UL Construction Management and Engineering Students Participate in International Student Competition

Four talented final-year students from the University of Limerick’s (UL) Construction Management and Engineering programme recently participated in the prestigious Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 International Student Competition. The event, held in November 2024 in the TU Dublin Bolton Street campus, brought together top construction management and built environment students from around the world to showcase their skills and knowledge. Since its inaugural event in 2014, this year’s competition saw a record 23 teams from 15 Irish, UK, European and American Universities compete across three tracks: Design and Build, Project Management, and Construction Management and Estimating.

The UL team, consisting of Grace Butler, Laura Gibbons, John Lillis and Conor Ryan, competed in the challenging Project Management track, sponsored by Flynn. The team were presented with a real-life construction industry project where they were asked to prepare and present strategic contributions covering key project elements including the Construction Programme, Site Strategy, Layout and Logistics, Risk and Opportunity and Quality Management. After being ‘locked down’ for a full day preparing the report, the UL team presented their findings to a panel of industry experts from Flynn. 

Although they did not bring home any awards on this occasion, the team demonstrated their ability to work under pressure, communicate effectively, and adapt to unforeseen challenges, all crucial attributes for future construction managers.

“This competition was an incredible opportunity for our students to apply both their classroom knowledge and recent industrial placement experience to real-world scenarios”, commented Assistant Professor Michael Curran, their Coach who accompanied the team. “They faced complex challenges that required quick thinking, teamwork, and innovative problem-solving skills that are essential in the modern construction industry”.

The ASC Student Competition provided a platform for students to network with industry professionals and peers from other institutions, and the UL students were proud to represent UL and the School of Engineering.

Associate Professor John Spillane, Course Director for the Construction Management and Engineering programme at UL acknowledged, “We are extremely grateful for the support and sponsorship of Duggan Brothers Contractors, Co. Tipperary and the School of Engineering at UL who assisted in bringing the team of students and coaches to UL for this event, strengthening industry and academic links”.