UCD Past, Present and Future 

Our legacy 

UCD was founded in 1854, with St John Henry Newman as our founding Rector. We rapidly grew in scale and impact, and UCD staff, students and graduates were central to the events leading to Irish independence and the foundation of the Irish State just over a century ago. Since then, our university and our community have had an unparalleled impact on the transformative development of Ireland. Our graduates have achieved extraordinary success around the world, from Olympic gold medals to the Nobel Prize, leading some of the largest companies in the world, leading in public life, and leading cultural and societal transformations.

UCD today 

UCD is at the heart of Ireland’s vibrant economy, culture and society as the country’s largest and most influential university, with over 38,000 students from over 150 countries and over 300,000 alumni around the world.  We are Ireland’s global university, the largest English speaking university in the European Union, and an active partner in the Una Europa university alliance and other major university networks. We are a leader in research and innovation across our broad range of disciplines. Our 133-hectare main Dublin campus is among the finest parkland campuses in the world and a resource treasured by many. Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion has been recognised through the Athena Swan Silver Award, and we are ranked first in Ireland and 50th worldwide for sustainability.

UCD in 2030 will be: 

• supporting an ever more diverse range of students to realise their potential through an enriched and empowering education.

• an exemplar in supporting student experience, wellbeing and sense of belonging.

• a preferred destination for outstanding faculty, staff and students.

• a welcoming and exciting place for all in our community.

• delivering groundbreaking research that has clear impact at scale on the defining issues of our time, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), One Health and Societal Transformations.

• a leader in university innovation and entrepreneurship, supporting Irish and European industrial competitiveness.

• a leader in knowledge generation, learning and action across the sustainability agenda, with carbon emissions
  reduced by 51% and on track for net zero by 2040.

• Ireland’s leading university in delivering impact through partnership, and a trusted partner globally.

• a source of insight and objectivity on issues of vital importance to society.

• visible and accessible as a steward and a champion of Irish culture and heritage.

• trusted, responsible and financially robust.

• delivering integrated supports and using data, AI and other digital technologies to enhance all our activities.

• firmly established among the top 20 universities in the EU.