Two students have won awards for their work during an innovative new funds law course taught at NUI Maynooth. The investment funds industry is a growth area for jobs in Ireland, employing about 12,000 people. NUI Maynooth hopes that its new funds law course, launched earlier year, will open opportunities for its graduates.
Andrew Norry and Tomás Nolan were presented with their awards on 30 September at the offices of Dublin law firm Matheson. Andrew Norry won the prize for best overall student, winning a 6-month internship at Matheson.
Andrew said, "For my generation of graduates, jobs are hard to find, so I am delighted to get such a great start on the career ladder. The investment funds industry is an area of real opportunity for Irish graduates and it's great to have taken part in the first funds law course ever taught in an Irish university."
NUI Maynooth partnered with Matheson to create Ireland's first-ever funds law course earlier this year. In a unique collaboration between academia and industry, Liz Grace of Matheson designed the course and taught the students at Matheson's docklands headquarters every week. She is Visiting Professor in Funds Law at NUI Maynooth.
Tomás Nolan, who won the €500 best-essay prize, said, "The funds law course was extremely well organised and delivered. It provided valuable practical insights into an area of law which is becoming increasingly important in Ireland. I feel the course will be very beneficial to my future career."
Matheson's Liz Grace said, "Ireland is recognised as a centre for excellence and innovation in the investment funds sector. Partnerships such as this between academia and industry are a vital investment for Ireland to grow its expertise into the future, to support our graduates' employment prospects and to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the financial services sector".
Michael Jackson of Matheson's Asset Management and Investment Funds Group presented the awards. He said: "Matheson is proud to be associated with the first funds law course in an Irish university. We were impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of the students and congratulate Andrew and Tomás on their achievements. Funds law is an increasingly important and developing area of the law in Ireland and we are pleased that NUI Maynooth has recognised this."
Professor Michael Doherty, head of NUI Maynooth's Law Department was also in attendance. The funds law module formed part of the Master of Laws Degree and the Master of International Business Law Degree offered by NUI Maynooth.
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