The 10^th December was the International Day of Human Rights and the id+ futures team marked the day with an inspiring and energising  Business Partner Showcase in the iconic Aula Maxima in University College Cork. Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the right to work and id+ futures initiative takes a rights-based approach to education and work.

Four prestigious awards were presented to UCC awardees at the national Athena Swan Awards Ceremony, held at South East Technological University (SETU) Carlow on 12 November 2025.  

UCC celebrated its first Silver institutional Athena Swan Award, along with three School awards – a first Silver for the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, a first Bronze for the School of Applied Social Studies, and a renewed Bronze for the Dental School and Hospital. Together, these awards mark a significant milestone in the university’s ongoing commitment to gender equality and inclusion. 

UCC’s Dean of Doctoral Studies hosted the final of the University’s 2025 Three Minute Thesis competition, an event highlighting excellence in postgraduate research across the university.

University College Cork (UCC) is celebrating a double success in the latest round of Athena Swan awards, with the School of Applied Social Studies receiving its first Bronze Award, led by Dr Caitriona Ni Laoire,  and the Dental School and Hospital, led by Dr Elizabeth Ann Ryan, securing a renewal of its Bronze Award. 

The Athena Swan Charter is a global framework that recognises commitment to gender equality and inclusion in higher education and research. Awards recognise Schools’ commitment to advance equality for staff and students.  

The Healthy UCC steering committee met in person on 19 September 2025 to discuss plans for the year ahead.   Chaired by Professor Stephen Byrne, committee members include the chairs and the deputy chairs of the action groups, representatives from the Students Union, People and Culture, EDI and Sustainability. 

An 15ú Meán Fómhair 2025 bhronn Barr na gCnoc aon scoláireacht déag ar na daltaí nua céidbhliana de chuid  Gaelcholáiste Mhic Shuibhne, Cnoc na hAoine, Corcaigh. Ócáid bhliantúil í seo agus cúis mhór mhórtais do Bharr na gCnoc ab ea é aitheantas foirmiúil a thabhairt do na daltaí seo agus iad ag tosnú amach ar oideachas dara leibhéal tré Ghaeilge. Ráiteas cumhachtach féin-aitheantais is ea é ó na daltaí agus ón bpobal dár de iad i gCnoc na hAoine agus  i gCnoc an Chuilinn an cinneadh seo oiliúint tré Ghaeilge a roghnú. Tagann an ócáid seo sna sála ar an rath mór a bhí i mbliana ar thorthaí an chéad bhuíon riamh de dhaltaí ón nGaelcholáiste a thug faoin Ard-Teistiméireacht; tá gach duine acu sin ag díriú anois  ar an dtríú leibhéal.

Leading universities around the world are teaching students about wellbeing to support their success in learning and life. Students increasingly value their wellbeing and personal development while employers seek self-efficacy skills including resilience and self-awareness. 

Here in UCC, in September 2025, incoming first year students on selected modules will have an opportunity to 'learn to be well' so they can 'be well to learn'. Twenty-four module leaders across the four colleges in UCC are devoting time and space in their semester 1 curricula for 1500 students to take 'Jumpstart Your Success: Everyday Matters', a bespoke self-paced online unit that is available to students on their Canvas dashboard. In this unit, students will explore what being a successful student means to them, learn what mental wellbeing means, describe how the brain develops in the late adolescent years [up to 24 years, 80% of all undergraduates in Irish universities within this age band], analyse their time use, learn how to build healthy habits that stick and strengthen their resilience by considering their support network. 

Throughout Summer 2025, a major suite of enhancements has taken place across our teaching estate. A total of 44 rooms have undergone upgrades. These upgrades are part of UCC's ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible learning and teaching environment. IT Services led out on these upgrades, made possible through funding from Access UCC, and in collaboration with Buildings & Estates and the Centre for Digital Education. 

The annual President’s Pride Lunch took place on Tuesday 29 July in the Hub Atrium as part of Cork Pride 2025. Last year, we made murmurations.  This year, courtesy of the LGBT+ Staff Network, attendees were invited to take part in making a Living Pride Quilt – a lovely initiative and a shared celebration of unity and pride and started this year to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of both the Marriage Equality referendum and the Gender Recognition Act. 

A day to acknowledge and celebrate the excellence in teaching across the College of Medicine and Health.

The 2025 College of Medicine and Health Learning and Teaching Showcase took place on Friday, 6th June, in the Pharmacy Building at UCC, bringing together staff from across the College in a vibrant celebration of innovation and excellence in teaching.

Organised by Professor Mark McEntee, Vice Head of Learning and Teaching at CoMH, and the Showcase Committee, this annual event recognises outstanding contributions to teaching within the College.

The 40th UCC Sports Star Awards took place last night at The River Lee Hotel, celebrating the remarkable achievements of UCC athletes and teams. Sponsored by The River Lee Hotel in association with the Bank of Ireland, the gala dinner honoured 16 outstanding athletes and coaches, representing one of the most competitive fields in recent years.

Olympic rower Margaret Cremen was named Supreme Sports Star of the Year following an incredible 2024 season. She secured a silver medal in the LW1x at the European Championships and, alongside Aoife Casey, finished fifth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Rocking their funky socks, staff and students gathered from all over the university, along with VIP guests from the Down Syndrome Centre Cork, to mark World Down Syndrome Day 2025

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

The id+ Futures team and students are so proud of our olympian, Joseph “Joe-Joe” Sheehan, a student on the Certificate in Social Citizenship. Joe-Joe is representing Ireland as part of the Irish Floorball Team at the Special Olympics Winter Games currently being held in Turin, Italy.  He already has an impressive medal haul of four golds, three silvers, and two bronzes across regional and Ireland Games and also plays golf and football. We wish Joe-Joe and the team all the best.

The Team Ireland Floorball team are playing with skill, heart, determination and team spirit through the divisional matches so far and we wish them all the best of luck on their journey.  

A man of the match performance by Joseph “Joe-Joe” Sheehan versus Switzerland, helped secure a bronze medal for Team Ireland's floorball team following an incredible campaign. Big congratulations to all involved. 

Visitors from UNIC universities Erasmus University Rotterdam, Malmö University and Ruhr University Bochum formed part of a 250-strong delegation of attendees at the European University Association (EUA) Learning and Teaching Forum 2025, hosted by University College Cork on February 27th and 28th.

The Deputy President and Registrar, Prof. Stephen Byrne, welcomed the UNIC colleagues to campus for the event at a short reception also attended by the Vice President for Teaching and Learning, Prof. Paul McSweeney.

Bystander Intervention week was celebrated in UCC and across the HE sector this week.

Led by Prof Louise Crowley and Celine Griffin, staff and students engaged with a range of events including staff and student workshops, information stands, engagement with our community partners and a staff insight session to enhance student and staff take up of the training. On Wednesday more than 400 students attending the Information stand, committed to engaging with the Bystander training over the coming months. 

Tá síneadh cúig bliana curtha lena Meamram Comhthuisceana ag Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh agus Coláiste na Rinne. Tá an Meamram seo tar éis bonn a chur fé imeachtaí mac léinn UCC i nGaeltacht na nDéise le tamall de bhlianta, fochéimithe, iarchéimithe agus mic léinn idirnáisiúnta. 

On February 5th, the SOAR Project and TU Dublin hosted a very successful workshop to mark the launch of our research report Students with Care Experience and Higher Education: “Progression in life despite my circumstances”.

The UCC Safe and Sound project held a Staff Soapbox event on January 23^rd 2025 in the Dora Allman. Safe and Sound is a year-long campaign that works with the UCC community and external collaborators to create media and organise events that foster awareness of issues around sexual violence and harassment. Safe and Sound aims to make sure everyone in the UCC community is included, from students to staff. The Soapbox event was an opportunity to highlight the work of the project to staff and for speakers to talk about the work they are doing that is already contributing to making our campus safer and more sound.