"Education can transform students - and transform the economy" says DCU President
-1 November 2010

Speaking at the first of today's graduation ceremonies, DCU President, Professor Brian MacCraith, said that while education has the power to transform students' destinies and release their potential as individuals, it also has the power to transform the economy.

Given the 90% employment rate of DCU graduates, he encouraged the new cohort to "go forth and transform the world", using their academic skills and the experience they gained from their time at DCU.

Professor MacCraith said that the past year had been particularly successful for the university. "DCU was named 'University of the Year' by the Sunday Times for the upgrading of academic quality, the quality of the student experience, the 50% increase in research funding and most significantly, the employability of our graduates", he said.

Over 2,500 graduates are receiving their degrees at graduation ceremonies which are taking place in the Helix today and tomorrow.

In addition, graduates from over 14 new programmes are receiving their parchments in areas such as Nursing, Biomedical Engineering, Marketing and Innovation and Technology, Actuarial Applications, Investment, Treasury and Banking.

The President highlighted, in particular, the new and unique BSc in Marketing, Innovation and Technology which was set up to provide the Irish marketplace with highly skilled graduates who could commercialise technology. "In order to thrive in the high-tech market place, graduates must have a mastery of marketing and related capabilities. This new degree programme anticipated that need, and today 17 qualified graduates are ready to take their place in the Irish workforce", Professor MacCraith said.