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Taking Initiative

Page updated 31 July 2024

Taking Initiative is demonstrated by suggesting improvements in your own work area, and acting early to address and resolve problems and find solutions.

Aurora is a leadership development programme for those who identify as female. It was developed by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education in the UK. You can read more about the programme at (opens in a new window)Aurora | Advance HE

The programme is designed to introduce key leadership topics and skills through four online one-day workshops, complemented by online networking, action learning sets and resources. Advance HE also host an in-person networking event as part of the programme.

The UCD HR People and Organisation Development Unit support the UCD Aurora cohort by hosting several local in-person events such as the UCD programme launch and closing events, mentee training and a mid-programme review event. On-going support is ensured through institutional mentoring.

Aurora is supported in UCD both by an overall Institution Champion, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, and Aurora Coordinator in HR People and Organisation Development, Anna O'Flanagan. 

Applications for the 2025-2026 Aurora Leadership Development Programme are now open.

Information on the programme is available at Aurora Information Sheet 2025-2026

Information for UCD applicants is at 2025-2026 Aurora Information for Applicants

To apply, please complete the application form which can be accessed at 2025-2026 Aurora Application Form

Closing date for all applications to be submitted is Tuesday 2nd September 2025 @ 5.30pm

Key Dates:

  • Applications open - 18 July 2025
  • Applications close - 2 Sept 2025
  • Applicants informed of decision - 11 Sept 2025
  • UCD Programme Launch and Mentee Training - 22 Sept 2025
  • Advance HE First Session (Online): Introduction to Aurora - 24 Sept 2025

Participants

The programme was established in 2013 and has run in a number of venues in the UK and Ireland, including London; Manchester; Bristol and Glasgow and Dublin. UCD has supported over 229 women to participate in the programme since 2015,  demonstrating the University's commitment to leadership development and gender equality.

Mentors

Aurora requires that the University puts systems in place to help support and develop participants on their Aurora experience. This includes having mentors in place to work with participants. Although the development days are run over 5 months, the mentoring arrangement is for the duration of one year to help participants maximise the benefit of the programme.

Guidance on choosing a mentor is available below:

2025-2026 Aurora Guidance in Choosing a Mentor

Should you have any queries in relation to Aurora in UCD, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie.

If you have questions relating to other leadership or management development please discuss this with your Line Manager or Head of School/Unit at your annual P4G conversation.

Who is this course for?

This course is for team members who wish to better understand how effective teams operate.

At the end of this programme, participants will understand the stages of team development and what should be happening at each stage to move the team forward. They will learn to identify the role each person plays on the team, the responsibilities of individuals and the team and have increased self and team awareness. They will also understand different behaviour types in teams.

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

  • Characteristics of Effective Teams
  • Stages of Team Development
  • Team Roles and Synergy
  • Values of each Role  Interactions between Roles
  • Trust in Teams
Following the session participants will be provided with resources to further engage in the topic, this may include suggested reading, LinkedIn Learning videos or other online content and materials to continue your development.
Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the (opens in a new window)HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This training is suitable for learners who want to understand the fundamentals of a personal brand, the branding process and how to select the appropriate tools and techniques to use.

The specific skills focused on in the programme are:

  • Being authentic
  • Using your strengths
  • Communicating for impact
  • Positioning oneself

How long is this course?

The course duration is 1 day.

What topics will be covered?

During the session, participants will work through a series of exercises to uncover their uniqueness and will be able to articulate this and apply it to opportunities available at work. They will leave with enhanced clarity, confidence and conciseness in articulating their brand to themselves and others. They will have an action plan to work to continually enhance their brand and maximise relevant opportunities.

Following the session participants will be provided with resources to further engage in the topic, this may include suggested reading, LinkedIn Learning videos or other online content and materials to continue your development.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the (opens in a new window)HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to re-evaluate their work habits and explore how they can build their resilience practice, enabling them to minimise the barriers of resilience and maximise the enablers of resilience. 

The course is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to reflect on their current work practices, provide a framework that can enable them to prioritise their energy, maintain their wellbeing and focus on achieving high levels of performance. 

How long is this course?

This course is 3.5 hours in duration.

What topics will be covered?

This workshop will focus on the work and research of (opens in a new window)The Resilience Dynamic® including the key enablers and barriers to building our personal resilience. Participants will learn how to incorporate simple techniques into their weekly and daily work to enable them to balance well-being and productivity. Participants will share ideas and challenges and will generate a practical personal action plan aimed at building their resilience habits. 

By the end of the workshop participants will: 

  • Have raised their awareness of their current work practices and how they are contributing to their existing levels of resilience 
  • Have explored the barriers that can result in lower levels of well-being and productivity at work
  • Have developed an understanding of how they can resource themselves by investing in habits and enablers of resilience
  • Have learned practical tips that can be incorporated into weekly planning to maximise productivity 

Following the session participants will be provided with resources to further engage in the topic, this may include suggested reading, LinkedIn Learning videos or  other online content and materials to continue your development.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the (opens in a new window)HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who wish to improve their critical thinking and logical reasoning for better analysis, evaluation and communication in workplace situations. The programme develops the critical and analytical thinking skills needed to correctly decipher information to influence and activate competent thinking into practical application.

By the end of this course, learners will:

  • Understand critical thinking, its purpose and presentation and the difference between critical thinking and AI
  • Be able to critically assess heuristics and biases when analysing information
  • Use Socratic questioning to understand the core and scope of any situation 
  • Producing clear, structured argument mapping in support of your ideas
  • Develop quick thinking on your feet to ‘thrive under pressure’

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

  • Using clear reasoning: Making sense of goals 
  • Use the ‘Tree Diagram’ technique to produce clear, structured arguments
  • Learn different styles and structure of argument to produce powerful rational persuasion 
  • Overcoming False Reasoning: Using cool logic in hot situations
  • Learning to deal with false reasoning in meetings and discussions
  • Heuristics: shortcut thinking 
  • Introduction to Socratic questioning

Following the session participants will be provided with resources to further engage in the topic, this may include suggested reading, LinkedIn Learning videos or other online content and materials to continue your development.

Booking: 
For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the (opens in a new window)HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This training course is for all staff who wish to equip themselves with the skills to communicate professionally with all customers (internal and external). 

On successful completion of the course, learners will be able to: 

  • Be motivated to make the most of each interaction with each customer
  • Identify the features of excellent customer service
  • Have a better understanding of why excellent service is critical
  • Understand what customers expect and what they can deliver on
  • Identify their own communication style and areas for improvement
  • Have a step-by-step approach to handling customer who present with a challenging query

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

  • What are the features of excellent customer service?
  • Defining your responsibilities to internal and external customers
  • How to present a professional image - our attitude and behaviour
  • Self-assessment of your existing customer service skills - the associated strengths and weaknesses 
  • Professional communication skills 
  • Handling difficult customers with confidence
  • Measuring client satisfaction 

This course is highly practical and interactive and includes discussions and activities based on real world scenarios.

Following the session participants will be provided with resources to further engage in the topic, this may include suggested reading, LinkedIn Learning videos or other online content and materials to continue your development.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the (opens in a new window)HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

In the meantime you may wish to access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

Who is this course for?

This course is for all staff who would like to improve their self-confidence with regard to their career. 

How long is this course?

The course duration is 3.5 hours.

What topics will be covered?

This course focuses on improving self-confidence regarding our careers. Many people experience imposter feelings or a lack of confidence at different times in their careers. This course will equip the attendees with a deeper understanding of how confidence affects people. 

Participants will receive practical evidence-backed tips from positive psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy which can boost confidence in the short and long term. The session will focus on self-reflection to allow the attendees to develop self-awareness, and participants will be given time to reflect at the end of the session to set a goal with 1 action they plan to take to boost their confidence.

Following the session participants will be provided with resources to further engage in the topic, this may include suggested reading, LinkedIn Learning videos or  other online content and materials to continue your development.

Booking:

For details of upcoming events or to book your place on available courses, please visit the (opens in a new window)HR - Professional Development booking centre  If your chosen course is fully booked or no longer available, you can access the UCD LinkedIn learning portal via your UCD Connect login where you will find a range of eLearning courses. 

If you have any further queries on this programme, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call ext 4919.

UCD People & Organisation Development

Roebuck Offices, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 4919 | E: peopledevelopment@ucd.ie