March 2019 Ezine

I recently completed my circuit of engagements with faculties and units of the University to discuss the roll-out of our Strategic Plan and to hear about local developments and strategies. At each meeting I was accompanied by various members of our Senior Management team and we all found it to be a very productive and engaging process. It gave us an opportunity to present an overview of the great progress achieved in the Year 1 roll-out of all 9 Strategic Goals in our Strategic Plan ‘Talent, Discovery and Transformation’. It also enabled us to hear directly from you about the work and developments in your area, the development of local strategic plans, your priorities, and your suggestions for areas of improvement in the University.

What most impressed us from our meetings was not only the excellent progress being made across all areas of the University, but also the close alignment of local strategies with the Strategic Goals set out in the overarching Strategic Plan for the University. This latter observation reflects the high degree of strategic coherence across the University and means that every member of our community is playing a role in advancing DCU according to our shared plan. I want to thank everyone for engaging with us so enthusiastically and for the great commitment you continue to show.

The 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject were released in February and showed a number of significant achievements for DCU. DCU is now ranked for the first time in a number of subject areas. For example, we are now positioned within the top 250 Universities globally for Education. This is very impressive, since the DCU Institute of Education was established less than 2.5 years ago. In Accounting & Finance, DCU is now among the world’s top 300 universities. We have also recorded improvements in Business and Management Studies, and English Language & Literature. Both have joined the top 250 universities in their subject areas worldwide.

Our highest ranking subject areas are Politics & International Studies and Communication & Media Studies, both of which stand in the top 200.  DCU is ranked number 1 nationally in Communications & Media Studies. Other significant achievements are the ranking of DCU in the top 250 globally for Business & Management Studies, and in the top 300 for both Computer Science & Information Systems and Chemistry. You can see from the table below that we have also made progress in some of our broad subject areas, with Social Sciences & Management jumping 69 places to a ranking of 271st in the world.

These positive rankings reflect the contributions of individuals right across the University. I want to congratulate and thank you all for that.


DCU in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject

Ranking in 12 Subjects

• English Language & Literature 201-250
• Computer Science & Information Systems 251-300
• Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing 351-400
• Engineering – Electrical & Electronic 301-350
• Biological Science 451-500
• Chemistry 251-300
• Physics & Astronomy 501-550
• Accounting & Finance 251-300
• Business & Management Studies 201-250
• Communications & Media Studies 151-200
• Education 201-250
• Politics & International Studies 151-200

Ranking in Broad Subject Areas

• Arts & Humanities 338
• Engineering & Technology 290
• Natural Sciences 451-500
• Social Science & Management 271

Another milestone for sustainability at DCU was achieved recently with the news that the Executive Committee of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has approved the application made by Dr Rob Gillanders and Dr Roisin Lyons, both of DCU Business School, for admission of DCU to membership of the network. The Sustainable Development Goals provide an important framework for evaluating progress on sustainability and impact on society across a broad range of areas, including eradication of poverty and deprivation, protection of the environment, and promotion of peace and good governance.

As an SDSN member, DCU will have privileged access to the online communications platform SDSN Mobilize. This will enable the University community to identify and connect with other sustainable development experts, to promote activities and events, and to discover new prospects for funding and collaboration. Teaching resources and insights are also shared by members of the network. The UN Sustainable Development Goals outline an ambitious and broad agenda which requires the types of research and expertise that is carried out across all of our five faculties.  The SDSN Mobilize platform can play an important role in supporting our Strategic Goal #8 to ‘place Sustainability at the core of the University’. I hope that you will consider creating a profile on the platform.

Plans are at an advanced stage for ANAM 2019, DCU’s festival of Arts, Ideas and Creativity, which will take place on April 3rd and 4th. The festival is designed to offer students, staff and people from our local communities the chance to showcase their talent, to collaborate closely with established acts, and to engage in stimulating discussions as part of the programme of concerts, workshops, readings and discussions. With a programme featuring artists like Delorentos, Natalya O’Flaherty, David Keenan, Marina Carr, Landless and Mango X Mathman, it promises to be even better than last year’s inspiring event!

ANAM is curated and produced by Philip King and South Wind Blows (the team behind RTÉ’s Other Voices) in partnership with DCU. The festival is a manifestation of our Strategic Goal #7 to “Nurture culture and creativity across the University”, and also aligns with our plans to play a central role in establishing a North Dublin Cultural Quarter. I expect ANAM will truly live up to its billing as a “Celebration of Arts, Ideas and Creativity in North Dublin”. If you haven’t already marked April 3rd & 4th in your diary, please do so and don’t miss out on a great selection of arts and culture. Almost all events are free and the full programme and booking details are available here: www.dcu.ie/anam

We were delighted to  welcome the announcement that DCU has been chosen as the host location for a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Advanced Metallic Systems (AMS). The designation is a joint award by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the UK's main organisation for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. Prof. Dermot Brabazon in the School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering will lead the Irish component of this Ireland-UK collaboration, which also involves the University of Sheffield, the University of Manchester and University College Dublin.

DCU has established a significant reputation in the areas of advanced manufacturing and processing technology and the establishment of the centre is an endorsement of our expertise in this area. Through this award, funding is provided to support over a hundred PhD students (approx. 30 in Ireland and 70 in the UK).

In terms of our national economy, the manufacturing sector is the second largest employer in the country and the new centre will play a key role in both growing our knowledge base in the area of metallics manufacturing and in responding to industry’s skills needs.

I am delighted with the take-up of courses on LinkedIn Learning, the online learning platform that recently went live for staff at DCU. We are the first Irish University to provide LinkedIn Learning at a ‘Partial Campus’ scale to all members of staff. 80% of Universities in the UK have LinkedIn Learning or Lynda.com (the same content) in some capacity.

The initiative is part of our Strategic Goal #5 to “Value and develop our staff community”. Hundreds of DCU staff have now activated their accounts, giving them access to thousands of video courses and Learning Paths across business, software, technology and creative domains. These expert-taught courses are designed to help you achieve your personal and professional goals through a personalised learning experience. You can access LinkedIn Learning on your phone, laptop or iPad at anytime, from anywhere, making this an extraordinary addition to professional learning services at DCU.

In addition, the platform brings on-demand software and technology training to staff, supporting our Digital Campus Vision. I understand that HR Learning  and  Development are currently developing Learning Paths specific to particular roles, as well as for specific functional units. The subject matter covers a range of topics including interpersonal skills, design, marketing, writing, programming, management, business intelligence.

We recently welcomed SFI funding awards worth over €340,000 for innovations in cancer and cellular research that demonstrate excellent potential for commercial application, specifically across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The awards were made under SFI’s Technological Innovation Development Award (TIDA) programme. The 3 successful PIs were:

• Prof Martin Clynes (NICB), who received €128,422 for a project exploring the potential of novel proteins to be targeted as a new and highly specific anti-cancer drug.
• Dr Aisling Byrne, who is spearheading a project, valued at €121,279, to develop O2 and pH sensors that can be used to give an accurate insight into cell health using conventional lab instrumentation. The aim is to allow monitoring of the cellular environment without causing damage to the cells.
• Dr Creina Slator, who is leading a project worth €96,767 to develop a novel class of copper-based anticancer agents for preclinical evaluation. Therapeutic studies will be conducted in a range of mutated breast cancer cells and models to understand unique DNA actions. The project is of significant interest to the biopharmaceutical sector in the area of oncology.

Congratulations to all 3 awardees! These successes support Strategic Goal #2 to “Advance our reputation for world-class research” and are particularly well aligned to realize our ambition to translate our research into benefits for society.

We recently had the honour of welcoming the President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, to DCU as part of our Mary McAleese Women in Leadership Lecture Series.

President Preca is renowned for her valuable contribution to women’s rights and gender equality and, throughout her Presidency, has established several initiatives that have helped drive change in Malta’s social policies.

During a wide-ranging address in front of a large audience, President Preca focused on the issue of women’s rights, stating that “women’s rights are human rights” and that “gender equality must be at the heart of our democracies.” President Preca also highlighted the importance of young people’s participation in the democratic process. She said she believes the younger generation can “be the game changers to achieve equality and equity in our societies”.

Thank you to all involved in organizing this series and other initiatives in the DCU Women in Leadership programme of initiatives.

DCU staff were central to the recent launch of the first phase of a newly developed Irish Sign Language (ISL) STEM Glossary project at the Deaf Heritage Centre in Cabra. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the project aims to create the first ever open-access online glossary of maths terms in Irish Sign Language.

The announcement by Dr Elizabeth Mathews, from our School of Inclusive and Special Education, marks the first step in the process of developing a comprehensive ISL STEM glossary to support STEM education for deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) learners at primary and post-primary school, their parents and their teachers.

The first phase of the glossary contains over 200 videos, including 25 newly coined signs for terms such as ‘standard deviation’, ‘composite number’, ‘mode’ and many others.

There are approximately 5,000 people in Ireland who use Irish Sign Language (ISL) as their first language (CSO, 2017). However, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) to fully engage in STEM related subjects, there must be an agreed lexicon in ISL for STEM terms - a resource, which up until now, has been absent.

This new project is a significant step on this journey and it is also reflective of DCU’s commitment to inclusive education.

We were delighted to welcome Dr. Alie Kabba, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, to our St Patrick’s Campus recently.

Minister Kabba’s visit focused on Ireland’s strategy in relation to teacher education and, in particular, the Institute of Education’s approach to early childhood development. The topics of community education with an emphasis on quality teacher education and continuous learning for teachers were also of significant interest.

The new government of Sierra Leone launched its flagship programme on Free Quality Education in September 2018. This aims to ensure that all children have access to free quality education up to the end of the secondary education cycle. While gender parity has been achieved at primary level, participation of girls in secondary level reduces significantly with school fees and teenage pregnancy being cited as the most common causes of drop out. Irish Aid, through the Embassy of Ireland in Freetown, is supporting the government to finance the programme, via UNICEF.

Earlier this month, we welcomed funding awards worth over €150,000 by Science Foundation Ireland to fund projects dedicated to educating and engaging the public in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

We were particularly pleased to have been funded for projects targeted at engaging young females in STEM, while the establishment of an Irish Sign Language STEM Glossary is a fantastic development that will open up a new world of opportunities for children at primary and post-primary level. (see earlier in this eZine)

Congratulations to each of the successful project winners:

• Science on Stage (Funding of €15,200). Project lead: Dr. Eilish McLoughlin, School of Physical Sciences
•  Let's talk about STEM: Supports for girls' early science engagement (Funding of €49,130.50). Project Lead: Dr. Sinéad McNally, Institute of Education
•  Mathematics Teaching Practices Toolkit (Funding of €49,998.00). Project Lead: Dr. Siún Nic Mhuiri, Institute of Education
•  Irish Sign Language Glossary Project Phase 2: Environmental Science (Funding of €50,000.00). Project Lead: Dr. Elizabeth Mathews, School of Inclusive and Special Education

A unique piece of research, which was led by Prof Pamela Gallagher, School of Nursing and Human Sciences, has found that survivors’ self-management skills after treatment for head and neck cancer has a strong link with their measurement of quality of life and also fears that their cancer may return.

Headline findings showed that practices which include positive and active engagement in daily life, constructive attitudes and approaches to the illness and the development of skills and techniques to cope with life after treatment, were significantly associated with a higher quality of life and a lower fear of cancer returning.

Cancer of the head and neck is among the top ten most common cancers in Ireland, with around 500 cases diagnosed in Ireland in 2017.

The findings, which were published in the journal Psycho-Oncology, will make an important contribution to progressing developments in public policy health care for head and neck cancer survivors.

I was delighted to see two recent successes for DCU spin-out SepTec. My congratulations go to Dr Elaine Spain (Analytical Chemistry, DCU) and Dr Kellie Adamson (Diagnostics and Therapeutics and Biomaterials, DCU) who have been shortlisted for SFI’s €1 million Future Innovator Prize for their project ‘SepTec: Improving Outcomes for Sepsis Patients’. The company’s innovative solution delivers Sepsis diagnosis within 15 minutes - a process that previously would have taken hours.

The SepTec team was also recognised for its groundbreaking work when they won ‘Best Research Project’ at the recent Education Awards. Congratulations once more to Dr. Kellie Adamson,⁩ ⁦Dr. Elaine Spain and also to Prof. Robert Forster. The awards recognise, encourage and celebrate excellence in the third level education sector in Ireland.

I am glad to say DCU was also shortlisted in the following categories:

• Best Education Outreach Award – DCU Connected University of Sanctuary Scholarships
• Best Use of Educational Technology/ ICT Initiative of the Year – DCU’s Reflect Online Learning Portfolios
• Best International Research Project Collaboration – ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology & Huawei