The UCD College of Social Sciences and Law has successfully delivered its first-ever Transition Year (TY) Programme from 12th to 16th January, welcoming 45 students from schools across Ireland for an immersive week exploring Social Sciences and Law disciplines. The programme was designed to develop students’ critical thinking and research skills, while challenging students to consider key societal issues facing the world today and to work as part of a team to propose innovative solutions.
During the week-long event students attended interactive workshops and skills based practical sessions exploring an array of Social Sciences subjects such as Archaeology, Economics, Sociology, Education, Philosophy, Geography, Psychology, Politics & International Relations, Information and Communication Studies, Social Justice and Law.
Working in project teams, students tackled major societal issues under themes including climate crisis and action, housing, inequalities, migration, conflict and displacement, education and AI, water and food security and human health and wellbeing. With guidance from UCD academic staff and student ambassadors, teams applied social science and law tools and research methods to develop their ideas.
The programme concluded with an end-of-week showcase event, where students delivered seven impressive group presentations. These included live podcasts, videos, panel discussions and presentations, demonstrating thoughtful, creative and confident engagement with complex social challenges.
Speaking about the programme, Professor Niamh Moore-Cherry, Principal of the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, said:
“Our inaugural College of Social Sciences and Law Transition Year programme demonstrated what is possible when students, staff and schools come together around a shared purpose. We were delighted to welcome so many students from different schools and backgrounds to participate, and their desire to engage with complex social issues, ask thoughtful questions, and apply social science and law methods was inspiring. The programme, which is a core priority for this year in our College plan, speaks to our strong commitment to early engagement with our students of the future. It not only reflects our values of inclusivity, collegiality and excellence in the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, but also provides a model for how we can continue to build meaningful pathways that connect young people, education and societal impact into the future.”