Leadership

How effective of a leader do you think you are? Effective enough to handle six adult german shepherds in Boston with being leashed? This is exactly what this man does and he does it to perfection.

Conor Neill, programme director for a new programme from Smurfit Executive Development at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School on this month entitled ‘Influence and Persuasive Communications’, provides ten tips that differentiate powerful speakers from the rest. Practise beforehand Rehearse out loud. Work to control filler words. Use a clock to check your time, and allow for the unexpected.   Know the set-up Arrive in advance to check out the speaking area, and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.   Know your audience Try to speak to one or two people as they arrive – they will be your allies during the speech.   Start with a…

Dublin-based music and video app WholeWorldBand (WWB) has won the top prize at the 2014 Eircom Spider Awards as well as winning the awards for best app and innovative use of technology in digital marketing. WWB is a free iPhone and iPad app that allows anyone to easily make music and videos that can be shared and enjoyed worldwide. The app already has users ranging from Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, Stewart Copeland from The Police and Dave Stewart from Eurythmics to thousands of beginners and up-and-coming musicians collaborating together. Launched at the end of last year, the app is now live in over 100 countries on the Apple…

UCD academic and entrepreneur Prof Barry Smyth named SFI Researcher of the Year 2014Pictured: Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English, Prof Barry Smyth and Prof Mark Ferguson UCD’s Prof Barry Smyth has been named the Science Foundation Ireland Researcher of the Year 2014. The award was announced last night by Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English at the SFI Science Summit, which was attended by 300 researchers. Prof Smyth is an international expert on personalisation technologies and recommender systems and has been recognised by his peers for his “exceptional research accomplishments and contribution to the Irish scientific community” over the past year. He holds the digital…

A total of 219 students from 17 institutes in Ireland have received combined funding of €16.8m over four years under the latest round of the Irish Research Council’s postgraduate scholarship scheme awards. Household energy demand, the impact of obesity on motor development, the construction of Irish identity and potential therapies for autoimmune disease are some of the research topics covered. For example, one of this year’s postgraduate scholarship scheme awardees, Bianca Ní Ghrógáin, a student of Dublin City University, has focused her research on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Her research project is entitled ‘Computers, Creativity and the Flipped Classroom: Using Computer Construction Kits in Primary Schools to…

Ireland’s first degree in audiology, offered by Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), is on a par with the standards of similar UK and other international programmes, according to a report. The report was prepared by Prof Gerald Armstrong-Bednall, following a High Court agreement between AIT, the Higher Education Authority and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to allow students to complete their audiology studies in Athlone. He said: “The audiology degree offered by AIT unifies the academic knowledge and clinical practice to produce audiology practitioners who are fit for purpose, practice and award, comparable to other international university programmes.” There is a dedicated audiology laboratory at AIT, which is equipped with…

Michael Dowling has today been appointed chairman designate at Kerry Group to succeed Denis Buckley, who is retiring from the board at the end of the year. Buckley has been chairman of the group for the last 11 years and a director since 1986. Dowling was appointed to the board in 1998 and chaired its audit committee from January 2000 until February 2013. He is a former secretary general of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. A director of a number of private companies, he is chairman of the board of management of UCC/Teagasc Food Innovation Alliance and a visiting professor, dealing with agri-food policy, in the department of…

A multidisciplinary research conference is being held at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) today, 16 September 2014, highlighting a range of current disability policy issues in Ireland. The ‘Disability Through the Lifecourse’ event brings together ESRI research, which deals with a range of topics that are hugely relevant to the development of disability policy, including children with disabilities, disability, work and adulthood, mental health and costs of disability. The research highlights the barriers to inclusion for children and adults with disabilities in Ireland within education, the labor market, and adult life. Professor of Inclusion and Diversity at the University of Edinburgh Sheila Riddell will give the keynote address…

Hollywood actor and Ballymena native Liam Neeson told Ian Dempsey in an interview this morning on Today FM that former Democratic Unionist Party leader Dr Ian Paisley was an inspiration to him. Paisley passed away later today. Chatting to Dempsey about his new film A Walk Among The Tombstones, Neeson confirmed that Ian Paisley had inspired him to act. “I managed to hear the Reverend Ian two or three times. I snuck into the back of the gospel hall and heard him doing his thing. Very, very powerful orator.” A book of condolence for Paisley will be opened at City Hall in Belfast on Monday at 9am. Karina Corbett

Looming talent crisis: research shows companies unprepared for future of work Businesses are facing the most diverse work environment that the world has ever seen with five different generations working together, across geographies — each with different skills, experiences, and work habits, according to a new study by Oxford Economics and SAP. More of these workers will be freelancers and long-term contractors. All of this represents a major opportunity for productivity, talent development, and employee engagement , but the Workforce 2020 report found that most companies are unprepared to capitalize on it. It also found that most companies recognize the importance of managing an increasingly international, diverse and mobile workforce. However, the…