2013 Press Releases
CGD presents on global role
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade has learnt of the significant role the Centre for Global Development (CGD) at UCC plays on the world stage.
The Committee, chaired by Mr Pat Breen, TD, previously extended an invitation to the CGD to present on its work across a diverse range of interlocking global issues. Over 100 staff members at UCC are involved in a range of on-going global development research, teaching and volunteering projects.
The live-streamed and public meeting on Wednesday 24 April 2013 featured an animated discussion between the CGD team and TDs and Senators, with over two dozen questions from Committee members on a range of themes related to the projects, as well as the overall contribution universities, and UCC’s CGD in particular, are making to the complex area of global development.
Professor Patrick Fitzpatrick, Director of the CGD, highlighted a number of strengths demonstrated by the CGD in key areas, including broad University engagement, research income, policy and practice, addressing global challenges and environmental awareness.
UCC staff spoke about work across a variety of projects, including Helping Baby Breathe (HBB), an Irish Aid-funded project presented by Professor Tony Ryan, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, UCC. Prof Ryan’s colourful presentation used a mannequin of a baby to demonstrate how village midwives can save young lives by focusing on the baby during the first or ‘golden minute’ after birth. He noted that changing birthing practices to ensure a focus on this ‘golden minute’ has led, based on research evidence, to many lives being saved in Sudan where he, together with a colleague, Dr Sami Ahmed (Cork University Hospital) have been promoting the HBB project (originally developed by the American Academy of Paediatrics) over the last number of years.
Another project showcased was AGRIDIET, an Irish Aid-funded project (Dr Edward Lahiff, Food & Business Development), the overall aim of which is to understand how agriculture impacts on the nutritional status of the members of rural households in areas of high nutritional vulnerability, and to identify policies and interventions that can make a positive impact on nutritional status.
The Committee also heard from Supporting LIFE, an EU-funded FP7 project (Simon Woodworth, Business Information Systems & Health Information Research Centre, HISRC) which uses mobile phone networks to aid data collection and facilitate decision support for health workers in the field.
Teaching Mathematics and Science in Ugandan Secondary Schools, an Irish Aid-funded project (Dr Paul Conway, Associate Director, CGD & School of Education), was also presented. It involved a collaborative effort between Ugandan educational researchers and a team of four researchers from UCC, Trinity College Dublin and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The project featured a study of mathematics and science teaching in 16 Ugandan secondary schools between 2009-2011. Findings were disseminated to Ugandan policy makers including curriculum and examinations boards in December 2011.
A video transcript of the presentation will be available shortly from http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/watchlisten/
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Background on the CGD
The Centre for Global Development (CGD) was launched in May 2011 by the then Minister of State for Trade and Development Jan O’Sullivan TD. The CGD comprises of an Assembly of over 100 members of staff with a representative Executive Committee from the four colleges, Central Services and the Student’s Union. In the UCC Strategic Plans 2008-2012 and 2013-2017, CGD sets out its ambition to seek a global context for its activities, recognising the need for partnership among nations in facing the challenges of the twenty-first century, including food production and distribution, healthcare, energy supply, climate change and environmental protection, social integration, democratic governance and human rights, education and the societal impact of technological change. Although the term “sustainability” does not have a precise or agreed meaning, sustainable global development may be regarded as the overall theme of the response to contemporary global challenges, and the CGD is the vehicle for UCC’s global development strategy.
Website: www.ucc.ie/cgd/
Background on AGRIDIET Project
AGRIDIET received €950,000 from Irish Aid awarded to the Department of Food Business and Development, the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Sociology. The project has a country focus on Ethiopia and Tanzania, and involves a multi-institutional partnership between UCC, UCD and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Sussex, England as well as universities and research institutes in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The overall aim of the project is to understand how agriculture impacts on the nutritional status of the members of rural households in areas of high nutritional vulnerability, and to identify policies and interventions that can make a positive impact on nutritional status.
Background on SUPPORTING LIFE
SUPPORTING LIFE received €3.7m from EU FP7 awarded to the Health Information Systems Research Centre and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The Supporting LIFE project uses mobile phone networks to aid data collection and facilitate decision support for health workers in the field.
Background Helping Baby Breathe (HBB)
The HBB is a basic neonatal resuscitation curriculum specifically developed for resource-limited circumstances. It is based on the premise that assessment at birth and simple new-born care are basic standards that every baby deserves. HBB emphasises skilled attendance at birth, assessment of every baby, temperature support, stimulation to breathe, and assisted ventilation as needed, all within “The Golden Minute” after birth.
Background on Teaching Mathematics and Science in Ugandan Secondary Schools
Working with eight Ugandan educational researchers and a team of four researchers from University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick undertook a study of mathematics and science teaching in 16 Ugandan secondary schools between 2009-2011. Findings were disseminated to Ugandan policy makers including curriculum and examinations boards in December 2011. The project was funded by Irish Aid/HEA Programme for Strategic Cooperation. For further information see page 46 CGD Annual Report 2012.
Background on the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade considers and reports to the Houses of the Oireachtas on the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and on European Union matters within the Department's remit.