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EDI 10 Year Celebration in UCD
Celebrating the Past, Imagining the Future
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UCD is holding an event on 4 March 2026 to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in UCD.
This includes the appointment of the University's first Vice-President for EDI, the establishment of a University EDI group and the development of the University’s first EDI policy. There have been many achievements and successes across these 10 years in UCD, where the University has introduced innovative initiatives and taken the lead on many sectoral EDI priorities. It is important to reflect and celebrate these as well as acknowledging that we are currently operating in a global climate where there are many challenges to inclusion in higher education and beyond and much still remains to be done managing the transition from past milestones to future possibilities.
Conference Details
Date4 March 2026
TimeFrom 9.30 am – 2.30 pm (including lunch)
LocationUCD O’Reilly Hall
OrganisersUCD Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Intended Audience UCD community
Discussions will focus broadly on the importance of EDI for society as it fosters social cohesion and the creation of a fair and just society where all individuals can thrive, contribute their unique talents, and achieve their full potential free from prejudice. The higher education (HE) sector plays a key role in EDI as it develops future leaders, enhances learning through varied perspectives, attracts global talent, and addresses systemic inequities requiring holistic, proactive strategies beyond reactive measures. Ultimately, EDI provides the framework to move to an environment that is truly inclusive, where every individual can experience the sense of belonging that is vital for their wellbeing and ability to thrive and participate fully.
Agenda
Registration & Breakfast l 09:30 – 09:50
Official Opening of the Event l 09:50
Keynote speaker
Lucky Khambule, co-founder of the Movement for Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI)
Panel Discussion
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Sheehan, Country Executive, 30% Club
- Brian Sheehan, CEO, Women for Election
- Peter Ward, Senior Council of the Law Library
- Aghogho Okpara, Award-Winning UCD Medical Student and founder of Achieve with Aghogho (AWA)
The Evolution of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) at UCD: A 10-Year Reflection
Hosted by:
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Professor Orla Feely, President, University College Dublin
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Professor Colin Scott, Registrar, University College Dublin
Lunch will be provided for all attendees
Event Close l 14:30
✨ Cultural performances will take place throughout the event.
All speakers
Elizabeth Sheehan
Elizabeth Sheehan the 30% Club Country Executive. She is an experienced non-executive director, business consultant, and leadership coach with a strong track record of fostering positive workplace cultures and enhancing business performance through gender-balanced leadership. She has held senior marketing and sustainability positions at Suntory, PepsiCo, Mars, Irish Distillers and C&C in Ireland as well as in Spain, Portugal, Brazil and the Netherlands.
The 30% Club Ireland is the national chapter of a global campaign, founded in 2010, and supported by Chairs and CEOs across sectors who are committed to achieving gender balance at leadership levels. Established in 2015, the Irish chapter collaborates with company chairs, CEOs, and senior leaders to cultivate a robust pipeline of female talent and to accelerate the pace toward more inclusive decision-making in Irish organisations.
Elizabeth through her work with the 30% Club and with her clients is dedicated to fostering positive cult
Aghogho Okpara
Aghogho Okpara is the founder of Achieve with Aghogho (AWA) and an award-winning medical student at University College Dublin. Her young voice is currently driving global change in education. As a digital creator with a following of over 400,000 people, she uses her influence to inspire young people to believe in themselves and thrive in education. She is best known for her inspiring story about rising from failure. Aghogho has been interviewed on BBC International News and was termed a "Face of the Future" by the Irish Times, a "Trailblazer" by RTÉ, and a "Voice for Change" nominee in the 2025 TikTok Awards. She is also an international keynote speaker and has delivered talks for global corporations such as Apple and Zoom. Through her organisation Achieve with Aghogho (AWA), she aims to improve educational outcomes for students from all backgrounds by helping them to develop self-belief.
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Brian Sheehan
Brian is the CEO of Women for Election which encourages and supports women to enter and succeed in politics. He has a background in politics and advocacy, as a former general secretary of a political party, as co-director of the successful Yes campaign in the marriage referendum and as Executive Director of GLEN, one of the main LGBTI advocacy organisations in Ireland, for 10 years. He is a former co-chair of ILGA-Europe, the leading European LGBTI+ advocacy body. He is a graduate of UCD Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Peter Ward
Peter Ward is a practising barrister who was called to the Bar in 1985 and has been a Senior Counsel since 2009, specialising in Employment Law, Public Law and Human Rights. He is a former director of Flac (Free Legal Advice Centres) and was chairperson from 2005 to 2021. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. He was the National Spokesperson of the Yes Campaign in the 1995 Divorce Referendum and a member of the Strategic Advisory Committee of the Marriage Equality Referendum campaign in 2015 and the Repeal the 8th Amendment campaign in 2018.