University College Dublin

[EduCativ]

University College Dublin has its origins in the mid-nineteenth century under the renowned educationalist John Henry Cardinal Newman's leadership. Since its foundation in 1854, the University has flourished and made a unique and substantial contribution to modern Ireland's creation, based on successful engagement with Irish society on every level and across every sphere of activity.
UCD is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities, an environment where undergraduate education, master's and Ph.D. training, research, innovation, and community engagement form a dynamic spectrum of activity.
The international standing of UCD has grown in recent years. It is currently ranked within the top 1% of institutions worldwide. UCD is also Ireland's most globally engaged University, with over 30,000 students drawn from over 120 countries and includes 5,500 students based at locations outside of Ireland. The University's main Dublin campus occupies an extensive parkland estate of more than 130 hectares. It offers world-leading facilities, including the UCD O'Brien Centre for Science, UCD Sutherland School of Law, UCD Lochlan Quinn School of Business, and UCD Student Centre.
As Ireland's largest University, with its great strength and diversity of disciplines, UCD embraces its role to contribute to the flourishing of Ireland through the study and discussion of people, society, business, economy, culture, languages, and the creative arts, as well as through research and innovation. The University's Strategy 2015-2020 outlines the objectives and major strategic initiatives set in place in order to accomplish UCD's mission and vision for this era.
Research and innovation are essential drivers of a dynamic economy, an informed society, and a vibrant culture. The spectrum of research and innovation at UCD encompasses individual scholars, small, medium, and extensive research groups, start-up companies, and large-scale collaborations with industry and other partners. Research is conducted within each of the University's extensive range of disciplines and multidisciplinary research programs addressing global-scale challenges.
In 2013/14, UCD researchers secured €114 million in research grants from national and international funding agencies, companies, and foundations. Since 2004 UCD researchers have secured over €1 billion in such grants. Their research underpins national research and technology institutes and centers, including the €75 million Insight Centre for Data Analytics, the most extensive research grant in the Irish state's history.
UCD has had nationally-leading success in many of the most prestigious European awards, including the European Research Council and Marie Sklodowska-Curie schemes.
Over the last decade, UCD researchers have doubled their annual number of papers in the international literature. They have co-authored publications with more than 7,000 international researchers from more than 130 countries. Other researchers cite these papers at a rate that is 59% above the world average.
As Ireland's leader in innovation, technology transfer, and commercialization, UCD's commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship recognizes the importance of actively participating, contributing, and collaborating to exploit leading-edge research and development outputs. In 2014 UCD was ranked 5th among European universities for its track record in educating successful entrepreneurs.
UCD offers the most prominent start-up incubator center and support in Ireland. Supports for innovation include NovaUCD, the center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs NexusUCD, the Industry Partnership Centre, and the UCD Enterprise Gateway. To date, 30 UCD spin-out companies and 242 start-ups have been supported by NovaUCD, and over €100 million in equity funding has been raised for spin-outs.
UCD is Ireland's University of the first choice, leading in first-preference applications in Ireland year after year and being the University of the first choice for international students coming to Ireland. The University attracts top students: some 1,525 of the 1st year entrants in 2014 achieved 500 Leaving Certificate points – just 10% of all Leaving Cert students attain these results. The first-year retention rate is 98%, and over half of UCD undergraduates progress to graduate studies.
UCD is globally recognized for its excellence in teaching and learning – 9 subjects are ranked in the top 100 in the world out of 30 subjects (QS World University Ranking by Subject 2015). The University is first in Ireland in 12 subjects. A high standard of support complements this quality of teaching. Every incoming first year is assigned a peer mentor, and there are student advisers for every program.
UCD is Ireland's leader in graduate education, with over 8,000 graduate students, almost a quarter of whom are graduate research students 1,580 Ph.D. students benefit from a structured Ph.D. program and the research-led education culture at UCD.
The UCD Horizons scheme of modern, modularised education based on learning outcomes sees that 50% of students take modules outside their subject areas. UCD is the only Irish University to provide the EU Supplement Label to students for international recognition of qualifications. It is also number one in Ireland in the QS Employer Reputation Survey – 129th in the world.
The UCD Strategic Plan was officially announced by Professor Andrew J. Deeks, President of University College Dublin, in the Minister for Education & Skills, Ms. Jan O'Sullivan TD, on 11 November 2014.

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