Leadership and People Management

RISE Leadership and People Management Programme

The RISE programme is designed for all Senior Leaders and People Managers across UCD.

This Leadership Programme, originally designed to empower leaders in achieving the goals of our 2020-2024 Strategy, has been modified to align with our ambitious new UCD Strategy to 2030 ‘Breaking Boundaries’. This exciting new phase focuses on cultivating leaders who can effectively address critical global challenges by pushing the boundaries of existing knowledge within our institution..

We commit to combining creatively across disciplines and working with partners to drive impact and excellence in the education and research that we deliver, while ensuring every member of our community is enabled to achieve their full potential.

RISE is delivered by our strategic partners (opens in a new window)Flow Group. The modules are designed to facilitate participants coming together to reflect and plan their individual and collective approaches to navigating an ever-changing and complex landscape, and each session includes personal reflection, action planning, small group conversation, idea generation and discussion.

Booking your place on RISE
To book your place on any of the RISE offerings please visit the dedicated RISE Booking Portal available to People Managers and Senior Leaders.

Please note only eligible participants will have access to book on the UCD RISE Leadership and People Management Programme.

RISE Programme Overview:

This high impact programme is designed as a learning journey which consists of a number of modules which must be completed in sequence. Senior Leaders and People Managers will attend the Core Module together to share experiences and work to create common approaches and language.  People Managers will then attend their Essentials modules in sequence (There is only one Essentials Module for Senior Leaders).

RISE Insights
The programme also offers RISE Insights Sessions on HR, Organisational Change, EDI, Finance and Research Finance and DiSC. These optional 90-minute offerings delivered by our UCD colleagues provide specialist advice and guidance. Insights Sessions can be attended at any time once you have completed your Core module.

RISE Peer Connect
These one-hour self-contained sessions allow for the continuation of learning and sharing among our diverse community of people managers and leaders. The purpose of these facilitated sessions is to connect peers in small groups of three, with each person talking through a challenge, idea or insight, sharing experiences and using the group as a confidential sounding board.

The Insights and Peer connect sessions can be attended at any time throughout your RISE journey.

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. 

Further Information on the 2025-2026 Aurora Leadership Development Programme will be available here on 18 July 2025. 

Initial Dates:

• Applications Open - 18 July 2025
• Applications Close - 2 Sept 2025
• Launch Date and Mentee Training - 22 Sept 2025
• Intro to Aurora with AdvanceHE - 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 228 women to participate in the programme since 2015,  demonstrating the University's commitment to leadership development and gender equality.

• Aurora Participants 2015 (Pilot)
• Aurora Participants 2016
• Aurora Participants 2016-2017
• Aurora Participants 2017-2018
• Aurora Participants 2018-2019
• Aurora Participants 2019-2020
• Aurora Participants 2020-2021
• Aurora Participants 2021-2022
• Aurora Participants 2022-2023
• Aurora Participants 2023-2024
• Aurora Participants 2024-2025

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

• 2016-2017 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2017-2018 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2018-2019 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2019-2020 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2020-2021 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2021-2022 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2022-2023 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2023-2024 Aurora List of Mentors
• 2024-2025 Aurora List of Mentors

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.

The "THRIVE - Leadership in Research" 2024 Programme is a joint initiative between UCD People and Organisation Development and UCD Research in consultation with our training partner 64 Million Artists. This important programme will contribute to the development of our UCD Faculty members at Lecturer/Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level and supports the delivery of UCD’s strategic plans.

The programme equips participants with the skills, knowledge, behaviours and confidence needed to realise their ambitions in UCD. Utilising a holistic approach, it provides a significant opportunity for Assistant Professors/Lecturers and Associate Professors across all disciplines to develop leadership and innovation skills in a group environment with peer-to-peer collaboration and networking.

Find out more about "THRIVE - Leadership in Research" and submit your application on our dedicated webpage.

This induction has been designed specifically for new Heads of School to provide them with the necessary information early in their headship, 

The programme is scheduled every September, and includes presentations from colleagues in UCD Finance, HR and Global Engagement, it also provides an opportunity to meet and network with other new Heads of School.

Attendance at this induction is by invitation only from People and Organisation Development. If you have any queries relating to this induction, please contact (opens in a new window)peopledevelopment@ucd.ie or call +353 1 716 4919.

 

Learning Path*: (opens in a new window)Leader Behaviours, (opens in a new window)Strategic Leadership, (opens in a new window)Become a Leader, (opens in a new window)Leading and Managing Change

Courses: (opens in a new window)Become and AI Powered Manager, (opens in a new window)Leading with Vision, (opens in a new window)Coaching and Developing Employees, (opens in a new window)Enhancing Team Innovation, (opens in a new window)Managing Team Conflict, (opens in a new window)Having Difficult Conversations, (opens in a new window)Time Management for Managers

* Learning Path – includes several courses focused around a larger topic