An NUI Galway conference on ‘mindfulness’ cost more than €37,000 to host.

The two-day event on-campus last October incurred a net loss of over €22,000, when income from sponsorship contributions and ticket sales are factored in.

The costs incurred include €6,350 for hotel accommodation for guests, as well as €1,000 for taxis for speakers. Another expense was listed as “gifts”, which amounted to €1,625.

Some €15,000 – nearly half of the overall outlay – was attributed to “consultancy costs” but the university has refused to say who these fees were paid to.

The details were released to the Connacht Tribune under the Freedom of Information Act.

Mindfulness, associated with Buddhism, is a way of paying attention to the ‘here and now’ and developing ‘peace of mind’.

According to NUIG a number of “high level” speakers and “mindfulness visionaries” gave talks at the Mindful Way conference on Friday and Saturday, October 9 and 10 last.

Among the “key speakers” were Alfert Tolle, Google’s ‘compassion guy’; Gelong Thuben, a Tibetan Buddhist Monk; Chris Ruane, a former British Labour Party MP; and Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy – or Sister Stan – the poverty campaigner.

Jim Browne, president of NUIG, was a panellist who joined the speakers in a roundtable discussion on mindfulness in education, as did president of Burren College of Art, Mary Hawkes Green.

NUIG’s speakers ‘team’ at the conference included: Lokesh Joshi, vice-president for research; Chris Curtin, vice-president for innovation and performance; and Emily Lane founder of the Corporate Wellbeing Institute.

The panel chair was Seán O’Driscoll of Athrú Consultancy.

The full costs of the conference were €37,112.45.

The event was free for NUIG staff and students but tickets’ sales from the public generated income of €1,415; and sponsorship amounted to €13,000. The net cost when income is accounted was €22,697.45.

As well as €1,000 for taxis, €6,350 on hotel accommodation, which was for two nights for 10 guests, and €1,625 for gifts, other costs included: €1,170 for stationery; €1,370 for design and marketing; €1,078 for photography costs; €600 for digital graphics; €1,845 for programme brochure design and layout; €2,727 for printing; and €140 for bank charges.

Some €360 was paid for catering costs and NUIG spent €419 for dinner at Kirwan’s Lane restaurant.

Consultancy costs totalled €15,000 in three separate payments of €2,400, €8,400 and €4,200.

NUIG said: “The consultancy costs cover project management of the conference, assisting with and contributing towards programme design, and overall contribution toward the running of the conference and the mindfulness initiative.”

NUIG refused to release who the money was paid to as it said it was “personal data”. The Tribune appealed but it was not upheld.

“The costs referred to were incurred by the engagement of an individual as a short-term part-time employee of the university rather than as an external consultant,” said university secretary Gearóid Ó Conluain.

He added: “The university has been requested by the individual not to release the personal data”.

This refusal can be appealed to the Information Commissioner.

NUIG said the mindfulness conference, “brought together mindfulness visionaries, entrepreneurs, political and social and university students and staff, to share the evidence-based impact of mindfulness on performance, well-being, entrepreneurship and society.”

NUIG said it was attended by some 236 delegates over the two days.

It added: “The conference drew broad and international awareness to the concept of mindfulness and its potential in a university setting from the perspective of organisational development for both staff and students. At its core is an openness and commitment to explore the opportunities presented by mindfulness in enhancing the university’s ability to deliver on the Vision 2020 strategy.

“The university is of the view that integrating mindfulness will build a stronger sense of community, wellbeing and self-motivation among students and staff. The Mindful Way conference was highly successful and the attention from global leaders in mindfulness and prestigious journals reflects the transforming nature of NUIG’s Mindful Way initiative.”

The press release flagging the conference in October, said: “NUIG intends to become a mindful university, one that is aware of the challenges faced by its student and staff, and is preparing itself to lead the higher education sector by setting a new model on how to build a sustainable and successful institution of education, research, life-long learning and sharing. The conference is one of the first steps towards integrating mindfulness into the university culture.”