DCU strengthens partnership with the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) to offer unique opportunities to high achieving high school students
8 July 2009

Sylvia Schroeder, Senior International Officer at DCU, Mr Claes Nobel, Chairman of the National Society of High School Scholars and Prof Richard O'Kennedy, DCU Vice President for Learning Innovation at the NSHSS Scholars Day in the Senate, Washington D.C. in June 2009

Two years ago, DCU joined the Atlanta (USA)-based National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) to become an official International University Partner.  Through this partnership, DCU is able to reach out to the Society’s close to half-a- million strong membership of high achieving high school level students around the world.  Being a student member of the Society, which is chaired by a senior member of the Nobel family, is a distinct honour and membership offers students access to unique opportunities.

DCU has worked very closely with the Society’s Vice-President, Maudelle Driskell, and Scholarship Director, Susan Thurman, on ways to connect the scholars with DCU in an effort to raise awareness of DCU, as a study destination for high achieving students from around the globe.

This year’s NSHSS Scholar’s Day Celebrations at the Senate in Washington, D.C. which was attended by DCU’s Vice-President for Learning Innovation, Professor Richard O’Kennedy and Sylvia Schroeder from the International Office, marked a special occasion for the partnership between NSHSS and DCU.  It was the third such event attended by representatives from DCU with the difference that this year DCU had been invited to make a special announcement. 

Professor O’Kennedy took to the podium to speak to the students about the importance of education and urging the students to study internationally.  His speech culminated in the announcement of an academic competition that will allow the winner travel to Ireland and spend a week at DCU next summer working as part of the research team, headed by Professor O’Kennedy in the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute and the School of Biotechnology.  The competition, which is entitled “The DCU Think Science Challenge”, calls on high school students to explore rapid methods of disease analysis.  Students are encouraged to showcase their ideas, research and creative solutions and the competition is designed to allow students explore their own interests and abilities in this scientific area.  The competition will be advertised through the NSHSS website in early July and a preview is already available at: www.nshss.org/news/09/June/dcu.html.

Speaking after the event, Professor O’Kennedy remarked ‘that this competition will offer a unique opportunity to high achieving students to investigate state-of the art research methods used in medical diagnostics. It will also create a very valuable opportunity of fostering science as a career and create links between DCU and the NSHSS’.

Like previous Scholar’s Days, this day will be remembered as a very special occasion.  ‘Every time we attend these events we are surrounded by so many amazing young people who remind us of the wonderful gift of access to education and our unique role in shaping and supporting these young people in every way we can,’ says Sylvia Schroeder.  ‘It is such an honour to work with the NSHSS and be in a position to provide opportunities for the Society’s members’.

The science competition marks a milestone in the partnership between DCU and the NSHSS and the university looks forward to strengthening the relationship further over the coming years.