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Maynooth University
The partnership not only supports this goal, but also encourages the exchange of knowledge, research and students. The initiative is assisted by Enterprise Ireland and is expected to enhance global research endeavours while also raising Maynooth’s profile in the world’s fastest growing market. Minister Halligan described the inauguration ceremony as “an auspicious moment” for both Ireland and China’s collaboration in education. “The launch of Maynooth International Engineering College, Fuzhou University, with a yearly intake of 300 students, is a great achievement and augers well for the future relationship between both of our countries,” the Minister said. The joint College will offer four undergraduate programmes: BSc in Computer Science & Software Engineering, BE in Electronic Engineering, BSc in Robotics and Intelligent Devices and a BSc in Mobile Multimedia and Web Programming. Maynooth University is currently recruiting a team of 13 lecturers plus administrative support for the venture as part of a commitment to developing a world-class education partnership. Professor Ronan Reilly, who is Associate Vice-President for International Affairs (Asia) at Maynooth University, will be Executive Vice-Dean of the new College.
in key sectors that are critical for the new era in the Chinese and the world economy. “We see the IEC as a win-win partnership that will serve as a foundation for the development of additional innovative programmes in the future.” Ireland’s higher education institutions are known for delivering ‘employment-ready’ skills so students can transition smoothly into the workplace, according to Niall O’Donnellan, Head of ICT, International Services and Client Management Development at Enterprise Ireland.
“This has been an important driver in Ireland’s transformation into a high-tech, knowledge-based economy. This new partnership exemplifies that innovation, as students here will gain expertise in the key disciplines that will drive the future for us all,” Donnellan said.
Professor Philip Nolan expressed hope that the partnership “will prove to be a powerful model of third-level internationalisation, one in which we engage fully with and learn from the local culture and local academic environment and strive together for worldclass development by exchanging knowledge and collaborating on research in a deeper and more sustainable way. “This bold initiative by Maynooth University, as well as being an important partnership in undergraduate education, will foster future research and postgraduate collaboration through scholarships, joint workshops and academic cooperation.” Professor Wang Jian, Vice-President of Fuzhou University, welcomed the college as “a significant opportunity for both institutions to mutually benefit through the enhancement of education and research
2000 BSc, 2013 PhD, CEO & Co-Founder of Margin Jonathan Maycock is a pioneer in fintech (financial technology for trading and investment). With two Computer Science degrees from Maynooth University, Jonathan worked in software development and at a robotics lab in Bielefeld, Germany, until he and two colleagues became interested in cryptocurrencies. Jon’s Science course at Maynooth allowed him pursue other interests during his degree, including physics and mathematics, which would become important during this phase of his career. With the breadth and depth of computer science and mathematics at his fingertips, Jon, along with his co-founders Christof Elbrechter and René Tünnermann, developed algorithms for trading Bitcoin and from there they created a cryptocurrency trading platform, Margin. The Margin trading platform (https://margin.de) includes interactive charts, drag and drop orders, bots, technical analysis tools, news and social media feeds. As software providers, they don’t store customer funds; rather, customers connect directly to their accounts on multiple cryptocurrency exchanges around the globe through Margin’s software. Margin has a dozen employees and a growing retail and B2B business. The company in 2018 generously donated Margin’s trading terminals to the University’s Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting as learning tools. Head of Department Fabrice Rousseau remarked, “Students in our Finance courses will be learning on the latest platforms thanks to Jon and his company’s innovative work.” Jonathan added, “My Computer Science degree allowed me to specialise, but physics and math allowed me to broaden my horizons to different areas. This was essential as Maynooth University gave me the confidence to move through different fields of interest.”
Alumni Profile
2013 Jonathan Maycock
Professor Philip Nolan and Fu Xianzhi, President of Fuzhou University