ISS21/CSF Adjunct Professor Máiréad Dunne Delivers Global Keynote at Gender, Education and Work Conference

Adjunct Professor Máiréad Dunne, ISS21-CSF recently gave the keynote address entitled ‘Persistent patriarchy and epistemic violence: gender entanglements in education and work’  to the ‘Voices from the Margins: Rethinking Gender, Labor and Belonging conference in Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan.

Máiréad is Emeritus Professor of the Sociology of Education at the University of Sussex, a member of the Sussex Consortium for Development Studies, ranked as global No.1 in the field and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. She was a visiting scholar at UCC (ISS21) during 2025.

Question: Máiréad, you spent several months in Cork this year, from February to October, as a Visiting Scholar. Now, in your capacity as Adjunct Professor with ISS21/CSF at UCC, could you share what originally motivated you to engage with UCC?

Máiréad: I had a look at the UCC website and came across ISS21which I thought was very innovative  and attractive in terms of the range of research clusters focussed  for example on  Genders, Sexualities and Families, Ageing and Children and Young People among others. ISS21 appealed to me with its intersectional perspectives that had  lots of connections within my own work  on sociology, education, and international development.

I enjoyed my time as visiting scholar so much that  I applied for and have been appointed as an Adjunct Professor with UCC, and I will be in that post for the next three years.

Question: During your time as Visiting Scholar, what did you enjoy about being at ISS21/CSF?

Máiréad: I received such a great welcome from the people in UCC. I attended several seminars and workshops and met and engaged with the many positive and energetic academics. I had fascinating conversations and learned a lot. One of my  first events was the Feminist Walk of Cork, led by Professor Maggie O’Neill on International Women’s Day. That helped me to get to know some of the gender history and geography of Cork. Not only did I have the opportunity to listen to UCC and visiting speakers, but I also  enjoyed giving a ISS21 seminar on my own current research work and another to the doctoral students on research processes. I even met one of my previous MA students from the University of Sussex now a doctoral researcher at UCC!

Question: How did you find life in Cork during your time here?

Máiréad: I love Ireland and Cork of course. As part of an emigrant family, I went to school in London but spent school holidays either in Dublin with my Mother’s family or down country in Tipperary (sorry about the All-Ireland final!)  with my  Father’s family. Fortunately, I have cousins in Cork, and we met up a lot while I was here, and they showed me the highlights of the city and nearby countryside. I also had plenty visitors each weekend and  I enjoyed bringing them into the city and to West Cork, to Clonakilty etc. It was also great  to swim in the sea here especially as the weather had been mild. While in Cork  I also started practicing hot yoga – fantastic - I really miss now I am back in Brighton.

Question: What is next on your schedule in terms of work?

Máiréad: Right now, I am  finalising an edited  book which is a collection of postgraduate research  papers at University of Sussex focussed on different aspects of coloniality and  education.  It should  be published shortly. I also have several papers both empirical and theoretical  in different stages of development and completion.  I am also supporting and collaborating on modules on Sustainable Development and Education for Development at UCC where I hope to contribute some online classes.

Read on to learn more about the Voices from the Margins conference where Máiréad recently gave a keynote address.

Voices from the Margins: Rethinking Gender, Labor and Belonging conference, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

This conference was jointly supported by Nazarbayev University President Professor Waqar Ahmed,  Professor Shumaila Yousafzai leading the Nazarbayev University Research Centre for Entrepreneurship  and the Gender, Work and Organisation journal. It was part of the fifteeenth aniversary celebrations of Nazarbayev University which is located in Central Asia and continues to make a significant contribution to the global higher education landscape.

Máiréad Dunne gave the keynote address entitled ‘Persistent patriarchy and epistemic violence: gender entanglements in education and work’

The conference drew participants from all corners of the globe and included academics, policy makers and practioners in all stages of their careers as well as entrepreneurs, educators, activists and entertainers from the local area. This gave rise to many intersecting conversations about gender equality, economic challenges, work and the burdens of care within different historical and contemporary geographical contexts.