Prestigious Fulbright Awards Success for DCU

Dr David Collings of DCU Business School and David Azcona, a PhD candidate in the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at DCU have been named by Minister Charlie Flanagan of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Mr Reece Smyth, Chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy in Ireland, amongst this year’s Fulbright Irish awardees.

Recipients include students, academics and professionals from 15 HEIs across Ireland and Europe who will travel to top US institutions to study and collaborate with experts in their field.

Dr David Collings is Professor of Human Resource Management and Associate Dean for Research at Dublin City University’s Business School where he researches and teaches in the areas of talent management and global mobility. As a Fulbright Scholar to Cornell University's Industrial and Labor Relations School, David's research programme will focus on the areas of global talent management and human capital flows within and between organisations. 

Mr David Azcona is a PhD candidate at Dublin City University. As a Fulbright Student Awardee to Arizona State University, he will research the differences in learner behaviour in Computer Science between Ireland and the U.S., and how student collaboration with a university comprising such a large student body can be enabled.

The unique nature of Fulbright Awards is that the Program encourages cultural exchange as well as educational. In addition to completing study or research projects, Awardees are tasked with being cultural Ambassadors during their time in the US. They will then return to Ireland to share the knowledge they have gained there. The rigorous application process ensures that the successful candidates are those who have conveyed how their work can have a positive impact on society.

Speaking at the award ceremony in Iveagh House, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan TD said,

“As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations to the 38 Irish Fulbright Awardees for 2017 – 18. The Fulbright Commission plays an important role in providing reciprocal opportunities for Irish and US scholars and academics to study, work and experience life in each other’s countries.  This year’s 38 Irish awardees come from varying academic and professional disciplines, from the liberal arts – including Irish language studies – to science, technology, engineering and maths.  These awards underline the breadth and depth of the Fulbright Commission’s work, covering 34 institutions in 18 states and Washington, DC. I wish this year’s awardees every success for their time in the US.”

This year the Fulbright Program celebrates 60 years of educational and cultural exchange between Ireland and the US. Since 1957, the Program has provided Irish and European citizens with the opportunity to study, research, or lecture in America, and supported US citizens to do the same in Ireland. The Program is now established in over 160 countries globally, providing a fantastic international network for Fulbright Awardees and Alumni.

The Chargé d’affaires Reece Smyth, US Embassy said,

“I warmly congratulate the 2017-2018 cohort of Awardees. The Fulbright Awards are highly competitive, globally recognised, and associated with excellence and prestige…so this is a real accomplishment.  This year, 38 Irish Awardees from 15 Institutions across Ireland and Europe will undertake Fulbright scholarships to study, research and teach in 34 institutions across the United States.  Their diverse areas of expertise reflect the fascinating direction of Global research today.  We are proud to have such bright minds embarking on educational and cultural exchanges to the US, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their studies and research when they return to Ireland in 2018.”

The next round of applications for the Fulbright Irish Awards will open on Thursday, August 31st 2017 with opportunities in all disciplines, including the new Fulbright-Creative Ireland Fellowship for Museum professionals.  Interested applicants should visit www.fulbright.ie, for more information.