Dublin City University
Encyclopedia
Dublin City University is a university
situated between Glasnevin
, Santry
, Ballymun
and Whitehall
on the Northside
of Dublin in Ireland
. Created as the National Institute for Higher Education
, Dublin in 1975, it enrolled its first students in 1980 and was elevated to university status (along with the University of Limerick
) in 1989 by statute.
The university currently has around 6,000 undergraduate students, over 600 research postgraduates, 1,800 taught postgraduate students and over 35,000 alumni. In addition the university has around 1,100 distance education (Oscail) students.
There were 440 academic staff in 2006. Notable members of the academic staff include former Taoiseach
John Bruton
and "thinking" Guru Edward De Bono
. Bruton accepted a position as Adjunct Faculty Member in the School of Law and Government in early 2004 and De Bono accepted an adjunct Professorship in the university in mid 2005.
The founding president of the institution was Dr Danny O'Hare, who retired in 1999 after 22 years' service. After a period of administration by an acting president (Professor Albert Pratt), Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski
, was appointed and continued as president for a full term, which ended in July 2010. He was succeeded by current president, Professor Brian MacCraith.
would unite, but by 1978 it became apparent that this would not be the case and instead an independent institution developed with a distinct identity and mission.
In 1979, the institution was located on an 344,000 m2 (85 acre
) site 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city centre, just north of Dublin City Council's Albert College Park; the Albert College Building
is the only significant remaining building from before this period. The Henry Grattan
building was the first new building completed in 1981, along with the adjoining restaurant, and many buildings have been added since, to form a modern university campus.
The total area of the main campus is approximately 202000 m² (49.9 acre) and is bordered by Collins Avenue, Albert College Park, Ballymun Road, Hillside Farm and St. Aidan's School. There are another 142000 m² (35.1 acre) at St. Clare's Sports Grounds on the west side of Ballymun Road. This part of the campus also includes the Sports Pavilion. A further 40000 m² (9.9 acre) (including Elmhurst House) situated along Griffith Avenue have been acquired. Entrances to the main campus are from Ballymun Road, to the west, and Collins Avenue, to the north.
The early focus of the institution was, in particular, on science and technology, although it has also had, and has, a large business school. It has recently developed a presence also in the performing arts and in the humanities. DCU is also famous for its programme of work placement or INTRA (INtegrated TRAining), which was the first such programme in Ireland.
As of 2008 there are over 35,000 graduates of Dublin City University.
There was a plan in 2002 to base the headquarters of the Irish Academy for the Performing Arts in DCU, but this was later scrapped.
system than the next most sought after computer course in Ireland, Computer Science in Trinity College, Dublin
. With 300 places per year, it also has the largest student intake of any computer science degree in Ireland (compared to 64 places per year in the computer science degree in TCD
or 50 places per year in the computer science degree in UCD
).
DCU has extensive teaching and research facilities, including television and sound studios, computer laboratories and networking facilities, language and interpreting laboratories, a video-conferencing suite, and print and graphical laboratories. These are in addition to modern research and teaching laboratories in the areas of physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
The university has a particularly strong research record, is sometimes described as a research-led university, and has regularly been recorded as bringing in more research income per members of faculty - or indeed as a percentage of total income - than any other university in Ireland. Its research team working on sensors at the National Centre for Sensor Research is considered one of the best in the world.
Other social facilities include The Venue (Student Arts Theatre, aka omega[Ω], capacity:1000), a Ticketmaster
outlet, a "Digital Café", club and society meeting and seminar rooms, two Starbucks
, one at the main restaurant (the first in Ireland) and one in the Sports Building, three pool rooms and a "Glass Room" for band practice.
There is also a campus company, Dublin City University Language Services, and a VHI Swiftcare Clinic.
Retail facilities include six restaurants and two bars, a Spar
shop, pharmacy
, Barber
, Student's Union Shop, Allied Irish Bank branch, Xerox
reprographic centre, Hodges Figgis bookshop, a second-hand bookshop and a beauty salon
in the sports centre.
a purpose built "performance space", which includes Ireland's largest concert hall, the Mahony Hall, are both part of the university.
DCU also has a campus radio station called DCUfm.
An Arts Committee was established in 1983 and has since acquired more than 300 works of art, including paintings, tapestries and sculptures, for the university. The Collection includes works by artists such as Louis le Brocquy
, Cecil King, Patrick Scott
, Michael Warren
, D-ROD, Stephen Lawlor
, Brian Bourke
, Victor Sloan
, Barrie Cooke
and William Crozier
, to name but a few.
Invent, the commercialisation gateway of DCU, is home to the Entrepreneurs' Organisation. It also hosts the Irish arm of the US-based National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), which helps young people from less well-off backgrounds to build skills and unlock creativity. The University launched the eEolas Institute
, and its sole project, the Ryan Academy of Entrepreneurship, in Citywest Business Park, but this was reported as having closed in early 2008. Subsequently the Ryan Academy has been re-opened in the same location, under a new Director.
The new Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship exists to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The iconic building in Citywest is designed as a dynamic hub for entrepreneurs and Giovanni Rasputin researchers to develop ideas, learn new skills and network. The Ryan Academy is working with researchers and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their potential. The Academy believes that the Social Economy will play a key role in Ireland’s economic recovery and we are committed to providing leadership and support to this key sector. The Academy delivers short courses on a wide range of topics from Social Enterprise Development to Foresight and Future Trends. As well as for-profit entrepreneurship the Academy also works in the area of social entrepreneurship
and social enterprise.
process. DCU allows students to "de-register" and switch courses, this causes an artificially high non-completion rate (among the highest for the university sector), as the movement of these students (mainly first year undergraduates) into other courses within the university is not taken into account by university league tables.
The university recently completed an agreement with the Postgraduate Applications Centre
in Galway
.
, the then new President, decided to rebrand as he considered the previous "three castles" logo out of date and not representative of the university's vision as a modern and "networked" research university.
, UK
. It was also ranked No 2 in the league table of Irish universities in the same newspaper that year, and 4th in the two subsequent league tables.
The university is one of three establishments of higher education in the Republic of Ireland which are ranked amongst the top 300 universities worldwide by the Times Higher Education Supplement.
The university was named "Irish University of the Year" by the Sunday Times newspaper once again for the 2010-2011 academic year.
DCU houses on-campus the country's first purpose-built university nursing school. The University established was the first University in Ireland to establish a European Master of Business Informatics
course.
DCU offers a number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes delivered through its distance education centre - Oscail,. It is also the location for all professional Actuarial
exams in the Republic of Ireland
. It also has a Prometric
Test Centre and is the test centre for Ireland's Graduate Management Admission Test
.
There are also a number of independent colleges associated with the university, each of which has its own academic structures. The university started its first link with an external college in 1993, with an agreement with St Patrick's in nearby Drumcondra. Since then it has developed such activities, now validating courses and conferring diplomas and degrees at several colleges, three in north Dublin, three south of the Liffey. There are currently six linked institutions:
In 2002, a Rights Commissioner recommended re-instatement of a tenured lecturer following the university's decision to treat his employment as having been terminated on grounds that he had 'repudiated' his contract.
Following a substantial delay, an appeal from the Rights Commissioner's recommendation by the university commenced at the Employment Appeals Tribunal in July 2009 and continued in December 2009 and January 2010. During the hearing in 2009 there was significant emphasis on statements made by the lecturer in his blog throughout 2009, which were deemed by von Prondzynski and others to be highly defamatory.
There was further controversy surrounding accusations of gender discrimination against a female member of academic staff who won her case and appeal at Equality Appeals Tribunal.
There was also costly litigation following the purported termination by the university of the appointment of an associate professor in 2006, in which the High Court ruled against DCU on the grounds of failure to follow procedures, tenure and natural justice. This case was appealed by the university and led to a 2009 Supreme Court hearing, in which judgment was reserved until 9 December 2009, with DCU again losing.
The president attracted criticism from some staff over his deferral of elections to the university Executive when it involved the candidacy of the purported dismissed academic, with von Prondzynski commenting that he could not see how the professor could become a member of the Executive advising him while at the same time stressing his openness to a range of views.
Members of the Green Party raised questions about management tactics in a labour dispute at the university when the party were in opposition, asking whether the university was in breach of the Universities Act, 1997.
The Governing Body's members are chosen by a wide range of groups and authorities, and include members elected by staff (in various classes) and students (ex-officio based on elections of Students Union officers). Graduates, who used to elect two members, now elect one member, and for some years there has been at least one other graduate member, put forward by the Educational Trust, at any time.
The university is headed, titularly, by the Chancellor
. The current Chancellor of Dublin City University is Ireland
's former EU Commissioner and Attorney General
, David Byrne
. He was preceded by the Hon Ms Justice Mella Carroll
who in turn was preceded by Dr. Tom Hardiman.
.
Other elements of management include an Executive (Committee), the Deans (of Faculties, of Research and of Learning Innovation), Heads of School and Chairs of Programme Boards.
, computer games
and sport
- as well as academic - interests, and numbering more than 100 in total.
, was nominated for the Best Overall Show award, and the Best Director award with the Association of Irish Musical Societies. DCU Drama reprised RENT at The Olympia, one of Dublin's oldest and most respected performance venues, in what was a first for an Irish University Society from the 15th - 20 June 2009. DCU Drama also sends plays to be adjudicated for the Irish Student Drama Association awards. DCU Drama won the Best National College Society award at the Board of Irish College Societies awards in 2002, 2003 and 2008, as well as being nominated for Best Society Event nationwide for "The Full Monty" in 2007 and "RENT" in 2009.
and music, and the station is currently staffed by over 100 active volunteers.
The DCUfm website won 'website of the year' at the annual Board of Irish College Societies Awards in 2010 (BICS) and the National Student Media Awards in 2011. DCUfm is a part of the Media Production Society at DCU, which won 'best society' at the 2011 and DCU Ostrich Society Awards 'most improved society' at the BICS also in 2010. Six DCUfm staff were nominated for prizes at the 2010 National Student Media Awards for their work at the station, and the station won two awards on the night Five DCUfm staff were nominated the following year with the station taking four of the five available awards on the night.
In addition to their website the station has an active Twitter
account, Facebook
page, and Flickr
stream.
There is also a magazine for staff and alumni:
, on-campus accommodation in the newer universities is a relatively new innovation. Since the mid 1990s, all Irish universities have built up a stock of modern campus accommodation, although on-campus living is still the minority choice for students. Most accommodation is of apartment
rather than halls of residence type and is managed by a University company, DCU Campus Residences.
The university has built several modern apartment and residences. Larkfield Apartments have 128 units, each with two study bedrooms and a shared living, kitchen and dining area within each unit. The Postgraduate Residences have 37 apartments, each with two, three or four en-suite bedrooms. The Hampstead Apartments consist of 61 units, each with three or five en-suite bedrooms and a shared living, kitchen and dining area. The College Park Apartments consist of 93 units, each with four or five en-suite bedrooms and a shared living, kitchen and dining area.
studio, spinning
studio, quiet studio, four sports halls, two squash
courts, a glass-backed handball
/racquetball
court, a gallery that accommodates table tennis
and a body conditioning arena, a floodlit astroturf hockey
pitch and seven grass pitches for a variety of sports, eight enclosed five-a-side third generation rubbercrumb AstroTurf
soccer pitches, a rock climbing
hall, a four-lane 75 metre indoor sprint
track and a fully equipped gym outfitted with cardiovascular machines, free weights and resistance machines. Specialist sports trainers are always on hand in the Sports Complex to advise on fitness regimes. In 2005, the sports complex offered 37 classes per week, covering everything from aerobics to weight training. The sports complex also includes a twenty-five metre, five-lane, deck level swimming pool
with tepidarium
, footbaths, spa pool
, steam room
, wellness spa, ice fountain, laconium, multi-jet pulse showers, scented multi-jet super shower and sauna
. It opened in January 2005 and has Ireland's largest elite sports performance gym.
The main sports hall can be divided into three full size volleyball
, badminton
or basketball
courts. The facilities at St. Clare's Sports Ground include the Sports Pavilion, two GAA
pitches, two soccer pitches, one rugby
pitch and one floodlit astroturf pitch for hockey or soccer.
There are ten tennis
courts at the National Tennis Training Centre in Albert College Park (four indoor acrylic courts, three outdoor hardcourts and three outdoor clay courts) and a further five tennis courts are situated at Glasnevin Lawn Tennis Club adjacent to St. Clare's Sports Grounds. There is also a GAA
pitch, a grass athletic track and four or six soccer pitches (depending on configuration) in the Albert College Park.
The DCU Sports Academy was launched in November 2006.
Membership of the Sports Academy will entitle those selected to special scholarships and supports worth up to €
10,000 each including on-campus accommodation, financial support towards college books and tuition fees, personal tuition, access to key national and International competitions, physiotherapy and massage, sports nutrition advice and high performance education talks and workshops.
The complex won the "Sports centre of the Year Award" in 2009.
.
The O'Reilly Foundation
made a substantial contribution towards the new library building, The John and Aileen O`Reilly Library . The building was designed by the Scott, Tallon, Walker architecture firm.
Library users can avail of photocopying, printing and scanning facilities, access newspapers and journals, read microfilms, watch videos and DVDs and access the internet. Dedicated laptop network points and wireless network access are available on three floors of the library.
DCU library is part of the IReL (Irish Research E-Library) consortium, allowing staff and students full access to over 100 academic databases.
In November 2008, DCU Library launched DORAS, an open access institutional repository
, to promote the university's research by providing free online access to DCU's research publications and theses.
and Spar (off-license). However, in early 2007 Spar stopped selling any alcoholic products indefinitely, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will renew their licence in the future. Prior to this custard creams there were four licenced premises, but this itself followed a long period with only one licenced location, and up until 1992, there were no such premises on campus at all.
There are several restaurants and cafes; the Main Restaurant and the first Starbucks
(in Ireland) are located in the Pavilion building. Zero-1 is located in the basement of the O`Reilly Library. The Invent Centre, The Helix, Nursing School and Business School each have their own restaurants. The 1838 Club is a restaurant for academic staff and postgraduate research students, it is located in the Albert College
Building. There is a second Starbucks
located in the Sports Complex, the third in Ireland after Microsoft
Ireland. There is also a digital cafe and Xbox gaming arena above the main restaurant, The Mezzanine. In 2009 the Mezzanine is in the process of relocation to the seminar room in DCU's student centre 'The Hub'
DCU has recently acquired additional lands adjacent to its main campus, which will be developed to add on to the University's sports facilities.
DCU plans to build a 10,000 seat indoor stadium and running track at its Sports Grounds.
DCU has launched an affinity credit card scheme
to raise funds for the University, as well as the Annual Fund, which includes facilities for regular donors, and the Leadership Circle which gives recognition to regular donors who commit minimum annual amounts.
It is planned that the university will have ‘stop’ on the ‘Metro North
’ line which is to be completed by 2016.
A list of most current campus companies can be retrieved from the Invent Innovation and Enterprise Centre website.
in August 2007, DCU will receive over €23m in research funding under Phase 2 of PRTLI
Cycle 4.
Following an announcement by the Science Foundation Ireland
in November 2007, DCU will receive over €16.8m in research funding for localisation research for a €30.4m "Next Generation Localisation" project headed by Prof. Josef Van Genabith (with international and domestic industry partners contributing the remaining €13.6m).
Over the years DCU has expanded its land bank in the area, purchasing the St. Clare's grounds, on the western side of Ballymun Road, where sports facilities were developed, but also farmland to the south down to Griffith Ave.
The AIC Adaptive Information Cluster with University College Dublin
is one such initiative been based on computer
and sensor
technology to develop advanced applications in several areas. DCU and UCD
also collaborate on a health research board funded programme of nursing decision making in Ireland, the first research programme in nursing in Ireland.The two universities also collaborate on the Odysseus undergraduate Computer Science Internship Programme and on the Clarity Centre for Sensor Web Technologies.
The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change with National University of Ireland, Galway
and University College Dublin is an initiative to better utilise and develop international level research
.
Lero, the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre with the University of Limerick
, University College Dublin
and Trinity College Dublin is a partnership to bring together and focus software engineering in Ireland.
The University also collaborates with National University of Ireland, Galway
and the pharmaceutical multinational Bristol-Myers Squibb
on biopharmaceutical research. The National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology at DCU and Wyeth Pharmaceutical
have recently announced a research collaboration in the production of biopharmaceuticals.
DCU also collaborates with the National Institute for Bioprocessing, Research and Training (NIBRT) its main partners are UCD, TCD and Sligo IT. The university has a strategic alliance with Cornell University's Nanobiotechnology Centre (NBTC).
The National Centre for Sensor Research collaborates with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
on Biomedical Diagnostics research. The NCSR also collaborates with University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Galway
, University of Wollongong
, Australia, Georgia Institute of Technology
, Atlanta and the Irish Marine Institute. DCU is also collaborating with TCD
and UCD
to run the National Digital Research Centre.
DCU also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2006 with Athlone Institute of Technology, under which the university will provide support for the establishment of a jointly-owned research centre in the Irish Midlands town.
Plasma and Vacuum Technology with Queen's University Belfast is a cross-border
programme to deliver online courses in plasma
and vacuum
technology without attending university based lectures. Another cross-border initiative DCU is working with is the Centre for Cross Border Studies which researches and develops cooperation across the Irish border in education, training, health, business, public administration, communications, agriculture and the environment.
The Programme for Research on Grid-enabled Computational Physics of Natural Phenomena is a wide partnership with DIAS
, National University of Ireland, Galway, University College Dublin, HEAnet
, Met Éireann
, Armagh Observatory
and Grid Ireland. Development of research under the PRTLI Cycle 1 funded Institute for Advanced Materials Science, additional funding is now being sought to further research in the area of nanomaterials and nanotechnology with Trinity College, Dublin
.
The university also collaborates with the Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain-Driven Research (CTVR) and with Bell Labs Research Ireland (BLRI). The National Centre for Sensor Research also collaborates with the National Botanic Gardens
on the Eco-Sensor Network project. DCU is also a participant in the Irish Centre for High-End Computing
.
DCU leads Ireland in fusion power
research, with a team of 33 DCU scientists taking part in a €
10 billion global collaboration to make a breakthrough creating safe nuclear energy by fusion.
The experimental ITER
(International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) power station will be built at Cadarache
in the South of France and is the result of an international collaboration involving the European Union
(represented by EURATOM), Japan
, the People's Republic of China
, India
, the Republic of Korea, the Russia
and the United States
. Dublin City University is the lead partner in this Irish research through Irish Fusion Association under the National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology with 10 more University College Cork scientists taking part in the project as well under the auspices of Association Euratom DCU, which was established in 1996. The Association’s annual budget is about €
2.5 million with 30 per cent of this funded directly by the European Commission
. Further funding is provided by DCU and Science Foundation Ireland
.
The university also has agreements with organisations and universities outside of Ireland. For instance, the University at Buffalo
is a strategic partnership to develop research in the east United States
.Focal.ie is an ongoing project with the University of Wales, Lampeter
to develop an Irish language
terminology database online. The Catholic University of Lublin has a partnership with the university to deliver and accredit a Master of Business Administration
in Poland
. The university collaborates with universities in eleven European countries for the AIM media project. DCU has recently announced a strategic alliance with Arizona State University
. The two universities will develop links in a number of areas, including joint research projects, joint entrepreneurial initiatives, institutional learning projects and benchmarking of internal operations, as well as inter-institutional faculty, student and staff transfers between the universities.
The School of Computer Applications collaborates on research with large multinational corporations and institutions like Google
,Microsoft
, the US Military, IBM
, Samsung
and Xerox
.
Research centres in DCU also collaborate with each other on multidisciplinary projects. For example, the Materials Processing Research Centre collaborates with the Vascular Health Research Centre on research aimed at producing synthetic bone and soft tissue such as arteries.
The university also hosts many public events such as monthly lectures in the areas of physics and astronomy in collaboration with Astronomy Ireland, held in "The Venue" complex in The Hub (DCU Student Centre), Irish Inventor Association seminars held at the Invent Centre, the Gay Rugby World Cup and even an exhibition of rare 2500 year old Shakyamuni Buddha relics at the University Interfaith Centre.
Hospitals linked with DCU for teaching and research purposes include:,
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
situated between Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
, Santry
Santry
Santry is a suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, bordering Coolock, Glasnevin and Ballymun. Today it straddles the boundary of Dublin City and Fingal County Council area....
, Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
and Whitehall
Whitehall, Dublin
Whitehall is a Northside suburb of Dublin City, Ireland.Whitehall is on the northern outskirts of Dublin's inner city, located on the N1 road leading to Dublin Airport, Swords and Belfast, between Santry and Drumcondra. North of Whitehall, the N1 becomes a motorway, the M1...
on the Northside
Northside (Dublin)
The Northside is the area in County Dublin, Ireland bounded to the south by the River Liffey to the east by Dublin Bay, to the north and west by the boundaries of County Dublin.- Introduction :...
of Dublin in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Created as the National Institute for Higher Education
National Institute for Higher Education
A National Institute for Higher Education was a category of higher education institution established in the Republic of Ireland to provide higher level technical education above the standard of the then established Regional Technical College system but at university level...
, Dublin in 1975, it enrolled its first students in 1980 and was elevated to university status (along with the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
) in 1989 by statute.
The university currently has around 6,000 undergraduate students, over 600 research postgraduates, 1,800 taught postgraduate students and over 35,000 alumni. In addition the university has around 1,100 distance education (Oscail) students.
There were 440 academic staff in 2006. Notable members of the academic staff include former Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
and "thinking" Guru Edward De Bono
Edward de Bono
Edward de Bono is a physician, author, inventor, and consultant. He originated the term lateral thinking, wrote a best selling book Six Thinking Hats and is a proponent of the deliberate teaching of thinking as a subject in schools.- Biography :Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono was born to...
. Bruton accepted a position as Adjunct Faculty Member in the School of Law and Government in early 2004 and De Bono accepted an adjunct Professorship in the university in mid 2005.
The founding president of the institution was Dr Danny O'Hare, who retired in 1999 after 22 years' service. After a period of administration by an acting president (Professor Albert Pratt), Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski
Ferdinand von Prondzynski
Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski is the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is known as a lawyer, a legal academic, a high profile public commentator and a university leader in Ireland and Scotland...
, was appointed and continued as president for a full term, which ended in July 2010. He was succeeded by current president, Professor Brian MacCraith.
History
The institution was created in 1975, on an ad-hoc basis, and on June 18 that year Dr Danny O'Hare was made acting director of the institution, and a day later the first governing body met. It was intended at this stage that the institution become the unified structure under which the colleges of what later became Dublin Institute of TechnologyDublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology was established officially in 1992 under the but had been previously set up in 1978 on an ad-hoc basis. The institution can trace its origins back to 1887 with the establishment of various technical institutions in Dublin, Ireland...
would unite, but by 1978 it became apparent that this would not be the case and instead an independent institution developed with a distinct identity and mission.
In 1979, the institution was located on an 344,000 m2 (85 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
) site 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city centre, just north of Dublin City Council's Albert College Park; the Albert College Building
Albert College (Dublin)
Albert College is the oldest building on the campus of Dublin City University and contains the offices of the university president, the DCU Educational Trust, and other executive offices of the university; the building dates from 1851. The Albert College Building also houses the , a restaurant for...
is the only significant remaining building from before this period. The Henry Grattan
Henry Grattan
Henry Grattan was an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century. He opposed the Act of Union 1800 that merged the Kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain.-Early life:Grattan was born at...
building was the first new building completed in 1981, along with the adjoining restaurant, and many buildings have been added since, to form a modern university campus.
The total area of the main campus is approximately 202000 m² (49.9 acre) and is bordered by Collins Avenue, Albert College Park, Ballymun Road, Hillside Farm and St. Aidan's School. There are another 142000 m² (35.1 acre) at St. Clare's Sports Grounds on the west side of Ballymun Road. This part of the campus also includes the Sports Pavilion. A further 40000 m² (9.9 acre) (including Elmhurst House) situated along Griffith Avenue have been acquired. Entrances to the main campus are from Ballymun Road, to the west, and Collins Avenue, to the north.
The early focus of the institution was, in particular, on science and technology, although it has also had, and has, a large business school. It has recently developed a presence also in the performing arts and in the humanities. DCU is also famous for its programme of work placement or INTRA (INtegrated TRAining), which was the first such programme in Ireland.
As of 2008 there are over 35,000 graduates of Dublin City University.
There was a plan in 2002 to base the headquarters of the Irish Academy for the Performing Arts in DCU, but this was later scrapped.
Electronic Engineering and Computer Applications
Electronic Engineering and Computer Applications were among the first degree courses offered by the college, in 1980 (Communications was another). The Computer Applications course in DCU is more in demand than any other computer degree in Ireland, it has three times more first preferences through the Central Applications OfficeCentral Applications Office
The Central Applications Office is the organisation responsible for overseeing most undergraduate applications in the Republic of Ireland....
system than the next most sought after computer course in Ireland, Computer Science in Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. With 300 places per year, it also has the largest student intake of any computer science degree in Ireland (compared to 64 places per year in the computer science degree in TCD
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
or 50 places per year in the computer science degree in UCD
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
).
- Note: Dublin City University uses the term "computer applications" in a way some consider to be rather broad. Computer Applications is normally a subset of computer science, but the subjects covered in the Computer Applications course DCU effectively make it a computer science course with a more practical, workplace-ready, slant, including an INTRA placement. DCU can afford to include the practical side of computer science because its courses are semesterized effectively allowing the college to fit more subject modules into a smaller time period.
About
The university has a particularly strong research record, is sometimes described as a research-led university, and has regularly been recorded as bringing in more research income per members of faculty - or indeed as a percentage of total income - than any other university in Ireland. Its research team working on sensors at the National Centre for Sensor Research is considered one of the best in the world.
Facilities
There is an InterFaith Centre located on the campus, a crèche, a medical centre, a Counselling Service, and a Disability Service.Other social facilities include The Venue (Student Arts Theatre, aka omega[Ω], capacity:1000), a Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...
outlet, a "Digital Café", club and society meeting and seminar rooms, two Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, one at the main restaurant (the first in Ireland) and one in the Sports Building, three pool rooms and a "Glass Room" for band practice.
There is also a campus company, Dublin City University Language Services, and a VHI Swiftcare Clinic.
Retail facilities include six restaurants and two bars, a Spar
Spar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
shop, pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, Barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
, Student's Union Shop, Allied Irish Bank branch, Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
reprographic centre, Hodges Figgis bookshop, a second-hand bookshop and a beauty salon
Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
in the sports centre.
Culture and arts
The Centre for Talented Youth and The HelixThe Helix
The Helix is a building on the Dublin City University campus between Glasnevinand Whitehall on Dublin's Northside, originally planned to be called the Aula Maxima. It was completed in 2002, and it is described as a "performance space" and holds concerts, university conferring ceremonies and...
a purpose built "performance space", which includes Ireland's largest concert hall, the Mahony Hall, are both part of the university.
DCU also has a campus radio station called DCUfm.
An Arts Committee was established in 1983 and has since acquired more than 300 works of art, including paintings, tapestries and sculptures, for the university. The Collection includes works by artists such as Louis le Brocquy
Louis le Brocquy
Louis le Brocquy is an Irish painter born in Dublin. His work has received many accolades in a career that spans seventy years of creative practice...
, Cecil King, Patrick Scott
Patrick Scott
Patrick Scott is an Irish artist.Patrick Scott had his first exhibition in 1944, but trained as an architect and did not become a full time artist until 1960. He worked for fifteen years for the Irish architect Michael Scott, assisting, for example, in the design of Busáras, the central bus...
, Michael Warren
Michael Warren (sculptor)
Michael Warren is an Irish sculptor who produces site-specific public art.Inspired by Oisín Kelly, his art teacher at St Columba's College, Michael Warren studied at Bath Academy of Art, at Trinity College, Dublin and, from 1971-75, at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. He now lives and works in Co...
, D-ROD, Stephen Lawlor
Stephen Lawlor
Stephen Lawlor was born in Dublin in 1958 and is an honours graduate of its National College of Art and Design from 1980-1983. During the eighties he taught in Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dublin, his work during this time was based on the figure of the horse which he...
, Brian Bourke
Brian Bourke
Briain Bourke is an Irish artist.Bourke studied at the National College of Art and Design and St. Martins School of Art, London. He held his first one man show in Dublin in 1964. The following year Bourke won an Arts Council prize for portraiture and was chosen to represent Ireland in the Biennale...
, Victor Sloan
Victor Sloan
Victor Sloan MBE is an Irish photographer and artist.Victor Sloan studied at the Royal School, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone and Belfast and Leeds Colleges of Art, England. He lives and works in Portadown, County Armagh in Northern Ireland...
, Barrie Cooke
Barrie Cooke
Barrie Cooke is an Irish abstract expressionist painter.He was born in Cheshire, England, and spent part of his childhood in Bermuda and Jamaica before moving to the United States as a teenager where he later studied Art History at Harvard University. He has lived and worked in Ireland since 1954...
and William Crozier
William Crozier (Irish artist)
William Crozier was an Irish-Scots still-life and landscape artist based in Hampshire, England and West Cork in Ireland. He was a member of Aosdana.-Life and works:...
, to name but a few.
Entrepreneurship
Dublin City University has a large number of graduate entrepreneurs and these form part of the DCU Alumni Entrepreneur Network which is run by the Alumni Office.Invent, the commercialisation gateway of DCU, is home to the Entrepreneurs' Organisation. It also hosts the Irish arm of the US-based National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), which helps young people from less well-off backgrounds to build skills and unlock creativity. The University launched the eEolas Institute
Eeolas Institute
The eEolas Institute was a joint venture between Dublin City University, the family of Tony Ryan, and Davy Hickey Properties, intended to develop the relationship between academic institutions and enterprise in Ireland...
, and its sole project, the Ryan Academy of Entrepreneurship, in Citywest Business Park, but this was reported as having closed in early 2008. Subsequently the Ryan Academy has been re-opened in the same location, under a new Director.
The new Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship exists to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The iconic building in Citywest is designed as a dynamic hub for entrepreneurs and Giovanni Rasputin researchers to develop ideas, learn new skills and network. The Ryan Academy is working with researchers and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their potential. The Academy believes that the Social Economy will play a key role in Ireland’s economic recovery and we are committed to providing leadership and support to this key sector. The Academy delivers short courses on a wide range of topics from Social Enterprise Development to Foresight and Future Trends. As well as for-profit entrepreneurship the Academy also works in the area of social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to achieve social change . While a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a...
and social enterprise.
Registration and application
Most undergraduates enter DCU via the Central Applications OfficeCentral Applications Office
The Central Applications Office is the organisation responsible for overseeing most undergraduate applications in the Republic of Ireland....
process. DCU allows students to "de-register" and switch courses, this causes an artificially high non-completion rate (among the highest for the university sector), as the movement of these students (mainly first year undergraduates) into other courses within the university is not taken into account by university league tables.
The university recently completed an agreement with the Postgraduate Applications Centre
Postgraduate Applications Centre
Postgraduate Applications Centre is an organisation that processes applications for large number of postgraduate courses in the Republic of Ireland....
in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
.
Corporate identity
The university's current corporate identity dates from 2001 when Ferdinand von ProndzynskiFerdinand von Prondzynski
Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski is the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is known as a lawyer, a legal academic, a high profile public commentator and a university leader in Ireland and Scotland...
, the then new President, decided to rebrand as he considered the previous "three castles" logo out of date and not representative of the university's vision as a modern and "networked" research university.
Rankings
The university was named Irish University of the Year 2004-2005 by the Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was also ranked No 2 in the league table of Irish universities in the same newspaper that year, and 4th in the two subsequent league tables.
The university is one of three establishments of higher education in the Republic of Ireland which are ranked amongst the top 300 universities worldwide by the Times Higher Education Supplement.
The university was named "Irish University of the Year" by the Sunday Times newspaper once again for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Chancellors
- Dr. Tom Hardiman (? - 2001)
- Hon Ms Justice Mella CarrollMella CarrollMella Elizabeth Laurie Carroll was a judge of the High Court in the Republic of Ireland.Mella Carroll was born in Dublin, her parents were Patrick Carroll and Agnes Mary Caulfield...
(2001 - 2006) - David ByrneDavid Byrne (politician)David Byrne is an Irish senior counsel, former Attorney General of Ireland and former EU Commissioner. In December 2006 Byrne was appointed as Chancellor of Dublin City University....
(2006 - 2011) - Senator Martin McAleeseMartin McAleeseMartin McAleese is a member of Seanad Éireann and the husband of the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.-Early life and education:He played with the Antrim Minors and was captain of the team in 1969. He trained and worked as an accountant and then qualified as a dentist.He practiced as a...
(2011 - )
Academic
The academic organisation of the university is arranged into faculties and schools. DCU has recently undergone some reorganisation on the faculty level, with the School of Education Studies being incorporated into the School of Humanities and Social Science, and the School of Computing being incorporated into the engineering faculty. There are currently four faculties.DCU houses on-campus the country's first purpose-built university nursing school. The University established was the first University in Ireland to establish a European Master of Business Informatics
Master of Business Informatics
Master of Business Informatics is a postgraduate degree in Business Informatics . BI programs combine information technology and management courses and are common in central Europe ....
course.
DCU offers a number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes delivered through its distance education centre - Oscail,. It is also the location for all professional Actuarial
Actuary
An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....
exams in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It also has a Prometric
Prometric
Prometric is a U.S. company in the test administration industry. Prometric operates a test center network composed of over 10,000 sites in 160 countries...
Test Centre and is the test centre for Ireland's Graduate Management Admission Test
Graduate Management Admission Test
The Graduate Management Admission Test is a computer-adaptive standardized test in mathematics and the English language for measuring aptitude to succeed academically in graduate business studies. Business schools use the test as a criterion for admission into graduate business administration...
.
There are also a number of independent colleges associated with the university, each of which has its own academic structures. The university started its first link with an external college in 1993, with an agreement with St Patrick's in nearby Drumcondra. Since then it has developed such activities, now validating courses and conferring diplomas and degrees at several colleges, three in north Dublin, three south of the Liffey. There are currently six linked institutions:
- All Hallows CollegeAll Hallows CollegeAll Hallows College is a Roman Catholic college located in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. All Hallows is one of six linked colleges of Dublin City University, meaning that the college's degrees are validated and accredited by the university.-History:...
- Mater Dei Institute of EducationMater Dei Institute of EducationMater Dei Institute of Education is a linked college of Dublin City University since 1999, located in Drumcondra, Dublin City, Ireland, near Croke Park, on the site of what was formerly Clonliffe College, the Roman Catholic Seminary for the Archdiocese of Dublin...
- St Patrick's College of Education
- Royal Irish Academy of MusicRoyal Irish Academy of MusicThe Royal Irish Academy of Music is a linked college of Dublin City University located in Dublin, Ireland.It was founded in 1848 by a group of music enthusiasts and moved to its present address in Westland Row in 1871. The following year it was granted the right to use the title "Royal"...
- The Gaiety School of ActingThe Gaiety School of ActingThe Gaiety School of Acting is an Irish drama school. It is located on Essex Street West in Temple Bar, Dublin 8.The school was founded in 1986 by actor and director Joe Dowling, who currently serves as the chairman of the school, in response to the lack of full time actor training in Ireland at...
- Turning PointTurning Point (institute)Turning Point is an institute located in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. The institute is a registered charity and offers a Graduate Diploma and Master of Science which are accredited by Dublin City University...
Controversy
There has also been some controversy and litigation at the university over time. Controversy began over the wording and adoption of new university statutes on suspension and dismissal of staff by the Governing Authority, on the recommendation of the president, as required by the Universities Act 1997. In 2002, the Labour Court recommended that this statute be rewritten and this has been followed by long-running negotiations between the university and the trade union representing staff, SIPTU; In 2008 a vote organised by SIPTU led to a majority of staff who voted declaring no confidence in the management of the university in its conduct of these negotiations.In 2002, a Rights Commissioner recommended re-instatement of a tenured lecturer following the university's decision to treat his employment as having been terminated on grounds that he had 'repudiated' his contract.
Following a substantial delay, an appeal from the Rights Commissioner's recommendation by the university commenced at the Employment Appeals Tribunal in July 2009 and continued in December 2009 and January 2010. During the hearing in 2009 there was significant emphasis on statements made by the lecturer in his blog throughout 2009, which were deemed by von Prondzynski and others to be highly defamatory.
There was further controversy surrounding accusations of gender discrimination against a female member of academic staff who won her case and appeal at Equality Appeals Tribunal.
There was also costly litigation following the purported termination by the university of the appointment of an associate professor in 2006, in which the High Court ruled against DCU on the grounds of failure to follow procedures, tenure and natural justice. This case was appealed by the university and led to a 2009 Supreme Court hearing, in which judgment was reserved until 9 December 2009, with DCU again losing.
The president attracted criticism from some staff over his deferral of elections to the university Executive when it involved the candidacy of the purported dismissed academic, with von Prondzynski commenting that he could not see how the professor could become a member of the Executive advising him while at the same time stressing his openness to a range of views.
Members of the Green Party raised questions about management tactics in a labour dispute at the university when the party were in opposition, asking whether the university was in breach of the Universities Act, 1997.
Governance
In accordance with legislation, the University is directed by a policy-making Governing Body, whose functions are outlined in the National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin, Act, 1980, amended in the Dublin City University Act, 1989 which raised the institution's status to that of a university and provided for related matters. There are several other important acts concerning the college include the Universities Act, 1997, which allows for the creation of University Statutes.The Governing Body's members are chosen by a wide range of groups and authorities, and include members elected by staff (in various classes) and students (ex-officio based on elections of Students Union officers). Graduates, who used to elect two members, now elect one member, and for some years there has been at least one other graduate member, put forward by the Educational Trust, at any time.
The university is headed, titularly, by the Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
. The current Chancellor of Dublin City University is Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's former EU Commissioner and Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, David Byrne
David Byrne (politician)
David Byrne is an Irish senior counsel, former Attorney General of Ireland and former EU Commissioner. In December 2006 Byrne was appointed as Chancellor of Dublin City University....
. He was preceded by the Hon Ms Justice Mella Carroll
Mella Carroll
Mella Elizabeth Laurie Carroll was a judge of the High Court in the Republic of Ireland.Mella Carroll was born in Dublin, her parents were Patrick Carroll and Agnes Mary Caulfield...
who in turn was preceded by Dr. Tom Hardiman.
Academic Governance
Academic Council and its Standing Committee oversee the teaching and research work of the university, and there are Faculty and other administrative structures below that. Most academic structures do have student representation.Executive Management
The President, currently Professor Brian MacCraith, is the "chief officer" of the university, with a role sometimes compared to that of a chief executive officerChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
.
Other elements of management include an Executive (Committee), the Deans (of Faculties, of Research and of Learning Innovation), Heads of School and Chairs of Programme Boards.
Copyright Act
The Copyright Act, 1963, as amended by the act of 1989, states that every university in the Republic of Ireland is entitled to one copy of every publication published within the state, and on this basis the Library of DCU can claim such copies.DCU Educational Trust
The University is supported by a charitable Trust, named the "DCU Educational Trust". The Trust, whose main work is in fund-raising, and which has a small staff, hosts the Alumni Association.Clubs and societies
There are a broad variety of clubs and societies, representing a wide range of interests such as cultureCulture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, computer games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
and sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
- as well as academic - interests, and numbering more than 100 in total.
Governing Committees
Societies and Clubs receive financial support from a proportion of capitation fees, and are governed solely by student committees. The Society Life Committee (SLC) and The Club Life Committee (CLC) governs and drives policy and funding for societies and clubs at DCU. Student facilities for societies are mostly based in the Student Centre - The Hub.Drama
DCU's Drama Society has a long history of performance on the DCU campus, hosting many productions for the public every year, including its annual flagship event, the DCU Musical. In 2009, DCU's musical, RENTRent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
, was nominated for the Best Overall Show award, and the Best Director award with the Association of Irish Musical Societies. DCU Drama reprised RENT at The Olympia, one of Dublin's oldest and most respected performance venues, in what was a first for an Irish University Society from the 15th - 20 June 2009. DCU Drama also sends plays to be adjudicated for the Irish Student Drama Association awards. DCU Drama won the Best National College Society award at the Board of Irish College Societies awards in 2002, 2003 and 2008, as well as being nominated for Best Society Event nationwide for "The Full Monty" in 2007 and "RENT" in 2009.
Music
As one of DCU's biggest and most active societies, Music Society organises lessons, workshops, concerts, open mic nights, trips to concerts, weekends away, an intervarsity Battle of the Bands and a myriad of other events every year. The Battle of the Bands is its main event, with participants coming from colleges nationwide. The 2010 Battle of the Bands is taking place on March 29 in DCU. Music Society won the award for Best Society in DCU in 2007.Radio
DCUfm is a student-run radio station. The station airs regular programmes from 8:30am until 11:00pm each weekday, streaming from their website, dcufm.com. Its programmes cover arts, news, sport, the Irish languageIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and music, and the station is currently staffed by over 100 active volunteers.
The DCUfm website won 'website of the year' at the annual Board of Irish College Societies Awards in 2010 (BICS) and the National Student Media Awards in 2011. DCUfm is a part of the Media Production Society at DCU, which won 'best society' at the 2011 and DCU Ostrich Society Awards 'most improved society' at the BICS also in 2010. Six DCUfm staff were nominated for prizes at the 2010 National Student Media Awards for their work at the station, and the station won two awards on the night Five DCUfm staff were nominated the following year with the station taking four of the five available awards on the night.
In addition to their website the station has an active Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account, Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page, and Flickr
Flickr
Flickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
stream.
Television
DCUtv is operated by DCU's Media Production Society. DCU is the first university in Ireland to produce a feature length film. The film, named Six Semesters, was funded by the university and made entirely by its students.Publications
There are several publications distributed throughout university:- Campus (defunct)- Official DCUSUDCU Students' UnionDCU Students' Union is the representative body for Dublin City University students, all of whom are automatically members, with democratically elected leadership...
Magazine. - The College ViewThe College ViewThe College View is the independent publication of Dublin City University. It is published on a fortnightly basis during term-time. Currently, the newspaper has News, Sport, Arts , Comment, Features and Gaeilge sections The newspaper was first published in the year 2000 after changing its name from...
– Student Newspaper - Flashback - An end of sesmter review magazine for DCU, St. Patrick's and Mater Dei
- The Look - A fashion supplement included with The College View
- WAF Magazine - mysterious un-official publication that satirises the Students' Union and clubs/societies.
- An Tarbh (defunct) – DCU student union weekly news and views magazine.
- The Bullsheet (defunct) - DCU journalism students news and satirical newspaper
- DCU Book Society anthology - A yearly collection of short stories and poems by DCU students
- Flux
There is also a magazine for staff and alumni:
- DCU TIMES - University magazine
Accommodation
In IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, on-campus accommodation in the newer universities is a relatively new innovation. Since the mid 1990s, all Irish universities have built up a stock of modern campus accommodation, although on-campus living is still the minority choice for students. Most accommodation is of apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
rather than halls of residence type and is managed by a University company, DCU Campus Residences.
The university has built several modern apartment and residences. Larkfield Apartments have 128 units, each with two study bedrooms and a shared living, kitchen and dining area within each unit. The Postgraduate Residences have 37 apartments, each with two, three or four en-suite bedrooms. The Hampstead Apartments consist of 61 units, each with three or five en-suite bedrooms and a shared living, kitchen and dining area. The College Park Apartments consist of 93 units, each with four or five en-suite bedrooms and a shared living, kitchen and dining area.
Sport
Sports facilities on the campus include a sports complex and fitness centre which incorporates: an aerobicsAerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
studio, spinning
Indoor cycling
Indoor cycling, as an organized activity, is a form of exercise with classes focusing on endurance, strength, intervals, high intensity and recovery, that involve using a special stationary exercise bicycle with a weighted flywheel in a classroom setting.- History :Group indoor cycling was...
studio, quiet studio, four sports halls, two squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts, a glass-backed handball
Gaelic handball
Gaelic handball is a sport similar to Basque pelota, racquetball, squash and American handball . It is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association...
/racquetball
Racquetball
For other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court...
court, a gallery that accommodates table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
and a body conditioning arena, a floodlit astroturf hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
pitch and seven grass pitches for a variety of sports, eight enclosed five-a-side third generation rubbercrumb AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
soccer pitches, a rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
hall, a four-lane 75 metre indoor sprint
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
track and a fully equipped gym outfitted with cardiovascular machines, free weights and resistance machines. Specialist sports trainers are always on hand in the Sports Complex to advise on fitness regimes. In 2005, the sports complex offered 37 classes per week, covering everything from aerobics to weight training. The sports complex also includes a twenty-five metre, five-lane, deck level swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
with tepidarium
Tepidarium
The tepidarium was the warm bathroom of the Roman baths heated by a hypocaust or underfloor heating system.The specialty of a tepidarium is the pleasant feeling of constant radiant heat which directly affects the human body from the walls and floor.There is an interesting example at Pompeii; this...
, footbaths, spa pool
Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
, steam room
Steam room
A steam room is an enclosed space with large amounts of high temperature steam, creating a high humidity environment. People sit in this room in a similar way to a sauna , for relaxation and purported benefits to health and well being. They can be commonly found in gyms, sanitariums and health...
, wellness spa, ice fountain, laconium, multi-jet pulse showers, scented multi-jet super shower and sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
. It opened in January 2005 and has Ireland's largest elite sports performance gym.
The main sports hall can be divided into three full size volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
or basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts. The facilities at St. Clare's Sports Ground include the Sports Pavilion, two GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
pitches, two soccer pitches, one rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
pitch and one floodlit astroturf pitch for hockey or soccer.
There are ten tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts at the National Tennis Training Centre in Albert College Park (four indoor acrylic courts, three outdoor hardcourts and three outdoor clay courts) and a further five tennis courts are situated at Glasnevin Lawn Tennis Club adjacent to St. Clare's Sports Grounds. There is also a GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
pitch, a grass athletic track and four or six soccer pitches (depending on configuration) in the Albert College Park.
The DCU Sports Academy was launched in November 2006.
Membership of the Sports Academy will entitle those selected to special scholarships and supports worth up to €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
10,000 each including on-campus accommodation, financial support towards college books and tuition fees, personal tuition, access to key national and International competitions, physiotherapy and massage, sports nutrition advice and high performance education talks and workshops.
The complex won the "Sports centre of the Year Award" in 2009.
Library
DCU has always had a dedicated library and as a deposit library, it is entitled legally to a copy of every book published in the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
The O'Reilly Foundation
O'Reilly Foundation
The O'Reilly Foundation is a personal charitable trust set up in 1998 by media magnate, and former CEO of Heinz, Sir Anthony "Tony" O'Reilly. Its function is the funding of educational projects; the two main work areas are capital developments at Irish colleges and an annual post-graduate...
made a substantial contribution towards the new library building, The John and Aileen O`Reilly Library . The building was designed by the Scott, Tallon, Walker architecture firm.
Library users can avail of photocopying, printing and scanning facilities, access newspapers and journals, read microfilms, watch videos and DVDs and access the internet. Dedicated laptop network points and wireless network access are available on three floors of the library.
DCU library is part of the IReL (Irish Research E-Library) consortium, allowing staff and students full access to over 100 academic databases.
In November 2008, DCU Library launched DORAS, an open access institutional repository
Institutional repository
An Institutional repository is an online locus for collecting, preserving, and disseminating - in digital form - the intellectual output of an institution, particularly a research institution....
, to promote the university's research by providing free online access to DCU's research publications and theses.
Other
There are three licensed premises on the campus, also selling a wide selection of food; the "old bar", the "nu bar" (aka beta [β]), The HelixThe Helix
The Helix is a building on the Dublin City University campus between Glasnevinand Whitehall on Dublin's Northside, originally planned to be called the Aula Maxima. It was completed in 2002, and it is described as a "performance space" and holds concerts, university conferring ceremonies and...
and Spar (off-license). However, in early 2007 Spar stopped selling any alcoholic products indefinitely, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will renew their licence in the future. Prior to this custard creams there were four licenced premises, but this itself followed a long period with only one licenced location, and up until 1992, there were no such premises on campus at all.
There are several restaurants and cafes; the Main Restaurant and the first Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
(in Ireland) are located in the Pavilion building. Zero-1 is located in the basement of the O`Reilly Library. The Invent Centre, The Helix, Nursing School and Business School each have their own restaurants. The 1838 Club is a restaurant for academic staff and postgraduate research students, it is located in the Albert College
Albert College (Dublin)
Albert College is the oldest building on the campus of Dublin City University and contains the offices of the university president, the DCU Educational Trust, and other executive offices of the university; the building dates from 1851. The Albert College Building also houses the , a restaurant for...
Building. There is a second Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
located in the Sports Complex, the third in Ireland after Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Ireland. There is also a digital cafe and Xbox gaming arena above the main restaurant, The Mezzanine. In 2009 the Mezzanine is in the process of relocation to the seminar room in DCU's student centre 'The Hub'
DCU has recently acquired additional lands adjacent to its main campus, which will be developed to add on to the University's sports facilities.
DCU plans to build a 10,000 seat indoor stadium and running track at its Sports Grounds.
DCU has launched an affinity credit card scheme
Affinity credit card scheme
An affinity credit card program allows an organization to offer its members and supporters—those who have an "affinity" for that organization—a credit card that promotes the organization's brand and imagery each time a cardholder uses the card...
to raise funds for the University, as well as the Annual Fund, which includes facilities for regular donors, and the Leadership Circle which gives recognition to regular donors who commit minimum annual amounts.
It is planned that the university will have ‘stop’ on the ‘Metro North
Dublin Metro
The Dublin Metro is a proposed metro system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21 transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West...
’ line which is to be completed by 2016.
Research
- List of Dublin City University faculties, schools, research centres and laboratories
- DCU Business & Innovation
- Learning Innovation Unit
- Office of the Vice-President for research
- Research and Engineering Centre
A list of most current campus companies can be retrieved from the Invent Innovation and Enterprise Centre website.
Strategy
In 2001 DCU adopted what was described as a highly innovative strategic plan, 'Leading Change'. For a university strategy, it was a very short document, but it set out a number of major developments and innovations. Chief amongst these was the adoption of academic strategic 'Themes', which were to govern the development of the university. Each Theme was to have a 'Theme Leader'. The academic Themes are interdisciplinary, and focus on areas in which DCU has growing leadership. This strategic framework was extended in the 2005 strategic plan, 'Leadership through Foresight', in which DCU also committed itself to eight key clusters of actions to develop its leading role in its chosen priority areas. Following an announcement by the HEAHigher Education Authority
The Higher Education Authority is the authority in Ireland with responsibility for higher education since 1968 and placed on a statutory basis in 1971. The authority supports HEAnet, part of the GEANT network....
in August 2007, DCU will receive over €23m in research funding under Phase 2 of PRTLI
Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions
The Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions is an Irish government programme that provides integrated financial support for institutional strategies, programmes and infrastructure and ensures that institutions have the capacity and incentives to formulate and implement research...
Cycle 4.
Following an announcement by the Science Foundation Ireland
Science Foundation Ireland
Science Foundation Ireland ), is the statutory body in the Republic of Ireland with responsibility for disbursing funds for basic science research with a strategic focus...
in November 2007, DCU will receive over €16.8m in research funding for localisation research for a €30.4m "Next Generation Localisation" project headed by Prof. Josef Van Genabith (with international and domestic industry partners contributing the remaining €13.6m).
Over the years DCU has expanded its land bank in the area, purchasing the St. Clare's grounds, on the western side of Ballymun Road, where sports facilities were developed, but also farmland to the south down to Griffith Ave.
Collaboration and academic associations
Under its strategic plan, 'Leadership through Foresight' (2005), DCU is committed to collaboration with national and international organisations and universities on technology and research projects. It has a strong record of strategic collaboration, and most of its major research projects are built on partnerships with other universities and colleges, and also with major international companies.The AIC Adaptive Information Cluster with University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
is one such initiative been based on computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and sensor
Sensor
A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury-in-glass thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated...
technology to develop advanced applications in several areas. DCU and UCD
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
also collaborate on a health research board funded programme of nursing decision making in Ireland, the first research programme in nursing in Ireland.The two universities also collaborate on the Odysseus undergraduate Computer Science Internship Programme and on the Clarity Centre for Sensor Web Technologies.
The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change with National University of Ireland, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
and University College Dublin is an initiative to better utilise and develop international level research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
.
Lero, the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre with the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
, University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
and Trinity College Dublin is a partnership to bring together and focus software engineering in Ireland.
The University also collaborates with National University of Ireland, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
and the pharmaceutical multinational Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
on biopharmaceutical research. The National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology at DCU and Wyeth Pharmaceutical
Wyeth
Wyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...
have recently announced a research collaboration in the production of biopharmaceuticals.
DCU also collaborates with the National Institute for Bioprocessing, Research and Training (NIBRT) its main partners are UCD, TCD and Sligo IT. The university has a strategic alliance with Cornell University's Nanobiotechnology Centre (NBTC).
The National Centre for Sensor Research collaborates with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland...
on Biomedical Diagnostics research. The NCSR also collaborates with University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
, University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong
The University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
, Australia, Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, Atlanta and the Irish Marine Institute. DCU is also collaborating with TCD
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
and UCD
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
to run the National Digital Research Centre.
DCU also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2006 with Athlone Institute of Technology, under which the university will provide support for the establishment of a jointly-owned research centre in the Irish Midlands town.
Plasma and Vacuum Technology with Queen's University Belfast is a cross-border
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
programme to deliver online courses in plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
and vacuum
Vacuum
In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
technology without attending university based lectures. Another cross-border initiative DCU is working with is the Centre for Cross Border Studies which researches and develops cooperation across the Irish border in education, training, health, business, public administration, communications, agriculture and the environment.
The Programme for Research on Grid-enabled Computational Physics of Natural Phenomena is a wide partnership with DIAS
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies Dublin, Ireland was established in 1940 by the Taoiseach of the time, Éamon de Valera under the . The Institute consists of 3 schools: The , the and the . The directors of these schools are currently Professor Werner Nahm, Professor Luke Drury and...
, National University of Ireland, Galway, University College Dublin, HEAnet
HEAnet
HEAnet is the Irish NREN; it provides high-speed Internet access to academic institutions in Ireland direct to European and USA networks...
, Met Éireann
Met Éireann
Met Éireann is the national meteorological service in Ireland, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.-History:...
, Armagh Observatory
Armagh Observatory
Armagh Observatory is a modern astronomical research institute with a rich heritage, based in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Around 25 astronomers are actively studying stellar astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy, and the Earth's climate....
and Grid Ireland. Development of research under the PRTLI Cycle 1 funded Institute for Advanced Materials Science, additional funding is now being sought to further research in the area of nanomaterials and nanotechnology with Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
.
The university also collaborates with the Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain-Driven Research (CTVR) and with Bell Labs Research Ireland (BLRI). The National Centre for Sensor Research also collaborates with the National Botanic Gardens
Irish National Botanic Gardens
The National Botanic Gardens are located in Glasnevin, 5 km north-west of Dublin city centre, Ireland...
on the Eco-Sensor Network project. DCU is also a participant in the Irish Centre for High-End Computing
Irish Centre for High-End Computing
The Irish Centre for High-End Computing is a distributed national centre providing support for research in high-performance computing and computational science in the Republic of Ireland. ICHEC was established in 2005 and is jointly funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the Higher Education...
.
DCU leads Ireland in fusion power
Fusion power
Fusion power is the power generated by nuclear fusion processes. In fusion reactions two light atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus . In doing so they release a comparatively large amount of energy arising from the binding energy due to the strong nuclear force which is manifested...
research, with a team of 33 DCU scientists taking part in a €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
10 billion global collaboration to make a breakthrough creating safe nuclear energy by fusion.
The experimental ITER
ITER
ITER is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering project, which is currently building the world's largest and most advanced experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor at Cadarache in the south of France...
(International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) power station will be built at Cadarache
Cadarache
The CEA Cadarache facility is a French scientific research centre which specialises in nuclear energy research. It is located in the commune of Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, Bouches-du-Rhône, in the southern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur...
in the South of France and is the result of an international collaboration involving the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(represented by EURATOM), Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the Republic of Korea, the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Dublin City University is the lead partner in this Irish research through Irish Fusion Association under the National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology with 10 more University College Cork scientists taking part in the project as well under the auspices of Association Euratom DCU, which was established in 1996. The Association’s annual budget is about €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
2.5 million with 30 per cent of this funded directly by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. Further funding is provided by DCU and Science Foundation Ireland
Science Foundation Ireland
Science Foundation Ireland ), is the statutory body in the Republic of Ireland with responsibility for disbursing funds for basic science research with a strategic focus...
.
The university also has agreements with organisations and universities outside of Ireland. For instance, the University at Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
is a strategic partnership to develop research in the east United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.Focal.ie is an ongoing project with the University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
to develop an Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
terminology database online. The Catholic University of Lublin has a partnership with the university to deliver and accredit a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The university collaborates with universities in eleven European countries for the AIM media project. DCU has recently announced a strategic alliance with Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. The two universities will develop links in a number of areas, including joint research projects, joint entrepreneurial initiatives, institutional learning projects and benchmarking of internal operations, as well as inter-institutional faculty, student and staff transfers between the universities.
The School of Computer Applications collaborates on research with large multinational corporations and institutions like Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
,Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, the US Military, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
and Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
.
Research centres in DCU also collaborate with each other on multidisciplinary projects. For example, the Materials Processing Research Centre collaborates with the Vascular Health Research Centre on research aimed at producing synthetic bone and soft tissue such as arteries.
The university also hosts many public events such as monthly lectures in the areas of physics and astronomy in collaboration with Astronomy Ireland, held in "The Venue" complex in The Hub (DCU Student Centre), Irish Inventor Association seminars held at the Invent Centre, the Gay Rugby World Cup and even an exhibition of rare 2500 year old Shakyamuni Buddha relics at the University Interfaith Centre.
Hospitals linked with DCU for teaching and research purposes include:,
- Beaumont HospitalBeaumont Hospital, DublinBeaumont Hospital, is a public hospital located in Beaumont, Dublin, Ireland. It is managed by the Irish Government's Health Service Executive and provides acute-care hospital services, including a 24-hour emergency department, for the population of Dublin. In 2008, the hospital served 149,559...
- Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, DublinMater Misericordiae University Hospital, DublinThe Mater Misericordiae University Hospital is a major teaching hospital, based at Eccles Street, Phibsboro, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland...
- James Connolly Memorial HospitalConnolly Hospital, BlanchardstownConnolly Hospital Blanchardstown is a public university teaching hospital in Dublin city, Ireland. It was founded in 1955 as an asylum for tuberculosis patients. It is run by the Irish Health Service Executive and currently serves a population of over 290,000...
- St. Vincent's Psychiatric Hospital, FairviewSt. Vincent's Psychiatric Hospital, FairviewSt. Vincent's Psychiatric Hospital, Fairview is a small psychiatric hospital in Ireland.It is located in the north-central part of Dublin city and was founded in 1857 by The Daughters of Charity of St...
- St. James's HospitalSt. James's HospitalSt. James's Hospital , also known as SJH, is the largest university teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Its academic partner is the University of Dublin...
- Temple Street Children's University Hospital
- St. Ita's Hospital, PortraneSt Ita's HospitalSt Ita's Hospital, Portrane, formerly Portrane Asylum is a long stay facility for those with intellectual disabilities and those with long term mental illnesses. It is currently being scaled back in operations with planned mixed use development...
- St. Joseph's Hospital, Clonsilla
Student body
The composition of the student body represents every county on the island of Ireland and over seventy countries worldwide, spread across all six continents. The University has educated students from Australia to Brazil and Japan to Iceland. International students currently make up just over 15% of the full-time student body. The university is strongly committed to international education and internationalising its campus. Apart from the large number of exchanges the university also welcomes international students as part of its Study Abroad Programme and offers programmes jointly with institutions based outside Ireland and is rapidly expanding a wide range of international activities.See also
- List of Dublin City University people
- List of universities in the Republic of Ireland
- Education in the Republic of IrelandEducation in the Republic of IrelandThe levels of education in Ireland are primary, secondary and higher education. In recent years further education has grown immensely. Growth in the economy since the 1960s has driven much of the change in the education system. Education in Ireland is free at all levels, including college , but...