International Women’s Day 2023: In Conversation with the 1st six Female University Presidents in Ireland

In 2019, there were no female Presidents of universities in Ireland. By 2022, there were six.

To mark this incredible milestone and in the spirit of International Women's Day, the President of Maynooth University, Professor Eeva Leinonen, has invited all female Presidents of Irish Universities for a panel discussion about leadership in modern universities.

Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science & Justice, Simon Harris TD will open this historic event which will take place on Monday, 6th March 2023, 10:30am – 12:30pm, at the Technology, Society and Innovation Building (TSI) on the campus of Maynooth University. It will also be streamed online.

The panel of female university Presidents comprises Professor Eeva Leinonen, Maynooth University; Professor Veronica Campbell, South East Technological University; Professor Maggie Cusack, Munster Technological University; Provost, Dr Linda Doyle, Trinity College Dublin; Dr Orla Flynn, Atlantic Technological University and Professor Kerstin Mey, University of Limerick.

The conversation will be moderated by Irish Times Journalist Kathy Sheridan, who is known for her insightful coverage of social and political issues in Ireland. The panel discussion will cover a range of topics, including the Presidents’ personal leadership journeys, the value of gender equality in academia, and the opportunities and challenges facing higher education today.

The event is a powerful statement of the progress made towards gender equality in the higher education landscape in Ireland and presents a unique opportunity to hear from some of the most influential women in academia.

Registration /Tea & coffee at 10:00am

Panel discussion commences at 10:30am

Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science & Justice, Simon Harris TD will open this historic event.

Simon is a native of County Wicklow and was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 2011 General Election as the youngest member of the 31st Dáil. He was reelected in the 2016 and 2020 election.

He has served as Minister of State in the Departments of Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of the Taoiseach with Special Responsibility for OPW, Public Procurement and International Banking (including IFSC). During his time here, he drove a new strategy for financial services in Ireland and managed Ireland’s worst floods.

Simon was Minister for Health in 2016 to 2020 managing the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. During his time in health, he introduced a new all-party agreement on reforming the health service, steered new contracts for nurses, doctors and GPs. He introduced laws modernising Ireland’s laws on abortion, introduced a new law curbing the sale of alcohol for children and secured agreement on a life-saving drug for people with cystic fibrosis.

In his present role as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon has prioritised the delivery of regional technological universities, reform and integration of the third level system including apprenticeships, advancing social inclusion and equality in education and developing Ireland’s human capital through education, skills and training.

About the speakers:

Professor Eeva Leinonen, President of Maynooth University (MU)

Professor Eeva Leinonen joined Maynooth University as President in October 2021, after five years of service as Vice Chancellor and President at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia.

Professor Leinonen was born and raised in Finland, where she completed her schooling. As part of her education in Finland Professor Leinonen spent a year as an exchange student in Michigan, USA, prior to entering university in England, where she studied linguistics and psychology. She obtained a BSc (Hons) in Linguistics and Psychology (First Class) from Aston University, UK; MPhil in Text Linguistics from Exeter University, UK: PhD in Clinical Linguistics from De Montfort University, UK; Docent (Higher Doctorate) from her hometown university, University of Oulu, Finland; and DSc (Honoris Causa) from Aston University, UK.

Professor Leinonen’s academic research focuses on pragmatic language processing in children and young adults with autistic spectrum disorders. She collaborates with colleagues in Finland and Italy.

Professor Veronica Campbell, President of South East Technological University (SETU)

Prof Veronica Campbell holds a degree in Pharmacology from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Neuropharmacology from the University of London. She was awarded a Health Research Board post-doctoral fellowship in 1996 and was appointed to an academic post in the Department of Physiology, School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin in 1998. Prof Campbell has extensive undergraduate and postgraduate teaching experience and a successful research record in cell biology, pharmacology and tissue engineering.

She has held several senior leadership roles in Trinity College Dublin, including Dean of Graduate Studies and Bursar & Director of Strategic Innovation; in the latter role from 2015 to 2021 Prof Campbell oversaw the commencement of a major capital project portfolio in the university.

Prof Campbell served on the inaugural Board of the Atlantic Institute, based in Oxford University, and was the chair of the Global Brain Health Institute of Trinity College and UCSF. She is a former President of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (Biomedical Sciences Section). Veronica was appointed as President of South East Technological University in July 2022.

Professor Maggie Cusack FRSE, President of Munster Technological University (MTU)

Maggie did her BSc in Cell Biology at the University of Glasgow and her PhD in Protein Biochemistry at the University of Liverpool. Maggie began multidisciplinary work in Geosciences at the University of Glasgow, where she was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship and established a research group in biominerals. As well as research and teaching commitments, she was Associate Dean for the Faculty of Physical Sciences Graduate School, International Lead for Science & Engineering and Head of School of Geographical & Earth Sciences.

In 2017 Maggie joined the University of Stirling as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences. In 2018, she completed the Senior Executive Programme of the London Business School. Maggie was awarded the Saltire Society’s Scottish Science Award in 2008, elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2011, and, in 2017, she was awarded the Schlumberger Medal by the Mineralogical Society. She has held many external roles such as Vice-President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2017-2020), Interdisciplinary Advisor for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 sub-panel B7 in criteria-setting and assessment phases and a Member of Scottish Government STEM Strategy Advisory Group (2018-2021). On 1st January 2021, Maggie took up the role of Inaugural President of Munster Technological University.

Dr Linda Doyle, Provost and President of Trinity College Dublin (TCD)

Linda was previously Professor of Engineering and The Arts in Trinity. Her expertise is in the fields of wireless communications, spectrum management and creative arts practices, raising over €70 million in research funding.

She also served as Trinity’s Dean & Vice President of Research (2018-2020) and was the founding Director of CONNECT - Ireland's national research centre for future communication networks - with 300 researchers across ten higher education institutions. Prior to CONNECT Prof. Doyle was the Director of the Centre for Telecommunications Value Chain Research (CTVR) for 6 years. She built CTVR into a vibrant national research centre with a clear focus on future wireless and fixed networks around a coherent research vision for the centre focused on 'Design for Change' and the creation of flexible, evolvable and sustainable network architectures.

Prof. Doyle has always taken a strong role in promoting women in Engineering & Computer Science. She has been involved in numerous initiatives such Girls in Tech, Teen Turn, HerStory (histories of women scientists) etc. In 2017 she was recognised as one of the 10 women stars working in networking and communications in the world that you should know.

Dr Orla Flynn, President of Atlantic Technological University (ATU)

Dr Orla Flynn was appointed inaugural President of Atlantic Technological University in April 2022, having served two years as President of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. Prior to this Dr Flynn was Vice President for External Affairs at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) for six years, and previous academic leadership roles in CIT included Head of CIT Crawford College of Art & Design and Head of School of Humanities.

Dr Flynn commenced her academic career as a Lecturer in Computer Science, holding undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Mathematical Physics and Computer Science from University College Cork, an MA in Management in Education from Waterford Institute of Technology, and a PhD from the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick. She is a current Director on the Board of HEANet and has previously held Director positions on both Cork and Galway Chambers of Commerce.

Professor Kerstin Mey, President of University of Limerick (UL)

Kerstin Mey studied for an MA equivalent in Art, and German language and literature at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, and obtained a PhD in Art Theory and Aesthetics there. She held academic positions in universities in Germany and the UK before she joined University of Limerick (UL) as Vice President Academic Affairs and Student Engagement and Professor of Visual Culture in 2018. She was given responsibility as Interim President of UL in September 2020 and was appointed to the role of President in October 2021.

Over the past 30 years, Kerstin Mey has built a track record of successfully initiating and implementing pioneering academic and research initiatives and cultural projects in higher education.

Her research interest focuses on 20th century and contemporary art and theory. It is concerned with art in the public space and public pedagogies, artistic research and the relationship between art, its documentation and archives. Amongst her numerous publications are the book Art and Obscenity and edited volumes Art in the Making; Sculpsit and Cross-Wired. She was the Director of ISEA2009, the International Symposium of Electronic Arts held on the island of Ireland under the theme ‘Engaged Creativity in Mobile Environments’.

Amongst others, she serves as a Board Member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, EVA International Biennale, the Irish Aerial Creation Centre and the Hunt Museum and acts as a reviewer for international funding bodies.

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IWD 2023: In Conversation with the 1st six Female University Presidents