A Beacon for Global Innovation

As Ireland strengthens its economic status, science and technology will continue to play a vital role in creating jobs, attracting talent, and promoting Irish industry. UCD alumnus George Moore and his wife Angela, in partnership with The Ireland Funds, have enabled a leadership gift to University College Dublin's new Science Centre-a project that will result in a world class facility that will be home to 2,000 undergraduates, 1,500 Masters and PhD students and 1,000 researchers.

Few if any institutions have played as significant a role in the building of a nation and the preservation of its heritage as University College Dublin (UCD) Ireland. Beginning in 1854 with Newman's founding of the Catholic University of Ireland - UCD's antecedent institution - through the emergence and growth of independent Ireland, UCD and its graduates have always been central to the development of modern Ireland.

The current campaign for UCD, called Forming Global Minds, is a multi-million euro campaign to provide the infrastructure for a new and different education sector. The new Ireland will be created by the young people of today. UCD is at the vanguard of producing a new breed of entrepreneurial graduates embedding innovation and entrepreneurship as core skills.

The New UCD Science Centre

The new UCD Science Centre is the engine room at the heart of the University's science district. It is the boldest, most ambitious capital development project in the history of Irish third-level education-an iconic 67,000 square metre building with state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities. Continued investment in outstanding research and education in science and the building of the UCD Science Centre is critical to Ireland's future.

Whether it is investigating the relationship between food and our immune system, modelling the effects of natural disasters, understanding the mathematics behind trust, or exploring innovative ways to harness geothermal energy-the vision for the UCD Science Centre is to host a community of ground-breaking scientists working together in a world-class environment to provide innovative solutions to global challenges.

This Science Centre will support the lifecycle of the scientist-from the wide-eyed school children who will discover the joys of science, to the ambitious PhD students and technology entrepreneurs, who will innovate and work together to drive Ireland's economic future.

Collaborating to Transform Irish Science

Thanks to a number of leadership gifts, including a pacesetting investment by The Ireland Funds, UCD is able to focus on securing funds for the new building as well as for professors, researchers and students-the human capital to match its world-class science facilities. Success will:

• Help UCD attract and retain the very best teaching and research faculty;
• Enable UCD to compete on a more equal footing with international universities for the best and brightest students from Ireland and overseas;
• Strengthen ties between UCD and leading educational institutions world-wide, through joint research projects, visiting lecturers and faculty and student exchanges.

The UCD Science Centre will help educate and train the next generation of scientists, innovators and technology entrepreneurs. It will transform research, teaching, training and innovation in the sciences in Ireland for future generations. To realise the vision for the UCD Science Centre, the University must mobilise the support of its most successful and entrepreneurial alumni and that of the global Irish diaspora.

Phase 1 of this 3-phase development is complete. Additional private investment would help bring UCD closer to realising its vision to create one of the world's most dynamic science districts; an environment that will inspire future generations to engage in science.

In addition to the generous donation by George & Angela Moore and The Ireland Funds, the UCD Science Centre project has received funding from a number of Irish and EU agencies, including Ireland's EU Structural Funds, the European Regional Development Fund, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Higher Education Authority.


"Science affects all aspects of our lives. In Ireland's case, high quality science and engineering is absolutely critical to the economic future of the country. If Ireland is to succeed, UCD must provide the pipeline of world class graduates and scientists to fuel that economy. We already have the largest concentration of scientists in basic and applied disciplines in the country. But the real question is: how do we propel Ireland to the next level of competitiveness on the world stage?

UCD Science Centre will allow us to do that. It will transform the undergraduate experience and it will be the leading centre for post-graduate education. It will create a critical mass of the brightest scientific minds. It will mainstream innovation into the science and engineering curriculum. If we do all these things, it will underpin Ireland's scientific, academic and economic future. This is a priority for the University and it is totally aligned with Ireland's national needs. The UCD Science Centre will not just retain the best Irish scientific talent, but will work side by side with international science talent.

We have found the support that we have received from our alumni and indeed, from The Ireland Funds, to be a tremendous source of inspiration for us as we create a truly world-class resource for the island in the area of science and engineering."
- Dr. Hugh Brady
President of University College Dublin

 

Special thanks to Aíne Gibbons, UCD Vice-President for Development for her contribution to this article.