Dr Lyndsey El Amoud recognised for social impact at Fáilte Ireland Ambassador Awards

19 Dec 2025

UCC Deputy Director of Adult Continuing Education (ACE), Dr Lyndsey El Amoud, has received the Social Impact Sustainability Spotlight Award at the Fáilte Ireland Ambassador Recognition Awards.

The award celebrates Dr El Amoud’s leadership in bringing the 54th eucen (European University Continuing Education Network) Annual Conference to Cork and University College Cork in 2024, embedding social impact, inclusion, and equity at the heart of the event.

The conference attracted 212 delegates from 40 countries and 115 universities worldwide. It broke with tradition by deliberately spotlighting the voices and experiences of marginalised groups and challenging participants to view lifelong learning beyond economic development, emphasising its role in strengthening democracy, equality, and community resilience.

Key conference themes included recognition of prior learning (RPL), widening access pathways, and universities’ roles in addressing structural inequalities. The message was clear: lifelong learning is not just about skills for growth but also about justice, belonging, and voice.

The conference strongly aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): championing inclusive lifelong learning
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): more than half of keynote speakers and session chairs were women
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): amplifying voices of marginalised groups
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions): modelling inclusive dialogue and civic advocacy
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): fostering lasting international cooperation

One of the most impactful outcomes was the Anne Burke Declaration, developed after a keynote on racism against Irish Travellers in education. The declaration calls on the Government to:

• Restore dedicated Traveller education funding

• Integrate Traveller history and culture in the national curriculum

• Mandate teacher training in anti-racism and cultural competency

• Implement anti-racist bullying policies protecting Traveller children

• Invest in Traveller teacher training and representation

• Create an inclusive school culture where every child feels they belong

This declaration was signed by over 100 delegates from 115 universities and formally submitted to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste Simon Harris, calling for urgent government action to ensure equality of access to education for Traveller children.

The conference reinforced national higher education priorities, including Ireland’s National Access Plan (2022–2028), and contributed to policy dialogue on flexible learning, micro-credentials, and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Hosting the eucen conference positioned Cork, a UNESCO Learning City. as a regional and national model for inclusive education and community engagement, while highlighting UCC’s role as a national leader in access and adult learning.

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