An update from the DCU Business School

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we have remained focused on our core mission of delivering transformative education and impactful research. Though our programmes moved on-line, we continued to provide these transformational experiences for all our undergraduate, graduate, and post-experience students including our executive education clients.

We continued our major curriculum renewal project and will launch a new unique undergraduate degree, BSc in Digital Business and Innovation, in September 2021.

These students will become translators who can bridge technical and business domains, leveraging digitalisation to reshape organisations.

Our Hack4Change saw 100+ virtual teams work with 80+ industry experts on social innovation challenges.

We also generated research that advances international knowledge for industry and society. Of particular note, the Irish Institute of Digital Business and the National Centre for Family Business made significant contributions to understanding the impact of COVID-19 on society. We researched the role of cohesion in top management teams in SMEs, the determinants of family business continuity during a crisis, the adoption of COVID-19 tracing apps, and the detection of COVID-19 misinformation on social media.

We also strengthened and deepened our industry connections. Experts from industry participated virtually in guest talks, conferences, webinars, committees, and on our boards.

For example, our TRANSFORM series of six mini-conferences, attended by 700+ people, brought together experts from academia and industry to discuss the impact of digital transformation on businesses and society.

Meanwhile, the expertise of our staff, the quality of our programmes, and the impact of our research was again recognised by external bodies.

The Financial Times ranked us in the Top 90 Business Schools in Europe for 2020 (we are one of only three Irish Business Schools on the list), while AACSB, the leading international accrediting body, reaccredited the School in 2021 (less than 5pc of the world’s business schools hold this accreditation).

The Irish Institute of Digital Business and the National Centre for Family Business made significant contributions to understanding the impact of Covid-19 on society.

Finally, a sincere thank you from everyone in DCU Business School for your continued engagement. Alumni support us in many ways. These include leading masterclasses and delivering guest lecturers; co-designing and co-delivering curriculum, work placements and project support for students; career mentoring; hiring graduates, and supporting our research activities through scholarships, funding and collaborations.

Your engagement matters to our success. If you want to support us and contribute, please get in touch. We are eager to hear from you.

Prof Colm O'Gorman

Interim Executive Dean 

DCU Business School