UCD_Letter Tom_4-5.qxd 25/8/08 16:36 Page 4
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
DEAR UCD BUSINESS ALUMNI,
e are very pleased to send you the latest edition those who believe in the importance to Ireland of a strong and vibrant
W
of Business Connections, our alumni maga- third- and fourth-level system to grow and develop the school. You
zine. It contains a number of articles about will no doubt be aware of large contributions that donors such as
and by our alumni that we hope you will find Michael Smurfit and Lochlann Quinn have made to us, memorialised
interesting. The purpose of our magazine is through the naming of our graduate and undergraduate schools. You
also to inform you about what we are doing in may be less aware of support from people like Denis O’Brien, Dermot
the UCD Business School, and to encourage Desmond and Margaret Heffernan. Chairs funded by our Irish and
you to re-engage with us. North American Corporate Boards of Advisors have enabled us to
When you think back to your time here, we trust your memories are attract and retain accomplished academics that allow us to be the best
positive. For many of us, university years are deeply etched in our business school in Ireland, and recognised internationally.
minds because of the formative experiences they provided. There’s a However, our fundraising is not just about these major gifts.
long tradition in North America of graduates remaining strongly con- Regular contributions from alumni and friends are also a vital
nected to their alma mater, and it’s a phenomenon that I’m delighted source of school financing. These contributions come primarily
to say is taking off among prominent European business schools. At through our annual alumni fundraising campaign whereby current
UCD School of Business, we are keen to be at the forefont of this dev- students contact graduates to seek their support. If you receive such
elopment and rekindle connections with our wide alumni network. a phone call or mail piece, please consider helping out.
There are many reasons schools devote time and energy to their We now operate in an intensely competitive global environment for
alumni. Among them, alumni are usually the best recruiters of new business school education. Whether you are heartened or discouraged
students to the school. Also, alumni are frequently in positions to to read about our latest standing in business school rankings, I can
hire recent graduates. More often than you might think, alumni tell you with certainty that we will not make serious inroads upwards
serve as guest speakers in classes, mentor current students and pro- unless we invest substantially in the school. Collectively, your contri-
vide valuable career advice. These relationships are all important to butions can make a big difference. Rankings aside, they help us imp-
the life of the school, but the benefits for alumni are also manifold, rove the learning experience of current and future students. Think
from our many conferences and presentations to our reunions and about it as a chance to give back, to contribute to our students’ oppor-
networking events and the host of benefits that come with your tunities to learn and develop. We stand on the shoulders of those who
membership card. came before us. Please give us broader shoulders to stand on.
A taboo subject until now has been the school’s need to seek
financial support. It is easily forgotton that just 50pc of our funding With very best wishes
comes from government, so we rely on the vision and generosity of Prof Tom Begley, Dean, UCD School of Business
4 UCD BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
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