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UCC attends inaugural HEI Carers Network Conference
University College Cork was represented at the inaugural HEI Carers Network Conference on 10th June by Pat Rice, Niamh Kiely, and Peter Gosnell.
With over 600,000 family carers in Ireland, building a carer-inclusive higher education sector is essential for widening participation, supporting staff and student wellbeing, and creating more equitable HE environments.
Established in 2024, the HEI Carers Network brought together representatives from across the higher education sector to provide a collaborative forum for those working in research, policy, and practice to contribute to the development of coordinated, evidence-informed supports for family carers.
The day-long conference programme featured critical insights from sector leaders, including:
⚪ An address on promoting carer inclusion by Louise Callinan, Head of Access Policy at the Higher Education Authority.
⚪ Personal insights shared directly by staff and student carers navigating higher education.
⚪ A keynote address by Professor Marie-Pierre Moreau (Anglia Ruskin University), presenting a UK national study on staff caregivers.
⚪ A presentation on the “Carers Passport” framework by EDI representatives from Queen’s University Belfast, alongside dedicated collaborative workshops focusing on staff, students, and institutional access.