President's Welcome 2019-2020
Prof Daire Keogh
There is no doubt that the past twelve months have been extraordinary in many ways. In October 2019 we were looking ahead to another busy academic year. We had planned that 2020 would be a year to celebrate 40 years since the foundation of the University. After Christmas, those plans, like so many other intentions, were thrown up in the air. Covid-19 changed everything.
The pandemic tested all of us in so many ways. For Higher Education institutions like DCU, the big challenge was to continue our primary role of educating our students. Thanks to our many years of experience and innovation in digital teaching and learning, the University’s pivot to online delivery was less onerous than it might have been. Technology helped to get us through the crisis but, as always, it is DCU’s people who make the difference - our incredibly hard-working and dedicated staff across all faculties and units, and our resilient, patient and committed students.
The onset of the pandemic has highlighted, more than ever, the critically important role that universities play in today’s world. The research conducted in Higher Education institutions worldwide is key to addressing and overcoming challenges such as Covid-19. As you will see in this report, DCU researchers have been playing their part in investigating and addressing some of the many health, social and economic problems associated with the pandemic. At DCU, our vision is to be “Ireland’s University of Impact”, and the work of our researchers is delivering on that ambition.
I want to thank every member of our DCU community for helping us to ride out the storm. I want, in particular, to thank Prof Brian MacCraith for his leadership during the first half of the year, and indeed to congratulate him on the many achievements of his tenure. He leaves the University in a good place.
On a personal note, it has been a true honour to take on the role of President of this wonderful institution. For me, one of the key things that makes DCU distinctive is what I call its “People First” values. Our emphasis has always been on making a difference to people’s lives, whether through educating our students, developing research that has real impact, or engaging with and supporting our communities. In short, DCU remains true to its mission “to transform lives and societies”. Over the next ten years, I am confident that DCU will continue to do just that, and more.
Regards
Prof Daire Keogh
President, Dublin City University