With over 100 Societies in University of Galway you are sure to find one for you.
NUI Galway Sweep the Boards at the National Society BICS Awards
The University’s societies won seven awards at the 25th Annual Board of Irish College Societies Award
NUI Galway’s societies were the biggest winners at this year’s Board of Irish College Societies (BICS) Awards taking home an outstanding seven awards. BICS is a national organisation that was founded in 1995 and whose role is to provide a national forum for the societies in Ireland’s Universities, Colleges and Institutes of Education.
The 25th Annual BICS Awards ceremony was broadcasted live from the Sheraton Hotel Athlone on the 15th July.
NUI Galway excelled in seven categories including:
Best Individual (Large College): Hannah Aris, Auditor of Energy Society, and Vice Auditor of WiSTEM Society
Best Fresher (Large College): Anna Lee Dowling, Incoming Auditor of the Law Society
Best Event (Large College) – NUI Galway - ‘S.O.C. Stream’, an online society collaboration comprised a 12 hour and a 48-hour live stream, which not only entertained the participants but raised €2,000 for charity. The event was co-hosted by a number of societies: Anime and Manga Society, Book Club Society, Video Game Society, Computer Society, FanSci society, Radio Society, Potter Society and Time Lord Society. Anime and Manga won Best Event at the BICS Awards 2020 for their Akumakon Convention which celebrates Japanese culture and Anime & Manga.
Best New Society (Large College): Society for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (WiSTEM)
Best Publicity Campaign: Galway University Musical Society (GUMS)
Best Poster: Galway University Musical Society (GUMS) and the Drama Society (Dramsoc)
BICS Promotional Video: Fantasy and Science Fiction Society (FanSci)
Over the 2020-21 academic year NUI Galway had 96 actively running Societies representing just over 10,000 students, holding 2,243 events online.
Riona Hughes, NUI Galway Societies Office said: “Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by all of us due to the pandemic, with the hard work and dedication of all of all of our members we still managed to function as an organisation. Student societies are a path to a greater experience of higher education to build friendships which will last far beyond your college years and gaining skills which are just as valuable as you any you will learn in a lecture hall.â€Â
Riona Hughes also expressed the contribution societies made to the student experience during lockdown: “Our societies continued to do what they do best, create supportive communities of like-minded people and to entertain and educate each other and find ways to remain human and connected in very challenging circumstances, they creativity and generosity was outstanding.â€Â
Year on year, BICS continues to grow and now have 18 colleges, 742 societies with over 50,000 students represented across Ireland. They act as an information resource and support mechanism for society administrators, promoting the sharing of ideas and the implementation of best practice.
Full details of all the BICS winners here www.bics.ie
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