responsibility for introducing workplace wellbeing in our own department, and our efforts paid off.  We walked away with one of the runners up prizes!  

Congratulations to our two international students Kevin Crishan and Karan Samani who took away a well deserved award at the Peer Support Leader Awards last month. 

Sponsored by No Meat May we are totally pumped to support all those on their 31 day no meat challenge #likeaboss

I am so delighted & excited to be bringing to the people of Ireland the 2nd ALIGN~Mind-Body-Spirit Holistic Wellbeing Charity Event in aid of raising much needed funds for the life saving charity that is Pieta House.

Six of Ireland’s leading designers will be working with six top local food producers to create bespoke installations that will pop up across Cork city centre for three days this spring.

Each year as part of LGBTI Awareness week, we include a night of LGBTI themed entertainment. This year, as part of the 9th annual LGBTI Awareness Week, Cork City LGBTI Interagency Group are delighted, to present a screening of the historical period comedy-drama film The Favourite. Join us for a wine reception from 6.30 PM followed by screening of the Oscar winning movie at 7 PM.

Advice to INIS customers about possible fraud by telephone contact.

Who are New Communities Partnership Cork?  NCP is Ireland's leading and only umbrella network for migrant-led organisations. New Communities Partnership (NCP) is an independent national network of more than 150 immigrant-led groups comprising 65 nationalities with offices in Dublin and Cork with outreach to other cities. We support and strengthen our Irish citizenship communities by:

The Hill of Uisneach in Co. Westmeath has played a part in just about every significant Irish event, be it political, cultural, religious, mythological and geographical. The centre of Ireland in many ways, the enigmatic hill is one of the most sacred and historic sanctuaries in the world.  

Clear your diaries for Spirit of the City Festival 2019!

The Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American studies is delighted to invite you to the event series: Art in Latin America and Iberia.

Ready for exam season?  The Skills centre have a jam packed schedule of events to help you through the next few weeks.

Ticket sales will be held on Thursday 21st March 1900-2000hrs in Boole 3

Ticket sales will be held on Wednesday 20th March 0900-1400hrs in Boole Basement.

UCC Community Gardens is a food-growing initiative that respects agro-ecological techniques, promotes DIY problem solving and is open to all.

The Chaplaincy team is leading a mini camino to Admore, Co. Wexford on Saturday 30th March.  

District Court Judge, Olann Kelleher, will be speaking to students and staff on Thursday 28^th March at 6pm in Boole 1.

Ireland’s biggest annual poetry festival kicks off next week, featuring workshops, award presentations, discussions, book launches and readings by over forty poets from America, Asia, Europe, Britain and Ireland.  Two poets based in UCC will participate: 

On Friday 22nd March we are going on a trip to the Donkey Sanctuary, which is a charity dedicated to providing loving homes for donkeys and mules. The sanctuary is a beautiful and quiet place where you can contemplate surrounded by nature and friendly donkeys and will definitely be worth your while.

The Alliance Française de Cork is proud to present the 30th Cork French film festival, a city-wide event bringing the best of French cinema to Irish audiences.

A conference to mark the centenary of the consecration of the iconic Saint Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh and the sesquicentenary of the laying of its foundation stone will take place on Saturday, 9 March 2019 in the Commodore Hotel, Cobh.

The Kate Falls Vintage Market is about to pop up at one of the city’s best kept secrets, inviting savvy bargain hunters to browse the rails while sipping a glass of their favourite vino.

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Video testimonial by Cassandra Summo (Siena College) – UCC US Student Ambassador

On 7 March at 1.15pm in the Boole Library Creative Zone, the LGBT+ Staff Network will be launching the new UCC Rainbow Alliance.  All UCC staff are invited to this event.  President O'Shea will off officially launch the scheme with the Deputy President & Registrar, and the guest speaker will be Dónal Óg Cusack, Irish hurling coach, selector and former player.  Lunch will be provided for attendees.  No registration is required, but space at the venue is limited and seats cannot be reserved. 

Come along to find out more.

When:   Today, March 7 @ 1:30-3:30pm

Where:  North Wing Council Room.

The UCC Hispanic Society in collaboration with UCC SPLAS cordially invites you to a week of film screenings on contemporary Peru.

UCC Chaplaincy is a multi-faith Christian chaplaincy; our chaplaincy team consists of members from different faiths and backgrounds. The Chaplains are experienced at listening and offering spiritual guidance, prayer, support, friendship, fun and entertainment.

What is Fem Soc?  Promoting gender equality on campus and beyond through awareness raising and campaigning. 

Equality Week 2019 is around the corner - with a number of lunchtime events which include light lunch and refreshments for those registered. All are welcome. 

A casual Stitch and Bitch to catch up and refresh with us. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate provided please bring reusable cups.

On 1&2 March 2019, Cork Gay Project will be hosting OUTing the Past, a LGBT+ History Festival that will be free to all.  According to Pádraig Rice, of the Cork Gay Project, "We are very excited to announce that we will be hosting OUTing the Past, popular history festival, on 2 March 2019. This will be the first time that the international LGBT History Month will be celebrated in Cork in a significant way.

UCC IO organised a Lunar New Year party on 10 Feb 2019 for the growing community of Vietnamese students in UCC at Cork Cricket County Club.

The Chaplaincy Department is leading a student retreat to Glenstal Abbey on Saturday 23rd February.   Glenstal Abbey is home to a community of over thirty monks who strive to live according to the Rule of St Benedict and the precepts of the gospel. A place of great natural beauty, of prayer and of work, Glenstal offers our guests and visitors an invitation to open their lives and their hearts to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

On Monday 25th, we're screening the documentary 'Jane'.

The Education Awards 2019 will take place on Thursday, February 21st at the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin.  The Awards is part of the Business River Network Solution which hosts over 12,000 senior level business professionals at over 30 events with a wider business network of over 25,000 people.

UCC is proud to be nominated for:

• Best Erasmus Programme
• Best Third Level Institution
• Best Business & Third Level Institution Collaboration
• Best Student Experience Award
• Best Student Campus Award
• Student Engagement & Communications Award
• Best Research Project

Following a hard fought but brilliant win on Sunday over NUIG in the semi-final, the college senior football team have now reached the Sigerson Cup final for 2019. St Mary’s Belfast are our opponents and the game will be played on this coming Wednesday 20^th in O ‘Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Quality of life rising faster here than anywhere else, says human development index

We would like to cordially invite you to our UCC CI  Spring Festival Gala to be held in the city Hall on Feb. 18th 2019 .

Massive congratulations to Dr. Martin Veiga on his successful book launch recently. 

Kittens on Campus!  UCC Animal Welfare Society is for UCC students interested in the area of animal welfare and/or people who want to get involved in the area of animal welfare.

Blackstone LaunchPad at UCC is a campus-based experiential entrepreneurship programme open to all UCC students, staff and alumni offering
coaching, ideation and venture creation support. It is modeled on a successful programme originated at the University of Miami and was further
developed and expanded by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation.

Join UCC Sci-Fi Society, UCC Netsoc, and UCC WARPS Society for a Blind Date!! 

We are just feeling so nostalgic for the music we grew up with and loved to hate. Come on down and party the night away with us and listen to that music that you hate to love.

Great news for people who missed out on the last sale. We have a number of tickets left for the trip.

Meet with us and UCC Scribble Society UCCs newest art society at our Stitch 'n' Scribble event where we will be knitting, drawing and making pompoms. Please bring a reusable cup for tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

UCC is supporting the Vietnamese community in Cork in organising a Lunar New Year Party for UCC Vietnamese students.  It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet and celebrate the occasion with other Vietnamese nationals living and working in Cork.

UCC's Foodie Society is for Food Science, Nutritional Science, Food Marketing & Entrepreneurship students and all food lovers in general! 

Ladies and gents this is the moment you’ve waited for!  The theme of this year’s ball is Vintage carnival, so dust off your top hats and canes and we’ll take you to the other side on the 7th of February in the Cork international hotel.  

There are two senior championship games in the Mardyke on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th in the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups.  First up, on Wednesday at 7pm our senior football team play the quarter final of the Sigerson Cup against IT Carlow in the Mardyke GAA Grounds.  Then on Thursday at 7pm our senior hurling team again play IT Carlow in the quarter final of the Fitzgibbon Cup, also in the Dyke.

I am delighted to inform you that €350 was raised by Clare Murphy for local charity, Cork Penny Dinners.  The money was raised from the very generous donations given by UCC staff for the 2019 International Office Study Abroad Calendar.  Thank you to everyone for your generosity and for supporting a very worthy cause.

Wishing all our Chinese friends, colleagues and partners every good wish for the Year of the Pig. We look forward to a wonderful year of collaboration, throughout 2019 which marks 40 years of official diplomatic ties between Ireland and China.

The online delivery of the bystander intervention module will allow all UCC students to access education and skills training to become positive contributors to a safe, supportive university experience and marks the further progression of our work in addressing issues of sexual and gender based violence at UCC. The Bystander Intervention Programme imitative at UCC has been led and developed by Dr Louise Crowley, School of Law.   The conference will be attended by the Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor, who recognises the importance of this work as an effective means of ending sexual violence and ensuring a culture of safety and respect across all Higher Education Institutions. 

Brighten your day with a morning Mindfulness class. Learn the core Mindfulness practices and tools that will help you navigate stress and reduce anxiety.  Daily mindfulness also helps you to tap into its numerous, for example: 

Screening of 'Super 8'.  During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash while filming a movie and investigate unexplained events in their small town.

UCC Career Services would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our Spring Recruitment Fair on UCC Campus.  We are delighted to be hosting 43 top graduate recruiters next Tuesday 29^th January 2019, running from 11am to 3pm in Devere Hall at the Student Centre.  

'Great Minds Think Alike'.  UCC SAMH soc is a new society dedicated to changing the face of mental health on campus and beyond, through fundraisers, education and support.

Congratulations to Charlene Dos Santos, Erasmus student from France, for successfully finding all of the correct Cork landmarks in our recent competition!  Charlene collected her prize from our office this morning and snagged some fab UCC goodies. 

WARPCON is UCC's premiere, top notch gaming convention with a focus on Board Games, CCGs, Wargames, RPGs, Video Games, Special Guests and more.

Many companies are looking to recruit graduates with strong language skills across a wide range of disciplines. The rise in foreign direct investment,  and the influx of MNCs (multi-national companies) using Ireland as their gateway to Europe, the Middle East and Asia (and beyond), combined with the requirement for indigenous Irish companies to succeed in an international business environment has put a focus on language skills like never before.

The UCC International Office recently welcomed 505 international students who will spend their spring semester here in Cork.  Orientation was carried out over 2 days which included academic information, social information and a jam packed welcome programme.  

The first KnitSoc event of the New Year! If you've made a resolution to pick up a new hobby (or even if you haven't) we can help!

Did someone say free coffee?

WELCOME BACK!!

We hope everyone had a great break and is ready to get back to business again. We've a few bits organised this week to settle you back into the swing of things, everything from an ABBA tribute band to Pop Up condom shops!

As always we are here to help and want to give you the best possible college experience so never be afraid to drop us a message! Heres to 2019!!!

A new ‘living wall’ was installed in the Quad Reading Room, transforming what was once a boring space into a beautiful and functional piece of living art.

The Welcome Programme is organised by the International Office for newly arrived international students. It is specifically designed to help with the initial adjustment to living in Cork and studying at UCC.  The programme is full of events and activities providing a great opportunity to make new friends- both with Irish students and other internationals. The range of activities includes a familiarisation tour of UCC campus, a practical walking tour of Cork city, cinema, day trips, as well as Irish music and Irish dancing. Participation is free of charge, however, there is a limited number of places for some events, such as day trips, and they book out quickly. Feedback from previous participants has been extremely positive.  We look forward to meeting you and your participation in the programme.

Delighted to welcome Arif Wibisono, Amna Shifia Nisafani and their gorgeous daughter Nina to the International Office today.  They are currently pursuing their PhD studies and are looking forward to spending their first Christmas in Cork.

UCC is a member of a European-wide network called the Utrecht Network. 

Experience the festive season as A Cork Christmas Celebration, the most loved free festival organised by Cork City Council. In 2011 the festival attracted over 150,000 visitors making it Cork's most successful festival. It is expected that the festival will attract even greater numbers this year.

New research launched in UCC shows that 46% of UCC students volunteered with local community organisations, clubs and campus groups in the last six months.

We know that saying goodbye to your friends can be hard sometimes, so what could be better than a party to make it a little easier? It's the perfect occasion to celebrate the end of finals and mark an end to this amazing semester! So come to Cyprus Avenue on the 19th December and make saying goodbye a bit less sad.

Its the Final Countdown.

Brighten your day with a morning Mindfulness class. Learn the core Mindfulness practices and tools that will help you navigate stress and reduce anxiety. 

The chaplaincy department invite you to join them at their annual Christmas coffee morning today Tuesday 11th December.  From 10.30 to 1200 they will be serving complimentary tea/coffee, mulled wine, mince pies and some festive cheer.

Christmas is arriving, so let's all celebrate the joy of the season with a Christmas party! Join us on the 12th December in Cyprus Avenue for the most wonderful time of the year.

Who here likes ice skating? Come to Cork On Ice with your friends on the 7th December and show your skating skills!  The price will be 13€/person and you'll have to get there on your own (bus is around 40 minutes and 1.60€). 

We'll get there around 4pm, but there is a park, a cinema and a mall to spend the day in, so feel free to be there earlier and enjoy the day! 

Join us for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate Wednesday 5th of December at the common room of the Student Union 100hrs-1200hrs. Take a break from you exams and essays and meet new people.  

As Christmas (and exams) are fast approaching we're inviting you to get into the spirit of the holidays, if you haven't done that already, by hosting a screening of 'Elf' at Boole basement this Wednesday at 8.  Come along and bring your ugly (or pretty) Christmas sweater.

Christmas Carols with UCC Choir

GAA welcomes ‘prestigious’ listing recognising impact on ‘intangible cultural heritage of humanity’.

Student Counselling & Development are offering one-off workshops on understanding and managing stress and anxiety. Facilitated by Anne Cooke, these sessions will look at causes of anxiety, including exam stress, and explore practical ways to reduce stress. These sessions are free of charge and available to all UCC students.

The Confucius Institute will  host  “Chinese Cultural Month” continuing with" Singing Competition In Chinese " On 29th Nov 2018.  You are all welcome to join us!  We will prepare special gifts for the first/second/third prize.  The registration deadline is 20th Nov 2018. You can email me to register. 

The Chaplaincy Department is leading a student retreat to Glendalough on 23rd & 24th November.  Glendalough is one of Ireland’s most beautiful visitors’ destinations renowned for its spectacular scenery, rich history, archaeology and abundant wildlife.   You will also get a chance to visit the breathtaking Wicklow Mountains.

Our fathers, partners, brothers and friends face a health crisis that isn’t being talked about. Men are dying too young. We can’t afford to stay silent.  

Preparing For Exams - UCC Skills Centre Sessions.  

It has come to our attention that some of our customers have been contacted by telephone by a person purporting to be from INIS.  The caller tells the person that they are the subject of a Deportation Order from the authorities in their country of origin and that they face deportation that day. They are told that INIS is acting on behalf of their own Government to recoup an administration payment which will prevent their immediate deportation.  This is an attempted fraud. 

Ellie O’Byrne has lunch at UCC’s Bio Green Café, where there are no single-use plastic utensils or plastic packaging.

UCC Wins International Choral Festival

Calling all nerds! Netsoc, Sci-Fi and Warps have organised a quiz to decide who is the ultimate and undisputed champion of UCC nerd pop culture. Join us in the upstairs café at 7pm November 20th. There is full access to New Bar for the event too! €2 entry per person of teams of up to 4. There's also a raffle with some fantastic prizes, with all of this in aid of a good cause, Jigsaw, the youth mental health charity. We hope to see you all there!

UCC Choral Society is one of the longest running, and largest societies on UCC campus. Now in its 81st year, the aim of the Choral Society is to promote a love of singing and music, and make lifelong friends while doing so.

Show your House Pride with keyrings and scarves to keep you warm watching quidditch. Whether you are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff we'll have the wool for you. Tea and Coffee available— with UCC Harry Potter Society. 

The Student’s Union are running a series of events for Mental Wellbeing Week in UCC.  Events are open to students and staff.  Below is a schedule of events taking place so please feel free to attend.  

Ireland’s first and largest film festival, the 63rd Cork Film Festival will take place 9th – 18th November 2018.

#SaveOurSpark 

UCC Community Gardens is a food-growing initiative that respects agro-ecological techniques, promotes DIY problem solving and is open to all.

Hello all you Foodies!  November the 14th we'll be holding our annual Food Crawl, so keep your schedule and stomach clear because major good times are coming. 

This Tuesday as part of Mental Wellbeing Week at UCC, join UCC Sci-Fi Society and UCC Psych Soc for a relaxing evening of drawing or colouring some manga while having a nice cup of tea or coffee!!

UCC Community Gardens is a food-growing initiative that respects agro-ecological techniques, promotes DIY problem solving and is open to all.

Welcome one and all.  Namaste.  UCC Indian society presents the Festival of Lights Diwali- 2018.  This is an auspicious day celebrated across India and we would like to share that happiness with everyone present here in cork as well.

Learn how to knit mindfully with Knitsoc and SÁMH. We will teach the benefits of knitting and mental health and have some cool patterns. Tea and coffee provided. 

Comhghairdeas Nada Ni Chuirrin!

Come along on Wednesday 7th November to learn how to write a winning personal statement. 

ICOS has worked with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) to hold events bringing together students from a range of countries and higher education institutions to discuss issues of importance to their studies and overall experience in Ireland.  Each forum event has a particular theme and is written up as a report.  The issues identified by students are very important to our work on policy and good practice.

Surgeon Noonan and Knitting Society will be coming together once again to knit teddy bears for this year's Noonanites to give to African children.  Whether you're a dab hand with a thread and needle, or you just have an interest in helping out then come along on the night to help out in our cause in a unique way!

Adult Continuing Education have organised a Coffee and cake break in The Laurels (next to the IO office) this morning in aid of Pieta House.  There are lots of nice cakes if anyone would like to pop in and support them.

The Dragon of Shandon will take place at 7pm on 31st October 2018 on the streets of Cork.

The Guinness Cork Jazz Parade will be unleashing its fantastic talents on the streets of Cork on the 25th of October.

A career talk delivered by careers advisorS helping you to prepare for those upcoming job interviews.

UCC Knitting Society Presents 'Knitflix and Chill'!  Tonight, Boole 6, 7pm.

The Cork Food Harvest Festival held by Cork Food Policy Council takes place this weekend, celebrating the wealth of community food and growing initiatives across Cork. The festival boasts a packed schedule of free events, tours, workshops, talks, demonstrations and tastings around the city and county.  These initiatives provided opportunities for the public to come and learn about food – how to grow it, cook it, share it and enjoy it.

The chaplaincy department invites you to their mini camino to Gouganne Barra this weekend.  For more details, see below.

After many years of our much loved Food Crawl, we are now adding another night of fab food to our events calendar! 

Following on from Mental Health Week watch brave stories of battles with ill mental health.

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.

Just a quick reminder of tomorrow’s Recruitment Fair in the Mardyke Arena which starts at 11am.  

We have a team of careers advisors who will also be present throughout the day -  The free pop-up Career Clinic is one of our main attractions at the UCC Recruitment Fair, providing all students with the chance to have one-on-one time with a careers professional. Our careers advisors will be on hand throughout the day to give advice on designing the best CV to suit UCC students and to help them find the right job; to help with job interview preparation; and advising on how students can maximize their current skills and attributes.

Mental Health Ireland and our volunteers will be celebrating Mental Health Week from the 7th – 13th October 2018. 

Anjali Misra and Hadley Pfalzgraf, George Mitchell Scholars studying their postgraduate degrees in UCC, visit President Patrick G. O'Shea.

The IndieCork Film and Music Festival 2018 takes place from Sunday 7th to Sunday 14th October.

Congratulations to our esteemed colleague Claie Murphy who won one of the prestigious University Staff Recognition Awards, 2018.  Clare will take away the Enhancing the Student Experience Award this evening at a celebratory event hosted by the President.  Clare is the Erasmus Co-ordinator for both staff and students of UCC.  We are extremely proud of her here at the International Office.  Well done Clare!

The chaplaincy department is hosting a series of conversations promoting social awareness and spirituality for staff and students. The first in this series takes place this Thursday evening (October 4th) from 5pm to 7pm in the chaplaincy centre. Our first conversation features Caitriona Twomey, the co-ordinator of Cork Penny Dinners - the well known and respected charity that feeds the homeless in our city. Caitriona received an honorary doctorate of laws from UCC earlier in the summer. We are delighted to welcome her back to UCC for this special event.  All are welcome. 

Cork City Centre is the only place to be this coming October. You are invited to look at the city through fresh eyes and to celebrate its attractions and experiences. Come enjoy ‘life in the city’ this month with plenty to see and do for all ages and interests. Urban October showcases how well designed and managed public spaces have a positive impact on people who live in, visit or work in the city. It also highlights the many groups who are working together to make our city a better place to live and work in.

Pure Cork is a strategic initiative, started in 2015, which set out to brand Cork as a visitor destination. In developing the brand, the name Cork has been used to represent both the county and city of Cork. The strategy, led by Cork City and County Councils and a high-level Tourism Strategy Group, set out a vision and action plan which gives cohesive direction to the future growth of tourism in Cork.

Thach Nguyen is excited to start his exchange year at the University of California - Berkeley (UC-Berkeley) as a part of his Civil Engineering degree at the University College Cork (UCC).

Scéal to Storia is a collaborative research project between two postgraduate university students from UCC and Geneva. The project aims to explore cultural heritage through innovative media with primary school children and also creates a cultural exchange between the two schools which are based in Cork and Milano.

UCC Ambassador Sophia Fonseca shares her experience of the UCC Frisbee Team.

Read on to be in with a chance to win a free iPad! 

Switch on Culture Night with venues and public spaces across the island of Ireland as they open their doors to host a programme of free late-night entertainment, as part of an all-island celebration of arts, heritage and culture. Now in its thirteenth year, Culture Night returns on Fri Sep 21st 2018.

UCC Chaplaincy is a multi-faith Christian chaplaincy; our chaplaincy team consists of members from different faiths and backgrounds. The Chaplains are experienced at listening and offering spiritual guidance, prayer, support, friendship, fun and entertainment.

Stressed? Trouble sleeping? Worried? Under pressure? Want to learn how to manage stress better?  As part of the latest Cork Beats Stress Initiative between HSE Psychology, GAA and City Council STRESS CONTROL courses are being delivered FREE of charge. Courses last for 6 weeks.

The annual Volunteering Fair is on tomorrow, Tuesday 18th September, in Devere Hall from 11am to 2pm.

UCC Green Campus is delighted to team up with KSG in launching Ireland's first single-use plastic free cafe in the Biosciences Institute.

Nicole Schroyer of the Washington College Varsity Athletics Field Hockey team spent the spring 2018 semester in UCC, Ireland.  Here she writes about her time on the emerald isle.

Build Your Career in Ireland Workshop.  Gain valuable insights on developing employability skills in Ireland as an international student of UCC.

Back To School...Back to Reality!

Coffee; you can’t get through a college year without it.  But all those disposable coffee cups mount up, causing a huge environmental headache. In fact, 200 million beverage cups are disposed of annually in Ireland. That equates to 22,000 every hour.

Welcome to Ireland! You’re part of a whole wave of fresh faces that have just arrived on our shores ready to take on the world and study abroad! It can be a little daunting we know so here’s five things you should do to help with the transition…

If you often find yourself subconsciously reaching for your phone when you should be busy doing something else, you’ll know how easy it is to get sucked into a black hole of endless scrolling on social media apps like Instagram.

Come along to our Immigration/Visa workshop today in Room A1 Food Science Building.  Map below (No. 39 Grid E6):  https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/academic/languagecentre/UCC_campus_map_Edition1_2010-new.pdf

Michaela McMahon, UCC visiting US student, writes winning script for Dublin's famous Molly Malone statue. 

Heritage Week 2018 kicked off on Saturday 18 August and runs until Sunday 26 August and there’s lots for everyone to enjoy.  Here’s just a taster of some of the free events happening around Ireland over the first weekend.

Estimating your costs and budgeting accordingly will pay off in the long run.  By having a planned budget, you can allocate spending money for going out for dinner, coffee dates, cinema trips and nights out, and not worry afterwards that you went too wild. 

First year in third level can be a challenge but there are steps you can take to help ease the transition.

Cork has been voted the third friendliest city in the world in a new poll.  According to Condé Nast Traveller's 2018 Friendliest Cities in the World, the magazine’s editors cited the Cork's "picturesque, riverfront location" and "cozy pubs and beer gardens where you can enjoy the outdoors while sharing a table with friendly locals" as some of the elements contributing to its charm.

Colourful towns, beautiful coastline and a charming city … Tourism Ireland invites people everywhere to put cork city and county on their bucket list!

UCC Community Gardens is a food-growing initiative that respects agro-ecological techniques, promotes DIY problem solving and is open to all.

Move over Paris; Cork has the wind in its sails.

A welcoming and mesmeric city on the south coast of ireland.  An arresting combination of lush landscapes, idyllic countryside, miniature volcanoes, and sweeping coastlines, all of which encircle a thriving metropolis at its centre.

There’s a new mini-heatwave on the way!

Congratulations to our three international students Udaya Khandavilii, Yuqing Zhang & Walaa Albazroon who took away a well deserved award at the Peer Support Leader Awards in April 2018. 

A town is only as good as its coffee shops, and Cork, Ireland does not disappoint. This little slice of heaven has a coffee spot haven for everyone. I studied abroad in this beautiful town in the fall of 2017, and spent most of my months there wandering in and out of the different coffee shops, finding my favorite, and returning again and again. Since the town is home to University College Cork (UCC), many other book laden individuals followed in my path.

Congratulations to the Medicine Class of 2018 on your examination results.  Well wishes from all at the International Office.

Ten of Cork’s finest independently run restaurants and chefs are collaborating to showcase Cork’s world class food culture and seasonal produce capturing the essence of the midsummer. 

Over 300 spectacular show & activities to enjoy.  1/4 million are expected at Laya Healthcare's City Spectacular in Dublin's Merrion Square & Cork's Fitzgerald Park this July.

UCC Creative is excited to announce Can I Kick It? / Yes You Can! UCC Hip Hop Takeover in association with Cork Midsummer Festival Saturday 16th June 2018.

Caela Provost, North American Ambassador for University College Cork, tells us whats happening in Cork City and County.

Cork BikeWeek 2018 will run until next weekend (9-17 June), as part of National BikeWeek.

To celebrate Ireland’s National Workplace Wellbeing Day UCC ran a University-wide wellbeing compeition.  We were asked to take responsibility for introducing workplace wellbeing in our own department, and our efforts paid off.  We walked away with one of the two runners up prizes!  Below is our submission.

Cork City Council is delighted to present summer in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork’s largest and most beautiful park.

Wishing all muslim colleagues and students ramadhan greetings and peace.

16^th and 17^th of May.  Our International Office attended the UCC Spring Open Day.

Congratulations to Sarah Jameel & Mishaim Mian our two dentistry students, for a wonderful and original art exhibition.

All of us at the international office would like to congratulate Ran and Patel for their amazing achievements.  Well done!

See below to learn some helpful tips and hints to stay calm and resourced during exam time: 

Chapliancy is open for free tea and coffee.  Mindfulness classes also running daily to support you during exam time.

Student Counselling & Development provide crisis support during the exam period.

Student Counselling & Development are offering one-off workshops on understanding and managing stress and anxiety. Facilitated by Anne O’Connell, these sessions will look at causes of anxiety, including exam stress, and explore practical ways to reduce stress. These sessions are free of charge and available to all UCC students.

Scoil an Cheoil agus na hAmharclannaíochta, UCC
School of Music and Theatre, UCC
20^thApril 2018 8pm-10pm in Cork Cricket Club on the Mardyke

The Skills Centre have a wide variety of excellent workshops and skills sessions available free of charge for all students in the run up to exams. 

The UCC Chaplaincy will be hosting a day trip to Gougane Barra and Ballyvourney, Saturday 14th April. 

Forthcoming FUAIM Concert presenting Ramtin Nazarijou, santour & tombak, Friday 13th April 2018, Glucksman Gallery, UCC, 1.10pm

The Skills Centre have a wide variety of excellent workshops and skills sessions available free of charge for all students, in the run up to exams. 

Congratulations to the International Student Society who walked away with 5 awards at the recent UCC Clubs & Societies Ball 2018.

Sydney Burris explores Cork city to discover the weekday specials you need to know about.

A Day of mindful practice and meditation with monks of Plum Village in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh .

The Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE) 2018 has launched in UCC.  We are asking for your support in encouraging students to participate in the survey.  The greater the response-rate, the richer and more reliant the dataset gathered.

Welcome to the Cork St. Patrick's Festival 2018!  Join us as the city comes alive with colour, music and pagentry for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Thank you for entering the St. Patrick’s Day Competition!  We had lots of entries and are delighted to announce the winners.

The Student Achievement Awards, now in its fifth year, is the annual opportunity for the student movement in Ireland to recognise the contribution of students to the life of Ireland and the student community.  The awards will take place on the 19th of April, 2018.

A number of UCC’s partners in Cork’s sister city of Shanghai were honored to spend time with An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, TD on Tuesday evening.  Discussions ranged from existing student staff and research collaboration and future plans to increase mobility in both directions.

UCC Hispanic Society will host the 'Hello in There' book launch on Thursday 15th of March, at Boole Library, 6pm.

History student Miguel Castillo has a quadruple bypass but promises to try to party like the youngsters.

Learn simple mindfulness practices to help de-stress and build resilience. Drop in any Wednesday to WGB368 1.15 to 1.45pm. No experience necessary. Open to both students and staff.

Taoiseach says one of his ‘big regrets’ is not taking opportunity to study abroad.

To see whats happening on campus click here:

UCC Indian Society welcomed everyone on Saturday 10th March, 2018 to throw some colours around, play, laugh and have fun in celebration of Holi.

As part of UCC’s Equality Week 2018, the President will host an Athena SWAN Alumni Symposium on Thursday, March 8^th International Women’s Day in Devere Hall, 2 – 5 p.m.

Cork County Library will host a panel discussion at the Council Chambers, County Hall on International Women’s Day, 8th March 2018 at 12.30pm to mark the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage.

As Students Union Elections kick off the campus is buzzing with excitment and energy.  With one more day of campaigning to go before results are officially released there is still time to cast your vote.  Make sure to be heard!

The UCC LGBT Staff Network, in conjunction with our Tyndall National Institute branch, are proud to present a very special event for UCC Equality Week 2018: ‘How to be a good LGBT ally: at home, at work, and in everyday life’.

The Unit was launched by President Patrick O'Shea yesterday Tuesday, March 6th 2018. The launch included a panel discussion on advancing the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Agenda in Higher Education. The panel was chaired by Dr. Mark Chu, Head of the Department of Italian UCC, and also involved:

• Professor Eithne Guilfoyle, Vice President for Academic Affairs (Registrar) DCU
• Professor Ita Richardson, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems UL and Special Advisor to President of UL on Equality and Diversity
• Dr. Karl Kitching, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, UCC

Lily Baker, UCC Student Ambassador from Siena College, New York tells us about her visit to beautiful Dingle, Kerry.

University College Cork will become the first university in Ireland to fly the Transgender Pride Flag this afternoon (March 5), marking its commitment to trans and non-binary staff and students.

Due to adverse weather conditions classes/labs etc. will end today (Wednesday Feb 28) at 3pm. 

Congratulations to Marco Speciale (Erasmus) and Ayden Johnson (Visiting US) for successfully finding all of the correct Cork landmarks in our recent competition!  

Come along to our Building Resilience Workshop- Monday 19th Feb, 3pm 

Juliet Haykal, International student from Columbia proudly celebrating her graduation in MA International Relations.  ¡Felicidades Juliet!

This workshop will allow you to identify the level of academic critique expected from UCC and help you to develop your academic voice.  

Armida de la Garza and Cliona Maher were awarded a Government of Ireland HEA (Higher Education Authority) Mobility Grant to Mexico for a project on internationalisation of the curriculum/internationalisation at home.

Guests from liberia will share their experiences on fgm with those who will be attending the screening.

CVs and interviews tips for international students presented by deirdre parker, careers advisor.  thursday 8th february 2018, 2-3pm in western gateway building 226.

From 13 May 2019 re-entry visas no longer required for holders of valid Irish Residence Permit

See ya later, gluten!

Admission free to all events. continue reading for timetable of events.

There will be a food waste prevention and composting display and demonstrations at the Festival of Science in Fitzgerald Park, Cork City on Saturday 22nd June.

Tariq is an indian and nui Galway ambassador and he gives us the lowdown on how to apply for a student visa in ireland… (please note: visa processes are subject to change).

Please be advised of some recent changes to Immigration guidelines for students registering at Cork Immigration in Anglesea Street Garda Station.