AS nominations open for this year’s Aisling Awards, The Open University has come on board as premier partner for our celebration of the heroes leading Belfast out of the Covid crisis.
With the theme of rebuilding, this year’s awards seek to recognise those who have gone above and beyond to revive their community and sectors as the city emerges from the pandemic.
This year marks 25 years of celebrating all that is good about our city – from our community heroes, our educators, our vibrant arts scene to the many businesses and industries that make Belfast a brilliant city to live, work and visit.
Thank you to @stewartcdickson MLA for meeting with us yesterday to discuss the many ways the OU is a vehicle for social justice as well as economic recovery. Closing date for our fully funded Micro-credentials is 6pm today: https://t.co/O2MdQjqDJ0 @Economy_NI pic.twitter.com/vRpNjkH7Ib
— The OU in Northern Ireland (@OUBelfast) October 1, 2021
Following last year’s virtual awards, we look forward to marking the occasion with an in person gala event at the Europa Hotel on 4 December.
John D’Arcy, National Director at The Open University explained why it has been important for the Open University to continue to support the Aisling Awards as our premier partner.
“The Open University is proud to partner again with The Aisling Awards to salute and acknowledge the extraordinary contributions and impact of people across this great city” he said.
Nominees
“We are particularly delighted that the Awards will be taking place in person at The Europa Hotel on December 4 so that this year’s nominees and finalists can receive their well-deserved accolades from a live audience. The shadow of Covid-19 continues to darken the lives of many people and so the achievements of those nominated are even more important to celebrate than ever.
“For many decades The Open University has taught students at a distance, online and with personal tutor support. This year we have seen a huge increase in demand, not just for our formal degrees and postgraduate qualifications, but also for our free, online courses which we know have helped many people since the first lockdown in March 2020.
“Our latest figures show that 258,506 citizens across Ireland have accessed our OpenLearn site. Also this year we were ranked the number one university for student satisfaction in Northern Ireland for the 17th year in a row – a huge endorsement of all of our staff. With that spirit of celebration and acknowledgement, let’s get nominating to make sure we all can celebrate the city’s champions!”
