Sustainability orientation reaches more than 6,000 incoming students in 2026
Over a five-day orientation in September 2026, TU Dublin Sustainability welcomed incoming students to the University with a programme of sustainability and climate action activities. The programme ran from 07-11 September across all five campus locations.
More than 6,000 first-year students took part. Working with 20 student and staff facilitators, Sustainability Education and Societal Engagement teams delivered 27 presentations introducing students to the UN (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainability activity at TU Dublin, and highlighting the ways that they can get involved during their time at university.
In between orientation talks, each campus hosted four interactive sustainability and climate action activities, which 888 students completed. That is more than double the number who took part in 2024. Twelve Student Ambassadors received training on how to communicate the SDGs and to deliver the programme, gaining valuable leadership experience along the way.
As part of orientation, 3,377 students took part in TU Dublin's longitudinal SDG awareness survey, which tracks how much each incoming year group knows about the SDGs. The 2026 results are encouraging. The share of incoming students reporting knowledge of the SDGs has risen by 25% in relative terms since 2024. Around 1 in 5 students said they know a little about the SDGs, and 23% said they would like to engage with sustainability through TU Dublin Clubs and Societies.
Speaking about the programme, Head of Sustainability Education, Dr Brian Gormley said:
“Orientation is our first opportunity to show students that sustainability is part of every programme and discipline at TU Dublin, not an add-on. It's encouraging to see more students arriving with knowledge of the SDGs, and to see nearly 900 of them getting involved in climate action challenges in their first week. Our Student Ambassadors were central to that, and they helped put students at ease turning a presentation into a real conversation about sustainability. We want every student to leave TU Dublin with the skills necessary to create sustainability solutions through their own field, and that journey starts on day one."
Speaking about the experience Student Ambassador Raphael Balisi said:
Being a Student Ambassador during the Orientation was a great opportunity to connect with new students and show them how sustainability can be part of everyday university life. It was rewarding to engage with such large groups of peers, answer their questions, and encourage them to get involved. The experience also helped me develop my confidence, leadership, and public speaking skills, which I know I will benefit me throughout my studies and future career.
The Sustainability Orientation programme was supported by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education