Launch of UCD College of Social Sciences and Law

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law was officially launched at the UCD Garret FitzGerald Autumn School and Lecture on Monday, 19 October in UCD Sutherland School of Law. The College has an unusually broad representation of disciplines, ranging from Archaeology to Sociology with Economics,  Education, Geography, Information and Communications Studies, Law, Philosophy, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice in between.

At the launch, Professor Colin Scott, College Principal, stated, "We are signalling a commitment to further build on the recognised strengths of UCD in the social sciences and cognate disciplines to identify and address social, economic and political challenges that cross disciplinary boundaries within and beyond the social sciences." He added, "This is important for our mission in graduate and undergraduate education, in which we have more than 5000 students, the training of the next generation of researchers through our doctoral and post-doctoral programmes, our highly ranked research activities, and our engagement and outreach with alumni, policy and practice communities."

Pictured at the Launch of UCD College of Social Sciences and Law at the UCD Garret FitzGerald Autumn School and Lecture on Monday, 19 October in UCD Sutherland School of Law: College Principal Professor Colin Scott, Harvard Professor Cass R. Sunstein and UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, Professor Orla Feely

In her remarks Professor Orla Feely, UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, noted the importance of the social sciences for our understanding of key societal challenges and how they may address the significance of collaboration between the social sciences and the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) disciplines, and the very high standing of UCD in the social sciences internationally.

Many of the College’s educational programmes offer preparation for professional careers across fields including education, information and librarianship, law, public policy, psychology and social work. Numerous innovative interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary degrees are available in the College on topics such as public policy, equality studies, human rights, geopolitics, global migration, cognitive science and European affairs. UCD is highly ranked for social sciences in all the main international rankings of universities. 

Pictured at the Launch of UCD College of Social Sciences and Law at the UCD Garret FitzGerald Autumn School and Lecture on Monday, 19 October in UCD Sutherland School of Law: UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy Director Philip O'Connell and UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, Professor Orla Feely

The College strives to benefit individuals and communities by enhancing understanding of the human condition through rigorous research within and between disciplines in and beyond the College itself. Areas of particular research expertise include leadership, regulation and governance; identity, conflict and inclusion; ethical public policy; enhancing the public sphere; human development; child and youth wellbeing; and smart cities. Research output by academics in these areas has already positively shaped the public policy agenda at national, EU and international levels. Through linkages with non-governmental organisations, and partnerships with a wide range of universities internationally, including in developing countries, our education and research impacts on a worldwide scale.

A society with the capacity to understand its own structures, relationships and values is well placed not only to address the social and political challenges it faces, but also to foster better understanding of the potential for, and limits of, economic, scientific and technological progress. Research in the social and behavioural sciences underpins societal wellbeing as well as economic achievement.

The social sciences have a vital role in UCD, in Ireland and Internationally.