UCD welcomed Wales’ Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, in celebration of the relationship between the University and Welsh institutions, just ahead of St David’s Day. 

UCD and Welsh higher education and research organisations enjoy long-standing collaborative links which are underpinned by similar university structures and shared culture and history, with many research partnerships supported under the Ireland-Wales Interreg programme, funded through the European Regional Development Fund. 

Minister Miles was greeted at the Belfield campus by Professor Orla Feely, UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin, Principal and Dean of UCD College of Arts and Humanities, and researchers involved in collaborations with Welsh partners. 

Speaking on the occasion, Jeremy Miles said: “Ireland is an important partner in education and research, which is why these areas are key to our Ireland Wales Shared Statement and Joint Action Plan. This visit to UCD is a chance to celebrate our partnership on Dydd Gŵyl Dewi and will help us find new opportunities to work together.”

Professor Feely said: “UCD has a rich and vibrant history of collaboration with Welsh higher education in areas including agriculture, water, heritage, health and sustainable tourism. We are especially honoured to acknowledge this proud history of partnership marking St David’s Day, and look forward to enhancing our cooperation and supporting ever closer engagement between Ireland and Wales.”

Professor Uí Chollatáin said: “Our common interest in heritage and language linked to the diaspora of Wales and Ireland has led to numerous collaborations in the arts and humanities. These partnerships are helping to create new cultural experiences and forge additional networks between schools, the tourism sector and universities bringing positive benefits for Welsh and Irish society.”

As part of his engagements at UCD the Minister visited the National Folklore Collection which contains a unique record of Irish cultural life through its preservation and dissemination of Irish folk belief, oral narratives and music. The collection has a long standing connection with Wales through the support and camaraderie provided during the pioneering days of folk museums. The NFC has been inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

UCD has long established research partnerships with Aberystwyth University, Cardiff University and Swansea University amongst other Welsh higher education institutions and stakeholders. Most recently UCD are partnering with Aberystwyth University and the Dyfed Archaeological Trust on an EU funded Interreg through the Ireland-Wales Cooperation Programme on the CUPHAT project, which is examining cultural and natural heritage assets to promote sustainable forms of tourism in the Cambrian Mountains and Preseli Hills in Wales, and Wicklow Mountains and Blackstairs Mountainsled. 

In addition, UCD is collaborating with Aberystwyth University, Swansea University and Teagasc, on another Ireland-Wales Cooperation Programme, ‘Healthy Oats.’ The research partnership brings together unique expertise in both Ireland and Wales on germplasm selection, oat genotyping, consumer behaviour and oat product development promoting the development of oats as a healthy food product and a climate-resistant crop in Wales and Ireland.