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Dairygold supports future Agri-leaders at University College Cork (UCC)

Dairygold supports future Agri-leaders at University College Cork (UCC)

16th March 2021

  • Bursaries will assist first-year students of Agricultural Science at UCC
  • The partnership provides strategic links with the agri-business sector
  • Strengthen UCC’s position as a leading university in the area of agricultural science

Agri-business company Dairygold has awarded two undergraduate bursaries to students undertaking the Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree at University College Cork (UCC).

The successful students will receive an annual bursary for the duration of their 4-year undergraduate studies at UCC and will also be offered the opportunity of a work placement with Dairygold.

This year’s recipients are Paul O’Brien from Lismore, Co. Waterford and Barry Stratford from Virginia, Co. Cavan, who are both in their first year of the Bachelor of Agricultural Science at UCC.

Adrian Beatty, Group Head of Human Resources, Dairygold said:

“We are delighted to continue this strategic partnership with UCC which will nurture and develop the agri-business leaders of the future. In an ever expanding and growing agri food industry, Dairygold is looking forward to working with graduates who will have developed invaluable knowledge, skills and expertise coming from this degree.  This collaboration forms part of our strategy to create a high-calibre pipeline of talent which will ultimately strengthen our organisation”.

Dairygold’s sponsorship of the bursaries began in 2019 to mark the introduction of the first Agricultural Science degree at UCC. The recipients are selected following an application process, inclusive of interview. They are required to submit an annual progress report for the duration of their degree.

Professor Andy Wheeler, Head, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences commented:

“We are incredibly grateful to Dairygold for their ongoing support which enables our students to pursue a career in the exciting and innovative agricultural industry. UCC is ideally situated in the dairy heartland of Ireland, allowing our students the unique opportunity to experience state-of-the art farm management practices alongside the workings of a global food business such as Dairygold”.

The Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree was launched in 2019 and focuses on the science behind modern agriculture, and on supporting students to gain skills in farm management, business acumen and farm technology. It also includes a placement opportunity which provides students with direct experience of working in the Irish agriculture industry. University College Cork was recently ranked in the top 100 universities in the world for the study of agriculture and forestry.

Professor Gerry Boyle, Director of Teagasc, added:

“The Bachelor of Agricultural Science at UCC is especially tailored to attract those with a particular passion for dairying. Our target from the outset has been to attract Ireland’s brightest and best, and as evidenced by this year’s recipients, we are certainly succeeding in this regard. Grounded in science-based research, this unique and exciting course, delivers the knowledge, innovation, technologies, and business acumen, necessary to underpin the profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of Irish dairying and the wider agri-food industry.

Placements among Ireland’s leading dairy farmers and amidst Ireland’s key industry stakeholders, forms another key component, providing students the opportunity to obtain direct work experience tailored to their individual interests, deepening their knowledge, and forming a key part of their professional development”.

The course is taught by the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UCC with input from across the university, and in close collaboration with Teagasc.