The Idea of a University in a global era
Originally delivered by the great 19th century educationalist, John Henry Newman, in Dublin as Discourses on University Education, in 1852, The Idea of a University, published in 1873, is today a world classic.
John Henry Newman was the first Rector of the Catholic University of Ireland which was opened in Dublin on 3rd November 1854. The Catholic University of Ireland was the antecedent institution of University College Dublin. The UCD International Centre for Newman Studies was established by the university as an academic forum to facilitate scholarly research into the life, times and work of John Henry Newman 1801-1890. It is affiliated to the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law.
The Centre is located in Newman House, the original building in which Newman opened his University in St. Stephen’s Green, the heart of Dublin. It provides an attractive meeting place for Newman scholars from Ireland and abroad.
Building on the tradition of its founding rector, UCD today seeks to deliver on his Idea of a University through how it fosters young minds. UCD is the most popular university in Ireland, attracting the highest number of first preference applications from Irish students. Its national reach is deeper than any other Irish university as students are drawn from all corners of the country. UCD is very much part of the fabric of Dublin, a city with a truly European feel.
UCD continues to extend its international reach and today is Ireland's most international university with over 6,000 international students, drawn from over 120 countries. In addition, the university places great emphasis on the internationalisation of the Irish student experience – preparing all UCD students for future employment and life that crosses borders and cultures. UCD is a member of the Universitas 21 network of global research universities which offers a variety of student mobility initiatives, including an annual undergraduate research conference, summer school and traditional exchange programmes.
UCD is at the forefront of internationalising education, as a distinctively Irish university with global impact. The University offers a world-class education delivered by academic staff at the leading edge of their fields internationally, delivering innovative and high quality programmes adaptive to the current and future learning needs of students and graduates. The June 2011 Irish Universities Quality Board report commended UCD for "its visionary approach to education that aims to prepare students to play a role as Irish and global citizens".
UCD aims to extend this tradition of student excellence and achievement to a broader global network of students and graduates, through a wide variety of international scholarships and awards. The UCD Global Excellence and UCD Global Graduate scholarships, along with a range of schemes for countries such as India, USA, Brazil and China, encourage ambitious undergraduate and graduate students to advance their studies in Ireland with UCD.
