TU Dublin Business and Management Students Raise €42,500 for Charity
A group of third-year Business and Management students at TU Dublin's Aungier Street Campus has raised a remarkable €42,500 for a range of Irish charities as part of their Entrepreneurship module. Working in teams of just two or three, students were tasked with designing, organising, and delivering a fundraising initiative within ten weeks. Each group was challenged to raise a minimum of €2,000, but the twelve participating teams far exceeded expectations, delivering an outstanding collective total of €42,500.
This assignment, now in its 20th year, remains a hallmark of experiential learning within the programme. Over the past two decades, TU Dublin students have raised more than €962,500, making an extraordinary contribution to Irish charitable organisations and communities nationwide.
Professor Tom Cooney, lecturer for the module and a long-standing champion of entrepreneurship education, praised the students’ creativity, resilience, and commitment:
“This project allows students to experience entrepreneurship in action - identifying opportunities, taking responsibility, dealing with uncertainty, and ultimately creating real social impact. Their achievements this year have been truly exceptional.”
This initiative reflects TU Dublin’s belief that education is more than learning; it’s about real-world application. Across our programmes, students undertake hands-on, practice-based work that blends academic theory with industry experience, ensuring graduates are both academically prepared and practically skilled. Collaboration is central to our model. In this project, students worked in teams and engaged with industry professionals, charity partners, and community groups. This challenge-based approach strengthens problem-solving abilities and prepares students to make meaningful contributions from day one of their careers.
The class also benefited from an inspirational guest presentation by Sean Kinsella, founder of SK LifeBalance, who shared practical insights on leadership, performance, and personal development. Dr Pat Kenny, Head of Organisation Studies at TU Dublin, also attended and commended the students for their professionalism and ambition.
The Entrepreneurship Challenge is part of TU Dublin’s ongoing commitment to experiential entrepreneurship education, empowering students to turn ideas into meaningful action and make a positive impact on society.