Josh

Jan 25, 2008

When we arrived at the National University of Ireland, Galway, we all noticed it was a much larger and older school than Whitworth. Its student enrollment is around 17,000, making it almost seven times the size of Whitworth. It's also a very old school, being one of the first universities started in Ireland. It was established in 1845, 55 years before Whitworth. The computer science department is relatively new but still very strong. Much like other colleges and universities the computer science department flourished during the dot- com boom of the ‘90s but has since shrunk.

The first presenter, affectionately named "Galway Kent," talked predominantly about the Irish economy. Currently, Ireland has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and hence has received the nickname "The Celtic Tiger." The Irish economy has been thriving for the past 25 years or so for many reasons. Ireland's government chooses to tax businesses less, which lets small businesses thrive. In the U.S., businesses are taxed more so the economic "soil" is more suited for major corporations. Ireland also excels in production. We had a chance to visit a plant that produces medical equipment, and the whole operation was very well-engineered and -operated.

Ireland's economy, however, is not without its faults. Currently, Ireland is certainly leading in the production of goods, but, according to the presenter, it lacks in its innovation and services. Ireland has a low production of intellectual properties compared to the States. Property costs are also very high, which can stifle those would-be small-business owners. The infrastructure in Ireland is relatively poor, from Internet access to roadways, making it hard to transport everything, from information to people, across the country efficiently. Ireland must focus on these problems if it wishes to continue its steady climb up the economic ladder.

Overall, I would say visiting NUI, Galway, was a good experience. It's much larger and older than Whitworth, but it still has a small-college feel to it, in my opinion. It may just be that we didn't see much of the campus; however. I think that of the universities we've visited, I enjoyed Aberystwyth the most, though Galway was not short on charm.