
More Time to Focus on Student Success
We partnered with one of Ireland’s leading universities, the University of Galway, to upgrade its student services with a custom Al-powered student engagement platform
About the client
We partnered with one of Ireland’s leading universities, the University of Galway, to upgrade its student services with a custom AI-powered student engagement platform.
A+ Results
%
Reduction in repetitive manual tasks
+
Staff hours saved
K
Student queries answered
%
Student queries resolved instantly
The Challenge
Like most universities worldwide, the University of Galway felt the challenging knock-on effects of the pandemic – staff shortages, stressed-out students and outdated systems that struggled with increased demand.
Their team needed a scalable, easy-to-use solution that could save precious time & resources while delivering a first-class, on-demand student support service.
Key Objectives
Set up 24/7/365 support through automated query responses
Create a centralised student information hub
Offer personalised real-time student wellbeing support
More than a chatbot
We needed to create something that went beyond the standard chatbot and offered personalised, real-time support to the University’s staff and students.
And so, Cara was born.
Cara (meaning “friend” in Gaelic) is a custom AI-powered virtual assistant that operates 24/7/365 and provides vital on-demand support and resources for students anytime, anywhere.
As the name suggests, Cara is a virtual friend, acting as a digital guide throughout the student journey. Users can ask questions, access essential resources and seek support as needed- all from one centralised space.
The outcome for UG
Cara saves time for everyone.
Students no longer need to wait to access time-sensitive information or support, and staff are set free from manual, repetitive tasks that steal time away from what matters most.

“Cara has taken a huge amount of queries, equivalent to a physical space with three people working there. That gives you an idea of the time our team has saved responding to repetitive questions.”
Watch Josephine’s testimonialWhat’s next
Cara is just the beginning.
During our collaboration with the University of Galway, we encouraged the student services team to explore innovative ways to utilise AI further to improve the student experience and position the University as a leader in culture, creativity and innovation.
“We want to be that university that others benchmark against”
Their Galvia AI journey has only just begun.