Dublin - Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin has the distinction of being the oldest university in Ireland. It is in the heart of the city of Dublin, and it holds a special place in Irish history. Many famous people have attended over the years, including Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.
This well funded university has excellent facilities, and is only limited by the city. Dublin has encircled the university and made any future expansion of the downtown campus impossible.
We were invited to walk through the Book of Kells exhibit and the famous Trinity College Library. On display in the library was one of the 2500 original copies of the Proclamation of 1916. It was humbling and exciting to read the words printed on this, original, historical document.
Fast forward 100 years and Ireland is experiencing one of the biggest booms of any country in the world. The global headquarters of Apple, Google, and many more multinational corporations are in Ireland. People are moving to Ireland to be a part of the next chapter in Ireland’s story. Growth is evident - from the construction in Dublin, the number of languages that are spoken by residents and visitors alike. Ireland is the only native English speaking country in the EU, after the UK’s departure. This bodes well for business and for Irish Universities, where citizens of the EU are flocking for quality education.
University College Dublin
It was a short trip from our hotel out to UCD’s 330 acre campus south of the city center. On the way we passed beautiful townhomes that looked a little like the Brownstones of Brooklyn, NY. The neighborhoods were well kept, with nice, tidy yards and mature trees. There were cafes and pubs and pleasant looking neighborhoods the entire way out. In a quick 20 minutes, we reached the modern and well designed campus that UCD has called home since 1960.
UCD has been around since the 1860s, and in the early years they were located on St. Stephens Green. Controversial Visionary thinking led them to move from the city center 4km south in the early 60s. Though they didn't know exactly what was to come, the move was fortuitous, and UCD now has ample room for the decades of expansion that are to come. There are over 8km of woodland trails around the campus. UCD is already state of the art, and they have the space to keep developing, and to keep it green. Students love to spend time on and around campus, but also venture into the city center three or four times per week for the night life that central Dublin is famous for.
More About UCD
UCD is a large research institution, with top notch STEM, Business, Agriculture, Nutrition and Humanities courses on offer. They have the largest Engineering program in Europe, and try to keep as many of their courses open to visiting students as possible. Their Engineering options run the gamut from Bio Med to Chemical to Electrical. UCD is one of only a handful of European institutions to hold the triple crown of Business accreditation. They have approximately 30,000 students, of which ⅓ are international. They attract roughly 1,000 study abroad students per year.
In the evening UCD treated us to something very special. They welcomed us at their original campus, in central Dublin, which is now the new MoLI - Museum of Literature, Ireland. There are pictures of the illustrious alumnus James Joyce, who studied at UCD. On display in the museum was the first copy of the first print of Ulysses. The museum brings the art of writing to life & inspires those who are lucky enough to walk through its halls. This place is a true gem.
This was the last night in Ireland. I spent it in the company of wonderful International Educators - passionate, dedicated, and so ready to welcome students from around the world to their beautiful country.
