DCU in the Community header
DCU in the Community
Community members gather on DCU's Glasnevin campus for the annual Darkness into Light charity walk
An image of three women and three dogs at the Darkness Into Light walk

About DCU in the Community

Under the DCU in the Community banner, the University aims to be a positive partner and a valuable resource for our local neighbourhoods and the wider region.

DCU in the Community covers a wide range of activities and partnerships that aim to improve the well-being of our local communities and the wider region. The University strives to be a resource for the community by engaging in local outreach work, forging civic and social partnerships, and creating inclusive educational pathways. 

We are an ‘open door’ University, inviting the public to make use of our campuses with their sports facilities, shops and food outlets. A visit to DCU could involve going for a swim in the DCU Sports Centre, catching a show at our award-winning venue, the Helix, taking a class, or simply going for a stroll with the dog.  

Dublin City University was the first university in Ireland to develop and launch an explicit civic and community engagement strategy. The DCU Strategic Plan, Transformation for an Unscripted Future, continues this proud history with a strong focus on civic engagement. We have always been a highly engaged university, the very antithesis of the ‘Ivory Tower University’. DCU is committed to empowering the community, providing pathways and opportunities to engage with higher education; for example, the DCU Access service, the Age-Friendly University Initiative and through its outreach programmes.

Dublin City University has played a key role in the social, civic and economic development of its region since its establishment in 1980. An important aspect of this is the University’s sustained collaboration over decades with local and regional public authorities, most notably Dublin City Council and Fingal Council. 

In addition, the University has pioneered relationships with its Regional Assembly, the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, and was the first University in Ireland to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Regional Assembly. 

A more recent but equally important component of DCU’s regional engagement activities relates to cross-border collaboration and the University was a founding member of the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor network. These partnerships represent a unique set of relationships between a university and its region and DCU is proud to build on this legacy.