CLOSE-UP
LOVED it while I did it but I will definitely not be Global Irish Institute
‘I
returning to medicine.” That’s what Dr Hugh Brady Another of Dr Brady’s priorities is developing UCD as the global
told me when I asked him what he would do when centre for Irish studies, covering all areas of Ireland and the Irish.
his term of office as UCD President comes to a And this is not aimed at just the five million plus people on this
mandatory end in 2013. This is quite surprising, as he island but at the 75 million around the world who consider
was once recognised as a world expert on biomedical themselves in some way as being Irish. Dr Brady sees a role for
research into diabetes and kidney disease. Did he keep up to date the university in bringing together the obvious areas of
with the latest research in the area? “No.” Did he even sneak a language, literature and music and also in marrying these with
peek at the latest issue of The Lancet? “No.” But he did concede law and the social sciences to enable Irish people to give back to
that he may have discussed medicine with his wife, who is also a the world from our experiences over the centuries in areas such
nephrologist, but can’t remember when. “It was a long time as emigration, integration and conflict resolution.
ago.” And despite my best questioning, I couldn’t find out where It seems Dr Brady may have tapped into a rich seam that people
he was heading or what he was going to do next. “I have six want to be part of, as evidenced by the numbers who turned up
years left — until then I’m focused on UCD and nothing else.” to the US-Ireland Forum, held in New York last November. Some
Since he took over as UCD President, there has been what can 200 people were expected but in fact 700 turned up, all keen to
only be described as a revolution in how the university does its discuss the idea of an international centre of excellence dedicated
business, both among the academic staff and also in the way to the study of Ireland and its diaspora. The centre will be based
students can learn. And of course, it didn’t all run smoothly, as in the new Gateway Complex at Belfield, yet another of the
the letters page of The Irish Times testifies. Teaching structures projects that will totally transform the campus when it is
were radically changed and this ruffled more than a few completed by its target date of 2013.
feathers. But Dr Brady is pleased with progress so far, “We, and
by we I mean the UCD community, have achieved in three years World Forum
what most universities would have taken 20 years to do.” The In November 2008 UCD will host the World Forum to further
purpose of the changes is to ensure that UCD continues to be develop the concept behind the Global Irish Institute. It will be
the pre-eminent university in the State, albeit the context and held in O’Reilly Hall, and Dr Brady is hoping to have over 1,000
challenges are new. Over the past 150 years, UCD has produced delegates attend. “I want this to be a truly global affair, with
generations of nation builders. The challenge now is to retain people coming not just from the US, Canada and the UK, but also
UCD’s distinctively Irish character while producing global minds from Australia and South America — anywhere where we Irish
– a new breed of UCD graduate with a global perspective. have landed. At least half of the events will focus on public
There has been a major new emphasis on research across all engagement with the diaspora concept.”
disciplines in the university. UCD now has 6,000 postgraduate When you take a stroll through the campus, the scale of the
students and the number of PhD students has doubled to 1,500. physical transformation at UCD is already staggering — and
The academic staff itself has seen some major changes, with there’s more to come. As well as all of the student residences
almost 80% of new hires coming from overseas, many of them which have been built, the UCD Bowl sports ground has just
Europeans returning from stints in US universities, all bringing opened and planning for the university’s first 50-metre pool and
new knowledge and approaches with them. And what is most a recreation centre has been submitted. In addition, UCD’s new
important in all of this for Dr Brady is interdisciplinary interaction, Health Sciences Centre has recently been completed. The
or getting academics and students from different courses and redevelopment of UCD’s Science Centre has commenced and as
disciplines talking to each other to see where it can lead to in much of the funding has been raised for a new Sutherland Law
terms of innovative thinking. This approach is exemplified by the School it will soon get underway. Following that, planning will
university’s latest addition, the UCD Earth Institute, which will be sought for the Gateway Complex which will, yet again,
bring together knowledge on areas such as biofuels, power grids, change the entire look and feel of the university. Ad astra!
photovoltaic energy cells, urban design and architecture,
planning and environmental science — all of which are already on Conall Ó Móráin (BA ’79) is a professional broadcaster who runs
campus — to see what solutions UCD’s academics and students communications company, the Media Group. He became RTÉ’s
can find for world sustainable development. It’s by having the first business correspondent and subsequently practised as a
various disciplines talking to each other — something that didn’t stockbroker for eight years. He presents the Sunday Business
always happen in the past — that more innovative solutions to Show on Today FM and, while at UCD, edited the student
any problem can be found. publication Gobshout.
UCD CONNECTIONS PAGE FIVE
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