Senior leaders from across Ireland’s higher education sector gathered at UCC today for a landmark Leadership Summit on Generative AI in Higher Education Teaching & Learning, convened by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education.

UCC President, Professor John O’Halloran, MRIA, has been awarded an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Massachusetts Lowell in recognition of his outstanding leadership in advancing sustainability in higher education.

It was with great pride that Professor John O’Halloran welcomed UCC students Joe Joe Sheehan and Aoife Flannery to the President’s Office on Tuesday, 25 March, to celebrate their recent achievements in winning medals at international sporting events.

Translated from ‘change maker’, the Mutatio Factorem award is given to people who have brought about significant change and inspiration.  

The Office of the Vice-President for Learning and Teaching and the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning recently hosted the 2025 European University Association Learning & Teaching Forum, an international summit on the future of Higher Education. The theme was 2030 and beyond: towards responsive and adaptable higher education, providing a space for dialogue toward strategies to develop future-readiness in Higher Education through learning and teaching. UCC was delighted to welcome Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD, to UCC to speak at the forum.

UCC recently hosted the winners of the 61^st BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE). Three sisters from Co Kerry won the overall prize for their development of a smartphone app that enhances the response by health services in emergencies.

UCC was delighted to welcome the German Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Mr David Gill, to campus on Thursday, 20 February.

The Ambassador of Switzerland visited UCC’s historical campus on Wednesday, 22^nd January 2025.

UNIC's first academic conference took place on 6-9 May at the University of Malmö, Sweden, robustly addressing themes of urban resilience, sustainability, and the future of post-industrial societies. A parallel ‘UNIC General Assembly’ event brought together university leaders from across the alliance to engage in the future direction and success of the alliance.  UCC representatives on the UNIC General Assembly were UCC President Prof. John O’Halloran, Vice President Global Engagement Prof. Ursula Kilkelly and Associate Vice President for European Relations and Public Affairs Dr Jean van Sinderen-Law.

Advance HE’s Top Management Programme (TMP) is a premier leadership development initiative tailored for senior executives within higher education institutions. The programme  is designed to equip senior leaders with the agility, innovation and strategic insight necessary to navigate the complex and evolving landscape of higher education. It offers a dynamic, cohort-based learning environment that emphasizes peer collaboration, reflective practice and real-time application of leadership concepts.

University College Cork (UCC) has risen twenty-seven places in one of the world’s leading education rankings, the QS World University Rankings.

University College Cork President, Professor John O’Halloran, MRIA, was among the distinguished guests at a celebration hosted by British Ambassador Paul Johnston and his wife Nicola at their official residence at Glencairn, Sandyford, on Thursday, 26 June.

The event marked the 76th birthday of His Majesty King Charles III and was also a reflection on a renewed chapter in UK-Ireland relations.

The evening brought together over 700 attendees from across government, business, media, politics, the arts, and sport, highlighting the diverse and dynamic connections between the two nations.

In his address, Ambassador Johnston underscored the enduring strength of the UK-Ireland relationship, emphasising the shared values and common vision that continue to shape its future.