Vice-President, Learning and Teaching, UCC

Professor Paul McSweeney is Vice-President for Learning and Teaching in University College Cork. His office coordinates the activities of the University’s Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), Adult Continuing Education (ACE), Centre for Digital Education, Skills Centre, Examinations Appeals, Careers' Service and the university's Library system and Cork University Press, together with responsibility for delivering aspects of the University’s Academic Strategy and strategic plan.

Holding a Personal Chair in Food Chemistry, he has an active research profile in dairy chemistry and cheese science. He is the co-author or co-editor of 18 books and numerous research papers and reviews with a h-index of 81 with nearly 32,000 citations (Google Scholar; February 2025). He was awarded the Marschall Danisco International Dairy Science Award of the American Dairy Science Association in 2004 and in 2009 a higher doctorate (DSc) on published work by the National University of Ireland.

Since 2009 he has been a member of Academic Board, the senior university standing committee of Academic Council responsible for the formulation of strategy and policy to meet the university’s education and research objectives. He has chaired the university's Examinations Appeals Committee and for over five years ADSC, the university's main academic policy committee.  He also chaired the university’s Institutional Review Group which prepared for UCC’s institutional review by Quality Qualifications Ireland (2023). 

He is also a member of the Student Experience, Teaching and Learning Committee of Ireland’s Higher Education Authority which guides the activities of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Prof McSweeney has considerable leadership experience in higher education. He was vice-head of school, vice-head of the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, interim Head of College, a governor of the university (2015-2018) and member of its Finance Committee and head of the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences. He was appointed Vice-President for Learning and Teaching in 2018 and acted as Vice-President for External Relations for five months in 2020.