Liberty IT Announces 2009 Recipients of Prestigious Scholarship in Computer Science
January 22, 2009
Liberty Information Technology Ltd recently announced the second recipients of the Liberty IT Undergraduate Scholarship for Computer Science in Northern Ireland.
Established in conjunction with the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queens University Belfast and the School of Computing and Mathematics at University of Ulster, the scholarship aims to increase enrolment and retention of students in computer science and to increase the availability of well educated and skilled employees in this technical area.
Martyn Ellison, a student of the Bachelors in Software Engineering degree at the University of Ulster and Christopher McCabe, who is studying for a Masters in Computer Science at Queens University Belfast, have been awarded the £1,000 annual scholarship which includes a eight week placement at the end of their first year of study, a guaranteed placement year during their undergraduate programme and an Associate Software Engineer position with Liberty IT upon graduation.
Commenting on the initiative, William Hamilton, Managing Director, Liberty IT said: "For a second consecutive year, we are delighted to announce the recipients of the Liberty IT Undergraduate Scholarship for Computer Science. This scholarship is a commitment by Liberty to the students of today who will be our workforce of tomorrow. We aim to make it easier for students who share the passion for software and academic excellence, to excel in what they love to do.
"It is critical that the education sector and industry continue to collaborate effectively to support the education of our future talent pool of Software Engineers. Liberty IT continues to recruit excellent local graduates and we believe this Scholarship for Computer Science is a great way to give something back to the students, the Universities and the community. We congratulate Martyn and Christopher on winning the scholarships and are delighted that this opportunity will give them the opportunity to develop their career with Liberty IT".
Commenting on receiving the scholarship, Martyn said: "I have had a passion for computing ever since my first computer had a hardware problem and I wanted to know how to fix it. From what I could glean from friends and the Internet, I began building, modifying and upgrading computers. I then wanted to learn about software and how it was made. Currently studying Software Engineering, I am most interested in programming. I am proud to receive the Liberty IT Bursary as Liberty is an exciting company which uses a wide range of technologies and also provides excellent opportunities for the future. Liberty IT is willing to invest in me and this encourages me to achieve my full potential."
Christopher McCabe said: "I chose computer science as a degree because of my love for technology and pursuing this degree lets me work with the latest technology. A few years ago I became interested in programming, so this seems like the perfect career choice for me. I love the challenges that this course presents, it gives me the opportunity to use the skills I already have as well as developing new ones. I applied for the bursary to get the chance to work in Liberty IT, but I never really expected to get it, so I was very surprised when I got the phone call telling me I had been successful. I am very grateful for the opportunity and I can’t wait to see what develops from it."
Pictured are Christopher McCabe and Martyn Ellison receiving their scholarships from William Hamilton, Managing Director, Liberty IT.