Padraig Ó Catháin
Padraig Ó Catháin is ainm dom, léachtóir de chuid Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, agus cathaoirleach i mbliana ar an gcúrsa Gnó agus Gaeilge. Ó fuair mé mo chéim in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe bhí mé ag obair thar lear san Astráil, san Fhionlainn agus sna Stáit Aontaithe, agus d’fhill mé ar Éirinn in 2022. Is sa mhatamaitic atá an chuid is mó de mo chuid taighde, agus tá suim ar leith agam i mbunphrionsabail matamaitice na heolaíochta ríomhaireachta agus na fisice candamaí.
Sa chúrsa seo, múinim modúil a bhaineann leis an matamaitic agus le hábhar cainníochtúil, go háirithe le cuntasaíocht agus bainistíocht airgeadais. Níor ghá go mbeadh imní ar mhic léinn, áfach - níl an oiread mata is a cheapfar i gceist leis na hábhair seo! I mo thuairimse, is iad na bunphrionsabail na rudaí is tábhachtaí in ábhar ar bith, agus tá an méid céanna béime agam ar fheidhmeanna an ábhair agus atá agam ar an teoiric.
Is cúrsa beag í Gnó agus Gaeilge, rud a chiallaíonn go bhfuil aithne againn ar fad ar a chéile. Ciallaíonn sé seo gur féidir leis na mic léinn tionscnaimh a roghnú a bhfuil spéis ar leith acu féin iontu, agus gheobhaidh siad aiseolas ó na léachtóirí orthu. Tá béim ar leith sa chúrsa ar nascanna a chruthú idir na mic léinn agus domhan an ghnó ón gcead bhliain ar aghaidh. Faoin am a dtagann bliain na céime, tá na scileanna uile ag na mic léinn atá ag teastáil chun fiontar dá gcuid féin a bhunú.
I am Padraig Ó Catháin, a lecturer in Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge and the chair of Gnó agus Gaeilge for the academic year 2022-23. Since qualifying from the University of Galway, I have lived and worked in Australia, Finland and the United States before returning to Ireland in 2022. My academic background is in pure mathematics, and I have a particular interest in applications of mathematics to the foundations of Computer Science and Quantum Physics.
At DCU, I teach subjects with a mathematical or quantitative focus, particularly those relating to accounting and financial management. Students shouldn't worry though - there's less computation involved than you might think! For me, the most important part of teaching is to communicate the underlying principles and ideas, whether applied to business or other subjects.
Gnó agus Gaeilge is a small programme, which allows the lecturers to get to know the students individually and work with them on projects which match their interests. The structure of the programme encourages students to engage with the world of business from the first year onwards, and provides them with all the skills needed to found their own business in final year.