News
Religions and Global Diversity students honoured with inaugural undergraduate prizes
- Three students awarded inaugural undergraduate prizes for excellence in academic writing.
Three undergraduate students from University College Cork’s Religions and Global Diversity programme have been recognised with the first-ever awards for excellence in academic writing.
First-year students Rebecca Desbordes and Finn Mac Callum received the Isabella Honan Essay Prize for the best first-year essays. Alice Stapleton, a final-year student, was awarded the Brian Bocking Dissertation Prize for the best final-year dissertation.
Dr Amanullah De Sondy, Head of the Study of Religions Department at University College Cork in Ireland and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam, said:
“In a world where religious beliefs and cultural traditions influence politics, identity, and daily life, understanding religions has never been more important. Our students engage critically with traditions from Buddhism to Islam, from indigenous religions to new spiritual movements, learning from specialists in each field. We’re delighted to recognise our undergraduate students who have excelled in their studies, and who are developing the skills to navigate and interpret a complex, interconnected world with insight, empathy, and an informed perspective.”
“These awards honour not only the remarkable work of our students but also the vision and values of Isabella Honan and Professor Brian Bocking. They remind us that rigorous academic writing is at the heart of our discipline, and that the study of religions and global diversity thrives when intellectual curiosity is met with openness and excellence,” Dr De Sondy said.
Isabella Honan, the last surviving member of the Honan family of Cork, left a lasting mark on the university through her philanthropic support. Her fortune, earned through the family’s successful butter export business, was dedicated to charitable causes and the advancement of education. In 1910, she endowed the Honan Scholarship to help students who could not otherwise afford university. The scholarship, unusually for its time, was open to all denominations and became one of UCC’s most prestigious awards. She also funded the construction of the renowned Honan Chapel.
Professor Brian Bocking played a central role in establishing UCC’s Department of Study of Religions—the first in Ireland dedicated to the non-confessional, academic study of religions. A distinguished scholar of Japanese religions and Buddhism, Professor Bocking brought decades of international teaching and research experience before joining UCC, where he served until his retirement in 2015.
Studying Religions and Global Diversity at UCC
Interested in exploring where Religions and Global Diversity might take you? Visit us at UCC’s Open Day 2025 on 11 October to meet our staff and students, explore the course, and get all your questions answered.