Event: in Conversation with the first six Female University Presidents in Ireland

The first female Presidents from six Irish Universities will gather together in conversation to celebrate International Women's Day 2023.

In 2019, there were no female Presidents of universities in Ireland. By 2022, there were six. To mark this incredible milestone and in the spirit of International Women's Day, the President of Maynooth University, Professor Eeva Leinonen, has invited all female Presidents of Irish Universities for a panel discussion about leadership in modern universities.

Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science & Justice, Simon Harris TD will open this event which will take place on Monday 6 March 2023, 10:30am – 12:30pm GMT, at the Technology, Society and Innovation Building (TSI) on the campus of Maynooth University. It will also be streamed online.

The panel of female university Presidents comprises Professor Eeva Leinonen, Maynooth University; Professor Veronica Campbell, South East Technological University; Professor Maggie Cusack, Munster Technological University; Provost, Dr Linda Doyle, Trinity College Dublin; Dr Orla Flynn, Atlantic Technological University and Professor Kerstin Mey, University of Limerick.

The conversation will be moderated by Irish Times Journalist Kathy Sheridan. The panel discussion will cover a range of topics, including the Presidents’ personal leadership journeys, the value of gender equality in academia, and the opportunities and challenges facing higher education today.

The event is a powerful statement of the progress made towards gender equality in the higher education landscape in Ireland and presents a unique opportunity to hear from some of the most influential women in academia.