DSIS researcher Dr Ian Hughes and colleagues from the Department of Education and Youth have published a new paper in the journal Administration titled "Developing evidence for policy and practice in the Department of Education and Youth". 

The paper outlines the strategic approach being adopted by the Department of Education and Youth to deliver on its ambition to increase the role of research, evidence and data in shaping positive and effective educational experiences for all children and young people.

Ian works under a unique secondment agreement between the Department of Education and Youth and UCC, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The DSIS team is delighted to announce the publication of the Open Access book 'Human Flourishing Across Cultures and Disciplines: Paradigms of Well-Being and Development', edited by Professor Andrej Zwitter, a long-time collaborator of the DSIS Project. 

It includes two chapters from DSIS researchers: 'Reimagining a World Fit for our Humanity' by Dr Ian Hughes, and 'Towards a Feminist and Radical Democratic Theory of Human Flourishing' by Professor Maggie O'Neill. 

Both chapters, as well as the book itself, are available for download (Open Access): https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?docid=b-9781350547841 

Dr Ian Hughes and Bob Grumiau of the DSIS team will be panelists on Climate Justice and Sustainability on Tuesday, Nov 25th (chaired by Dr Ger Mullally):

Programme for Tuesday, Nov 25th (see link below for full programme Nov 24-28): 

9:40am – 10:50am: First Panel: Social Transformations and Inclusions.  

10:50am -11.10am: Coffee Break

11:10am -12:20pm: Second Panel: Climate Justice and Sustainability: Dr Martin Galvin, Dr Liz Folan O’Connor, Dr Niall Dunphy, Dr Ian Hughes, Bob Grumiau - Chair: Dr Ger Mullally

12:20pm - 1:00pm: Lunch

1:00pm – 2:00pm: Keynote address: Professor Kathleen Lynch, UCD. Beyond Human Capitalist Education and Research: Epistemic and Affective Considerations

2:00pm - 3:10pm: Third Panel: Researching with marginalised and/or difficult pasts.  

3:10pm – 3:30pm: Coffee Break

3:30pm – 4.40pm: Fourth Panel: Gender and feminisms: crafting and care. 

4:40pm – 5:00pm: Closing Remarks

On Wednesday, 15 October 2025, Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute (MUSSI)’s Research for Policy seminar series hosted Prof. Brian Ó Gallachóir (UCC/MaREI) and Ian Hughes (Department of Education & Youth; on secondment to UCC, supported by the EPA) for a hybrid session on how research and policy can work together, moving from one-off inputs to long-term, futures-oriented collaboration.
The speakers traced a 17-year journey from providing climate and energy modelling to underpinning policy via service-level agreements, co-producing policy (e.g. the 2015 Energy White Paper; carbon budgets), and building absorptive capacity in departments (training, tool handovers, and reverse secondments). They argued that climate action sits within a wider polycrisis, and that Ireland needs stronger, futures-oriented investment in education, social sciences and humanities alongside STEM, plus funding that enables community participation.