Virtual Book Launch of DCU 1980-2020, Designed to be Different
The President of Dublin City University, Professor Brian MacCraith, is pleased to invite you to the virtual book launch by Dr Mary Canning, President, Royal Irish Academy of Dublin City University 1980-2020, Designed to be Different, by Eoin Kinsella, published by Four Courts Press.
This virtual event will take place Thursday 25 June at 5.30 pm and will be viewable on this page. The page will have access to the event closer to the launch. Registration is not required.
Dr Mary Canning, President Royal Irish Academy - As a former Lead Education Specialist for the World Bank, Dr Canning worked on education policy in a wide range of countries in Europe and Central Asia. She is a former member of the board of the Higher Education Authority, Ireland. In 2009, she was appointed to the National Strategic Review of Higher Education in Ireland. From 2010 to 2012, she was a member of the Governing Authority of NUI, Maynooth. Dr. Canning continues to write extensively on higher education systems and has contributed to numerous World Bank and OECD publications. Dr Canning was a member of the Academy working group which drafted the Advice Paper ‘The Future Funding of Higher Education in Ireland’. Dr Canning was elected President of the RIA in March 2020.
Dr Eoin Kinsella is Assistant Editor with the Royal Irish Academy’s Documents on Irish Foreign Policy project. He is a graduate of University College Dublin and the author of Leopardstown Park Hospital, 1917–2017: A Home for Wounded Soldiers (2017) and Catholic Survival in Protestant Ireland, 1660–1711 (2018).
Title: Dublin City University, 1980–2020: Designed to be Different
Dublin City University has grown rapidly from its origins as the National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin, which opened its doors in November 1980 to admit 191 students. Established to address a major deficit in the technological skills of Irish graduates, NIHE Dublin emerged from a wide-ranging review of the third level sector during the 1960s and 1970s. The path to university status in 1989 during a time of economic crisis was not smooth, requiring strong leadership, vision and a dedicated staff. Over the ensuing thirty years DCU has evolved into one of the most successful young universities in the world, widely recognised for its educational innovation and deep engagement with local, national and international communities and networks. Today the university has more than 17,000 students across three academic campuses in the north of the city, incorporating three formerly independent colleges. This book chronicles the landmark achievements and many challenges faced by the university over four decades, placing them within the wider context of Irish higher education. The development of DCU’s pioneering curriculum is examined, alongside key milestones such as the introduction of socially innovative education strategies for widening access to higher education, the transformative support received from Atlantic Philanthropies, and the evolution of the university’s infrastructure on the old Albert Agricultural College campus in Glasnevin.
Hardback. Retail is €50 (launch price: €35.00)
Paperback. Retail is €24.95 (launch price: €17.50)
These launch prices are available online until 3 July, or you can call Four Courts Press at 01-4534668 to order your copy/copies.