TU Dublin Celebrates Innovation and Collaboration at the Enterprise Academy Fellows' Symposium 2025
The Enterprise Academy proudly hosted the Fellows' Symposium today. This landmark event celebrating the achievements of its Spring 2025 Enterprise Academy Fellows fostering engagement between academia and industry.
The symposium, held at St Laurence's Church in TU Dublin, Grangegorman, brought together current fellows, former fellows, and key figures from the University.
The event commenced with a welcome address and introductions by Head of the Enterprise Academy, and Convene Project Lead Dr. Claire Mc Bride followed by engaging presentations from the graduating fellows.
Highlight of the day was the interactive poster session, showcasing the diverse and impactful projects undertaken by the fellows since the beginning of the fellowship programme in 2021 and the discussion panel with our former fellows.
The Enterprise Academy was delighted to welcome to the symposium so many of the former fellows to the event today.
Engagement: A core pillar of TU Dublin
Congratulating the Spring 2025 fellows on their achievements, Dr. Mc Bride emphasised the critical importance of engagement as a core pillar of TU Dublin's mission, highlighting how these fellowships provided the opportunities for fellows to engage with industry and other parts of the University to enhance their projects.
"As members of faculty, we have three core missions: teaching, research, and engagement. While teaching and research are rightly woven into the everyday fabric of what we do, engagement can often be the poor cousin. The Enterprise Academy fellowship was specifically designed to counter this, giving our colleagues the time and space to conduct vital discovery work, establish partnerships across our extensive enterprise networks, and truly make engagement a more prominent and integrated part of our university's fabric. The success we celebrate today is a testament to the incredible support from our schools, who have truly acted as the supportive engine, enabling our fellows to realise the profound value and concrete outcomes demonstrated in their research projects, which will ultimately benefit not only their individual schools but also the wider university."
Dr. Claire Mc Bride Head of the Enterprise Academy, and Convene Project Lead
Spring 2025 fellows
TU Dublin extends its warmest congratulations to the fellows who successfully completed their fellowships this term, who presented their research projects and were awarded their certificates today.
- Dan McCartney, The development of micro-credentials in human nutrition and dietetics for clinicians, educators, the food, pharmaceutical, sports, fitness and wellbeing sectors, and the general public Lecturer, School of Biological, Health & Sports Science
- Emer Byrne, Sustainability in action: Collaborative modules for the Built Environment, Lecturer, School of Surveying & Construction Innovation
- Laura Corrigan, Empowering financial businesses to integrate climate and nature into their financial decision-making, Lecturer, School of Accounting, Economics & Finance
- Nina Lyons, An Approach To Tailoring Content Design Provision Lecturer & Ph.D. researcher in AR & the intersection of Visual Communication Theories, School of Media
Former fellow panel discussion
A key part of the symposium was the lively panel discussion featuring former Enterprise Academy Fellows, chaired by Dr. Norah Cussen, Head of Executive Education at Technological University Dublin. During the panel discussion, Dr. Norah Cussen spoke about the impact of the fellowship on addressing practical challenges.
The panel included distinguished former Enterprise Academy Fellows:
- Seán McHugh, Head of Digital Transformation in the School of Enterprise Computing and Digital Transformation
- Katriona Flynn, Lecturer in the School of Art and Design
- Linda Mc Weeney, Lecturer in the School of Accounting, Economics & Finance
- Claire Brougham, Lecturer in the School of Mechanical Engineering
Value and impact of the Enterprise Academy fellowships
During the panel discussion, Dr. Norah Cussen spoke about the impact of the fellowship on addressing practical challenges and the value and impact the fellowships bring back to the home schools. The insights shared by the former fellows underscored the lasting impact of the Enterprise Academy program.
Sean McHugh from Enterprise Computing and Digital Transformation shared his experience, stating: "The fellowship has been instrumental in strengthening our connection with industry, allowing us to develop tracks for student employability, including alternatives to traditional internships. We've seen how crucial it is for our graduates to have both industry-ready tech skills and professional soft skills, which we've fostered through engaging with industry partners like Apple Green, and incorporating project work and innovation challenges. This holistic approach truly differentiates our students and prepares them for successful careers."
Dr. Claire Brougham, a lecturer in Engineering and Medical Devices, also reflected on the program's impact, stating, "The Enterprise Academy provided invaluable support to the School of Mechanical Engineering, particularly in our efforts to address skills shortages within the medical device industry. This fellowship allowed us to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world application, ensuring our graduates are well-equipped to drive innovation in this critical sector."
Linda Mc Weeney from the School of Accounting, Economics & Finance highlighted the program's broader impact, saying, "The Enterprise Academy has immensely benefited our school, elevating its profile by directly addressing industry needs. It provided us with a crucial opportunity to formalise structures for engaging with professional bodies and enterprises, creating amazing new materials and opening direct lines of communication. This entire journey has been incredible, and it's particularly exciting to see how it has enabled us to embed vital areas like sustainability and AI into our programs, ensuring we stay up-to-date and embrace the rapid evolution in these fields."
"While we can talk to enterprise, we recognise that within the current structure of operational challenges and school support and resourcing, undertaking these projects can be a significant hurdle. The Enterprise Academy fellowship has been fantastic in navigating these challenges, demonstrating that there is 'no way we're going to do what we do' without this crucial support. The value of the internal network and the collaborative space it provides is undeniable, enhancing the output and enabling us to move away from designing in silos."
Linda Mc Weeney from the School of Accounting, Economics & Finance
Curate and Assess
Dr. Kevin O'Rourke, who mentored the fellows, delivered an insightful presentation on "Curate and Assess" and how it has developed and evolved especially in the age of AI. The "Curate & Assess" model focuses on reusing online content from expert commercial or open content providers, enabling lecturers to focus on contextualisation, assessment, and feedback, ultimately providing high-quality flexible education.
The symposium concluded with a networking lunch, providing further opportunities for collaboration and discussion.
Former and current Enterprise Academy Fellows with Dr. Nora Cussen, Dr. Kevin O'Rourke and Dr. Claire Mc Bride.
