Research project on academic freedom
Iognáid O Muircheartaigh, former president of NUI Galway, is to undertake an international study on academic freedom in conjunction with the New York…
Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, former president of NUI Galway, is to undertake an international study on academic freedom in conjunction with the New York University Scholars at Risk Network.
Dr Ó Muircheartaigh says the study is the first of its type and will survey the state of freedom in universities and colleges worldwide in a five-year research programme.
The Scholars at Risk Network, hosted by New York University, is an international non-governmental organisation which raises awareness about academics at risk and organises sanctuary through temporary academic positions for professors, lecturers, researchers and other intellectuals who suffer threats in their home country.
In return, scholars contribute to their host campuses through teaching, research, lectures and other activities. Many scholars return to their home countries after their visits.
Dr Ó Muircheartaigh said that he had always been interested in employing his skills as a statistician in the human rights area. At present he is fundraising for the project, which has a projected budget of an annual $500,000.
Dr Ó Muircheartaigh retired in 2008 after a seven-year term as president of NUI Galway. Since his retirement, he holds two adjunct professorships at NUIG, at the college’s Irish Centre for Human Rights and at its Clinical Research Facility.
He has recently been appointed a director of Murray Spelman insurance, mortgage and financial services provider, and is also chair at Gaillimh le Gaeilge, an organisation which promotes bilingualism in the city. (Source: Irish Times)
April 5th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Well, he can begin with the Human Rights issue in Irish Family Law courts to start him off- oops he is not allowed in there, so no one will ever know of all the breaches of human rights there.
I called the Dept of Justice and even they did not know the case law re full disclosure of all reports to all parties in family law. The Judges have been abusing their powers of discretion and breaching Article 6, and apparently did not know, or hoped the people would never find out.
Next he could look at the HSE and probation services, for in there lies more breaches of Human Rights, but once again because most people do not google the articles and depend on lawyers, nothing is ever done to change things, and service users are being seriously abused by HSE bully boys and girls.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:32 am
[…] it is protected constitutionally or legislatively in other EU countries as well. In light of two recent Irish stories about academic freedom, it is timely that the the current issue of the British […]