Impact & Development 2022-2023
Impact
The impact that universities have on the world around them is increasingly measured against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). There was positive news for DCU in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023, which places the University in the world’s Top 75.
DCU ranked No. 6 worldwide for its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Reduced Inequalities. The University was ranked 8th in the world and first in Ireland for UN SDG 5, Gender Equality. The rankings examined research, outreach, stewardship and teaching in a total of 1,591 institutions worldwide
The sky was no limit for DCU’s impact over the past year. Among the many outcomes of our research was the creation of polymer and metal samples developed at the University, which were launched for the moon on the Japanese-built HAKUTO-R Mission 1 lander. Developed by Dr Susan Kelleher and colleagues in the School of Chemical Sciences, the material is integrated into a lunar rover to study the way moon dust sticks to different surfaces.
Making cycling a more attractive and safe option for commuters is key to increasing sustainable travel. DCU researchers are part of an international team that developed a new mobile app designed to improve urban cycling. BiciZen is an open platform that crowdsources data about everyday cycling experiences from users. Ultimately, the team hopes it will provide insights to improve cycling infrastructure. In a collaboration between DCU Business School and the School of Computing, led by Prof Theo Lynn and Prof Boualem Bentallah, researchers also performed an extensive review of international cycling discourse on social media.
Teenagers are experiencing growing levels of gender-based abuse online - an issue that has been tackled by DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) and a European consortium of academics, teachers and game designers. Together, they created GenTOPIA - a digital game based on a series of relatable scenarios which address gender stereotypes, consent, digital safety, street harassment, coercive control, non-consensual image sharing, and homophobic bullying. A digital project for young people with a very different impact was developed by Prof Lambert at the School of Nursing, Psychology and Community Health. Working with children in palliative care and their families, she helped to create digital memories for bereaved families. Through Recreation Therapy, the research group created an opportunity for the children to tell their story and record it digitally.
The University’s impact was recognised at the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards, held in London. DCU’s Access to the Workplace won the Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of the Year. The initiative supports the career path of disadvantaged students by offering full-time, paid summer internships for second-year students. Since the programme began in 2019, 245 students have been placed in 82 companies, with 93 per cent saying they could not have secured the placements on their own. Meanwhile, DCU Estates won the Outstanding Estates Team award for its multi-campus water conservation strategy. Between 2016 and 2020 water consumption at DCU reduced from more than 13,000 litres per person to about 10,600 litres – an 18 per cent drop. In the first year of activity alone, the university saved the equivalent of 15 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water by repairing leaks, introducing sub-metering to identify significant water consumers and trialling energy-efficient fittings in campus residences.
In an increasingly tech-driven world, the need for talented graduates in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields has never been greater. DCU’s STEM Teacher Internship (STInt) Programme has been a highly successful initiative that places educators at the heart of the issue. Under the scheme, teachers and trainee teachers undergo 12-week paid internships with STEM sector companies and organisations. This hands-on experience helps them to inspire their students and highlights the wide range of careers and opportunities available within STEM industries. In March 2023, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris announced the expansion of STInt to include trainee teachers across seven universities in Ireland.
With its highly innovative approach, DCU’s Grain-4-Lab project aims to have an impact on the sustainability of both the brewing industry and lab-based research. The project is developing a replacement for single-use plastics in Irish research laboratories by using waste produced from the brewing and distilling industry in Ireland. The project was the winner of this year’s Plastic Challenge as part of the SFI Future Innovator Prize.
Engagement
Over the past year, DCU’s engagement with a range of key partners and stakeholders has continued to produce positive outcomes for students, for the University’s communities and for our wider society.
Increasingly, DCU’s engagement with other Universities - whether on joint initiatives, sectoral campaigns, or research collaborations - helps to amplify our impact at a national and international level. In November, DCU opened its doors to third level students around the country, as it hosted a live stream address by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Helix. President Zelenskyy took questions from students in the audience, and the video link was also live-streamed to other third-level institutions across Ireland. He told the students that “while Ireland has a neutral status you are absolutely not neutral in your attitude and assistance to the Ukrainian people."
Our wide range of engagements with enterprise included a partnership between the National Anti Bullying Centre (ABC) at DCU with Vodafone. The collaboration brought about the development of Tozi, a first-of-its-kind app that offers support for children and young people by educating them on how to be safe and well online. ABC’s research team provided data and insights to inform the design and development of the app which is available on the Apple and Google App Stores.
The past year saw the consolidation of existing industry partnerships. In November, DCU Business School signed a five-year agreement with KPMG. The company has been a strong supporter of accounting education at DCU for the last forty years. Expanding and building upon existing engagements, it will see collaboration on research, curriculum development, guest lectures, student awards, deeper ties with DCU’s work placement programme and human capital enrichment. Meanwhile, DCU’s existing relationships with daa and Fingal County Council were strengthened by the announcement of a new collaboration aimed at making aviation more sustainable.
The University’s work with partners in the Further Education sector has been a significant area of engagement in recent times. In July, DCU signed an agreement with the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB). The partnership will see the University support the LMETB and Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE) to deliver third-level education programmes in Drogheda, as well as supporting the development of stronger links between Further Education and Training and Higher Education. The agreement was developed in response to the Geiran Report, which examined social challenges facing Drogheda in relation to crime prevention, youth services, drug addiction, education, infrastructure, and community development.
Innovative engagement with the Arts was also a notable aspect of the University’s activities over the past year. The University held its inaugural Wild Neighbourhood event on the All Hallows campus in May. As part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2023, this family-friendly mini-festival aimed to spark children's creativity and curiosity while reminding all of us about the need to protect and cherish biodiversity in our cities. In May, Anne Tannam was named as Poetry Ireland's new Poet in Residence at DCU. She was the first person to be appointed to the position. As part of the initiative, Anne is to engage with the DCU community and with communities in the North East Inner City. DCU’s postgraduate course, the MA in Documentary Practice announced its sponsorship of Dublin International Film Festival’s annual Documentary Competition, recognising excellence in the field of documentary making.