2021
KPMG Announces Five Year Partnership with UCC
▪ Expected growth in market demand for talented graduates to continue
▪ €600k in funding will be distributed over a five-year period
▪ KPMG will support a Research, Learning, and Teaching Fund
Today, KPMG announced a five-year partnership with University College Cork (UCC) to fund further initiatives in support of its business education programme. The €600,000 bursary will see KPMG provide funds to the University’s Business School for a range of student engagement activities, including scholarships, work experience, and events.
As part of the sponsorship, KPMG will also create a dedicated Cork University Business School (CUBS) Research, Learning, and Teaching Development Fund to support the continued growth of its Accounting and Finance department. This will include supporting a faculty position for the department, which reinforces KPMG’s commitment to business education in Ireland
KPMG, which has over 3,500 people in offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast, sources a significant number of graduates from UCC each year.
KPMG’s Managing Partner, Seamus Hand, said, “Helping people maximise their potential and investing in education and training is a core principle at KPMG. This five-year sponsorship with Cork University Business School reinforces our commitment to continuous learning and recognises the vital role of our third-level institutions in Irish education and business”.
UCC Interim President, Professor John O’Halloran, commented, “We are incredibly grateful to KPMG for this generous gift which will enable transformational change through strategic investment in the university’s learning, teaching and research activities. KPMG’s support signifies a commitment to the university’s ambition for our Business School to become a global leader in the provision of sustainable business education, known for the excellence of the student learning experience and for the impact of its research on business and society. This partnership will facilitate the development of our students through high-impact experiential learning and effective practice-oriented research, helping to creating graduates who are both world and work ready”.
KPMG’s Partner in Charge of Cork, Barrie O’Connell, said, “This partnership with Cork University Business School places us at the heart of business education in Ireland and demonstrates our continued strong relationships with UCC which is a significant pipeline of future talent for KPMG in Ireland. Cork and the wider Munster region are home to leading multinationals and a host of dynamic domestic businesses operating in globally, and our partnership with UCC will help ensure that educated, talented people continue to have great opportunities for learning and employment locally, nationally and internationally.
KPMG’s Head of Resourcing, Paul Vance, said, “UCC has created an exceptional ecosystem that helps develops talented professionals well positioned to make a great contribution to Irish business. We’re proud to provide exceptional career opportunities to UCC graduates as evidenced by the large number of UCC alumni at every level in KPMG.”
Professor Ursula Kilkelly, Head, College of Business and Law, UCC commented, “As Head of the College of Business and Law, I am delighted to welcome the generous support of KPMG to the Business School. The scale and nature of this investment will help us to enhance the outstanding learning and development experience that our Business students receive here at UCC and we look forward to the mutual benefit of our partnership into the future.”
Professor Thia Hennessy, Dean, Cork University Business School added, “Today’s announcement of a five-year partnership between KPMG and UCC reasserts a commitment to maximise the potential of our students and the impact of graduates from Cork University Business School. The partnership will help us to continue providing our students with the ambition and knowledge to become the trailblazers that will shape how organisations put sustainability at the heart of business.”
The partnership with KPMG demonstrates the impact of corporate philanthropy in enabling the university to support the continued growth of its business education programme, while enhancing the student experience and improving graduate employability prospects.