Professor John O'Halloran, President, University College Cork

Established in the age of the Great Hunger, University College Cork has endured for 175 years -delivering useful learning, working in solidarity with communities, and often through times of great social upheaval. Locally and globally, our societies are now faced with a period of turmoil that we understand will be transformative. Nationally, we see communities across Ireland coming together in the spirit of collective effort the public health response has called for. Irish Universities are helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of the third mission of our University - service to society and outreach – has become more evident and more essential than ever.  Already there are extraordinary initiatives documented on this website that UCC and community partners have taken to support people and communities. In time we will move from an emergency response to the crisis, towards more sustained responses to support community resilience and adaptation to the longer-term challenges presented by COVID19.  It is a period of learning for all. We will continue to work together with community to prepare for the challenges ahead.

Professor John O'Halloran, President, University College Cork

I am deeply proud and thank all of our students and staff for the exceptional work they are doing, in continuing to conduct the business of the University and supporting communities through COVID-19. Across the University staff and students are volunteering and innovating, working together with communities and social partners. They are proactively responding to the short and longer term social, civic and community challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis. 

Staff and students are supporting our health care colleagues on the front line, as well as community-focused responses to COVID-19. New initiatives continue to be developed an ongoing basis. 

We are asking UCC staff and students who are developing or are thinking about developing external or community focused responses to COVID-19 and beyond, to register those initiatives now and on an ongoing basis.

Staff and students should register their initiatives online here  

Professor John O'Halloran, President, University College Cork

Nationally, we are working together as a sector with the Irish University Association and other Irish Universities to help the fight the pandemic.

You can read more about what's being done across the Irish University sector on the IUA webiste here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented societal challenges.  The Irish university sector has maintained ‘business as usual’ to the greatest extent possible by a rapid transition to remote learning. Meanwhile, the sector galvanised into immediate action, contributing to the national emergency response in every way possible as the pandemic developed. Our universities and their staff have and are making a hugely valuable contribution to the national efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nationally, working together with the sector the IUA captures some key highlights of those efforts.