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Dublin City University announces Enterprise Advisory Board

Download Irish Times Business editor John McManus's interviews with members of DCU's Enterprise Advisory Board; Professor Brian Mac Craith, President DCU; Tony Donohoe, Education & Research, IBEC; Clare Duignan, Managing Director, RTÉ Radio and Paula Neary, Partner, Accenture.

Business leaders, chief executives, entrepreneurs and leading figures from Irish and international businesses have come together to form the DCU Enterprise Advisory Board, led by the University's President Brian MacCraith

The Board's primary role is to provide expert guidance and advice to the University and its senior management on its mission to become Ireland's 'University of Enterprise'.

The key objectives of the Board - which counts senior figures from organisations including INTEL, Ernst and Young, Merck BioVentures, Cisco, RTE, Accenture, Fujitsu and IBEC amongst its members - include:

• Guidance on strategies that will enhance DCU's ability to deliver on its mission as a 'University of Enterprise'
• Best practice on optimising industry-academic synergistic relationships
• The relevance of the DCU portfolio of Degree programmes and on emerging needs/opportunities for new Degree programmes
• Current and emerging skill requirements for graduates
• Emerging enterprise trends and/or 'grand challenges', which should inform DCU's research agenda and thereby maintain it at the cutting edge internationally
• Best practice on stimulating innovation and catalysing entrepreneurial mindsets in students
• The Board's appointment reflects the recommendations given in the Government's National Strategy for Higher Education (Hunt Report) which highlights the need for universities and all third level institutions to develop closer links and greater engagement with enterprise in Ireland and overseas.

DCU President Professor Brian MacCraith said: "We need to make sure that we offer our students degree programmes and courses that will arm them with the capabilities and the confidence to succeed in whatever career they choose to do. We need to make sure our research agenda is at the cutting edge both nationally and internationally and we need to prepare our graduates for a future that they can not only excel in but one that they can control and shape.

"The support of the Enterprise Advisory Board in helping us deliver on these objectives is invaluable and I am extremely grateful for the time, commitment and interest they have already given us" The DCU Enterprise Advisory Board includes:

Professor Brian MacCraith, President Dublin City University
Craig Barrett, ex-CEO, Intel
Tony Donohoe, Head of Education, Social & Innovation Policy, IBEC
Clare Duignan, Managing Director, RTÉ Radio
Michael Kamarck, President, Merck BioVentures
Mark Kellett, CEO, Magnet Networks Limited
Joyce Loughnan, CEO, Focus Ireland
Liavan Mallin, CEO, Zalco Investments
Cyril Maybury, ex-Partner, Ernst & Young
Regina Moran, CEO, Fujitsu Ireland
Paula Neary, Partner, Accenture
Barry O'Sullivan, Senior Vice-President, Cisco Systems
Declan Ryan, Managing Director, Irelandia Investments
Margaret Sweeney, ex-CEO, Postbank