The UCD College of Social Sciences and Law has successfully delivered its first-ever Transition Year (TY) Programme from 12th to 16th January, welcoming 45 students from schools across Ireland for an immersive week exploring Social Sciences and Law disciplines.
A new paper in Irish Educational Studies examines Irish education policy and proposes practical ways to better meet today’s societal needs, drawing on perspectives from Professor Judith Harford (School of Education), former Minister Richard Bruton, and Dr Brian Fleming.
A project co-led by (opens in a new window)Dr Stefan Müller from the UCD School of Politics and International Relations has received a seed funding grant within the Una Europa network.
Professor Niamh Moore Cherry from the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law has won a prestigious Fáilte Ireland prize for sustainable practices in conference planning.
Dr Laura K. Taylor, Associate Professor at the UCD School of Psychology and Principal Investigator of the Helping Kids! Lab, has been awarded €2 million by a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant for her GENERATION EU project.
Ireland’s Ombudsman for Children (OCO) Dr Niall Muldoon has been awarded an honorary doctorate from University College Dublin in recognition of a lengthy career spent championing children’s rights.
The College of Social Sciences and law held a special award ceremony to celebrate and recognise colleagues working within the College who commenced employment 10 years ago.
The UCD College of Social Sciences and Law marked its 10-year anniversary series of events this week with the launch of its inaugural Annual Social Sciences Lecture, welcoming Professor Wayne Holmes (University College London; UNESCO Chair in the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Education) to campus.
Oxford University Press has named UCD researcher Dr Anh-Quân Nguyen (UCD School of Philosophy) one of the winners of the First Book Prize 2025. His forthcoming book, It’s Okay to Despair about Climate Change: Militant Pessimism in the Face of Climate Breakdown, explores the ethics and emotional life of climate activism ,challenging the dominance of optimism and offering “militant pessimism” as a radical, moral stance.
AlgoWatch, co-led by Professor Aphra Kerr from the UCD School of Information and Communication Studies, won Best Media Initiative for Young People at the Media Literacy Ireland Awards. The EU-funded project created interactive tools to help teenagers understand AI and tackle misinformation on issues like climate change, democracy and health.
Co.Here, an EU-funded pilot led by the UCD School of Politics and International Relations with Helping Irish Hosts and Pairity, is exploring new ways to support refugee integration in Kildare and beyond. The one-year project connects Ukrainian newcomers and local communities to build belonging and inform national policy.
University College Dublin (UCD) and Gaisce, The President’s Award, have launched a new elective module to support students under 25 pursuing their Gaisce Silver Award. Piloted in 2025–2026 with up to 50 participants, the module combines personal development, community engagement and experiential learning, embedding youth development within higher education and encouraging students to continue their Gaisce journey alongside their studies.
A new Children’s School Lives report from the UCD School of Education finds that while most sixth-class pupils are excited for greater independence in secondary school, many also fear losing friends and facing tougher workloads. Led by Professor Dympna Devine and colleagues, the study highlights the need for strong emotional and social supports to help children navigate this transition.
Now in its fifth cycle, Research Ireland’s COALESCE programme supports research tackling major social and global challenges. This year, €4.7 million was awarded to 19 projects, including six from UCD, spanning archaeology, education, sustainability, and public policy.
Dr Lucía Tiscornia, Assistant Professor at the UCD School of Politics and International Relations, has received a €1.5 million ERC Starting Grant for CRIMLATAM, a project exploring how criminal organisations operate within democratic societies with strong welfare systems in Latin America.
A new study by researchers from UCD School of Psychology and DCU has found that work-family conflict is a major source of psychological distress among Irish farmers. The research highlights how long hours, economic pressure, and family demands often clash, particularly for younger farmers. The authors call for tailored mental health supports that recognise the close link between farm life, family life, and wellbeing.
A new study by UCD School of Psychology and UCC researchers finds that both defendants and complainants are equally prone to memory distortions in sexual assault cases. Published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, the study challenges the tendency to scrutinise only the complainant’s memory, showing that memory errors are common to everyone involved in such cases.
Dr Niamh Howlin from the UCD Sutherland School of Law has received the Outstanding Contribution to Legal Scholarship award from the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association for her books Barristers in Ireland: An Evolving Profession Since 1921 and A Century of Courts: The Courts of Justice Act 1924. The award recognises her work in uncovering the histories of Ireland’s legal institutions and their impact on modern society.
Professor Joanna Brück of UCD School of Archaeology has been elected an International Fellow of the British Academy—an honour recognising exceptional international scholarship. A leading expert on the European Bronze Age, Professor Brück currently holds an ERC Advanced Grant and has published widely on prehistoric and revolutionary Ireland. Her election places her among a distinguished group of global academics recognised for advancing the humanities and social sciences.
The UCD College of Social Sciences and Law is proud to have four subjects ranked among the top 100 globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Archaeology, Philosophy, Social Policy & Administration, and Library & Information Management. These results reflect the strength of our academic reputation, research impact, and global engagement—affirming our continued commitment to excellence and international leadership.
New research from the UCD School of Archaeology challenges claims that Neolithic Ireland was ruled by an incestuous elite. Published in Antiquity, the study re-examines DNA from Newgrange and finds no evidence of hereditary power, suggesting burials reflected community traditions rather than elite rule.
Professor Kylie Jarrett from the UCD School of Information & Communication Studies has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant for her project LivePlatforms—one of only two ERC Advanced Grants awarded in Ireland this year, both to researchers at University College Dublin.
Assistant Professor Susan Leavy from the UCD School of Information and Communication Studies told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence that Ireland needs a national strategy to ensure equal access to AI in schools. She also warned that AI-generated content and recommender algorithms could deepen political polarisation and threaten democracy.
UCD Sutherland School of Law has partnered with Matheson LLP to launch the UCD Matheson Corporate Governance Partnership, supporting teaching and research in corporate governance and related law. The initiative includes a new Assistant Professor role, a Governance Hackathon for students, and a seminar series for professionals and alumni, strengthening expertise in corporate law and ESG.
A team of five second-year BSc Computational Social Science students from University College Dublin has secured Runner-Up for Technical Excellence at the Data4Good Festival, hosted by the Hertie School from 20–22 January 2025. At a three-day event, 70 students from 20 European universities gathered to network and create solutions to data challenges.
Congratulations to Professor Judith Harford, Dr Rachel Farrell and Amalia Fenwick, UCD School of Education and Dr Lucía Tiscornia, UCD School of Politics and International Relations who were finalists of the 2024 UCD Research Impact Case Study Competition.
To celebrate 90 years of UCD Social Policy, Social Work and Sociology, a panel event took place featuring some of our notable alumni, including Frances Fitzgerald (Gender Advisory Committee to G7; former MEP, Tanaiste; and Minister for Children, Richie Stafford: Assistant Principal, Drugs Policy, Refugee & Inclusion Health Unit, Dept of Health and Rory Carroll: Senior Social Worker, National Forensic Mental Health Service, HSE.
A new €3 million EU research project led by University College Dublin (UCD) Centre for Digital Policy will explore the benefits and risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a societal perspective in order to enhance AI capabilities and EU regulatory frameworks.
Members of staff from the College of Social Sciences and Law were presented with awards for Teaching and Learning in a ceremony at College Council on 28th November. The awards recognise the contribution of College faculty who have made a sustained commitment to teaching excellence. In addition, at the College Council presentations were made to staff who have completed 10 year service to UCD.
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