Spotlight Series
Recordings
Playback initiatives and insights in ESD from Higher Education Institutions across Ireland
Dundalk Institute of Technology
14 November 2025
Presenters
How the SDGs shaped our Rural Development module
Eamonn Mullen, Lecturer, Department of Agriculture, Food and Animal Health, DkIT
ReSPoNSE partnership and the MBS In Responsible Entrepreneurship
Dr Teresa O’Rourke, Lecturer, Department of Hospitality Studies, DkIT
The 20-year story of the campus wind turbine at DkIT
Dr Ray Byrne, Lecturer, Department of Life and Health Sciences, DkIT
Chaired by Christian Maas, Climate Action & Sustainability Manager, DkIT
University of Limerick
07 November 2025
Presenters
ESD in University of Limerick strategies and frameworks
Dr Íde O’Sullivan, Senior Educational Developer, Centre for Transformative Learning.
Blurring boundaries to shape change: The role of Stakeholder Engagement in ESD at Kemmy Business School.
Dr Annmarie Ryan, Associate Professor, Department of Management & Marketing, Kemmy Business School.
An evidence informed teaching approach of social justice pedagogies: Co-creating toolkits for teacher educators and preservice teachers.
Dr Antonio Calderón, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences.
Integrating Social Entrepreneurship into Language Learning: Preparing Business Students for Real-World Challenges.
Marta Fortes Saez, Spanish Teacher & PhD researcher, School of Modern Languages & Applied Linguistics.
Transforming the Learning Environment through the My Green Labs initiative.
Gordon Armstrong, Chief Technical Officer, Bernal Institute.
Chaired by Úna McInerney, Mission Lab Portfolio Manager, Centre for Sustainable Futures and Innovation, UL. Also featuring Dr Lorraine Tansey, Programme Manager, StudentVolunteer.ie, UL.
National College of Ireland
31 October 2025
Presenters
Changing lives through education: Macro -to Micro
Nicola Horgan, Assistant Professor & Programme Director, NCI
Changing lives through education: Stewardship & Governance
Bertie Kelly, Commercial Manager, NCI
Changing lives through education: Digital for Sustainability
Prof Horacio Gonzalez Velez, Professor of Computer Systems / Head of Cloud Competency Centre, NCI
Changing lives through education: Citi UpStart
Prof Paul Stynes, Dean of the School of Computing, NCI
Changing lives through education: Internal Voice – External Impact
John Andrews, Digital Learning Specialist, NCI
Hibernia College
24 October 2025
Presenters
Exploring Education for Sustainable Development in Hibernia College
Patricia Nunan, Director, PME Post-Primary, Hibernia College
Embedding Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development Across the Curriculum
Dr Annemarie Doran, Assistant Professor in Education, PME Post-Primary, Hibernia College
Building a Community of Practice for Sustainable Teacher Education
Richard Egan, Deputy Director, PME Post-Primary, Hibernia College
Maynooth University
17 October 2025
Presenters
Integrating Futures Thinking and Transformative Climate Justice
Prof Jennie Stephens, Professor of Climate Justice, MU
MSU Sustainability Initiatives
Lily Kilmartin-Gath, Environmental Officer, MSU
Co-creating a Sustainability Community of Practice
Dr Alison Farrell, Teaching Development Officer and Co-Convener of the Maynooth University ‘Sustainability Community of Practice’
Education for Sustainable Development through Praxis: Case Studies, Maynooth University
Dr Patricia Healy Kettle, Department of Sociology, MU
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
10 October 2025
Presenters
Overview of ESD in RCSI
Catherine Sullivan – Data & Insights Manager, Office of Insights and Planning, RCSI
Developing and delivering a dedicated module on Sustainability and Planetary Health to undergraduate Pharmacy students
Dr Aisling O’Leary, Senior Lecturer, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI
Integrating Planetary Health into Medicine Curriculum
Dr Ross Brannigan Lecturer, Dept Public Health & Epidemiology, School of Population Health, RCSI
Sustainable Development through the RCSI Student Engagement and Partnership (StEP) Programme
Dr Graeme Kelly, Senior Technician, Department of Chemistry, RCSI
Advancing inclusive and equitable healthcare education for the future
Professor Gozie Offiah, Senior Lecturer and the Director of Curriculum, School of Medicine, RCSI
Technological University of the Shannon
03 October 2025
Presenters
Overview of ESD at TUS
Mr Seamus Hoyne – Dean of Flexible and Work-Based Learning, Head of Centre, Thurles Campus, TUS
The impact of SATLE-funded ESD projects in TUS
Dr Nuala Harding – Head of the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development (CPID), TUS
Introducing the TUS Compendium of Embedding Education for Sustainable Development in Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Dr Noëlle O’Connor – Senior Lecturer, Researcher and Educational Developer, TUS
ESD through Funded Research Projects – The Go Green Project!
Dr Rita Scully, Department of Built Environment
ESD through Funded Research Projects – GreenHive: A European Ecosystem for Sustainability Education
Dr Marie Taylor, Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI)
ESD through Programme and Module Design within TUS – L9 Cert in Design For Sustainability & Circular Economies (Limerick School of Art and Design – LSAD)
Dr Adam de Eyto, Head of Design at the Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD TUS)
ESD through Teaching and Assessment Strategies – Safe Inhaler Disposal Campaign
Dr Gary Stack, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biotechnology
University College Dublin
20 June 2025
Presenters
Overview of UCD’s Strategic Sustainability Approach
Professor Tasman Crowe, Vice-President for Sustainability, UCD
Learning for Life: Integrating ESD into the Student Journey
Professor Emma O’Neill, Co-Chair of the Education, Student Experience and Professional Development for Sustainability core working group, UCD.
Case Study: BSc Sustainability at UCD
Kirsten Southard, Senior Programme Manager in the College of Science, UCD
Co-Creating UCD’s Sustainability Toolkit
Kendra Paleczny, final-year BSc Sustainability student, UCD
Sustainability at UCD SDG Dashboard
Ainhoa González, Associate Professor in the School of Geography, UCD
Queen’s University Belfast
13 June 2025
Presenters
Strategic Overview: Queen’s University Belfast
Natalie Le Seelleur, Climate and Sustainability in the Curriculum Officer, QUB
Designing an Academic Development Programme to Support Embedding ESD in the Curriculum
Dr Alison Calvert, Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, QUB
Education for Sustainable Development in the Engineering Classroom
Dr Beatrice Smyth, Senior Lecturer, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, QUB
‘A walk on the wild side’: Embedding ESD through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
Dr Niall Majury, Director of Education, School of Natural and Built Environment, QUB
Institute of Art, Design and Technology
30 May 2025
Presenters
Strategic Overview & IADT Roadmap
Rónán O Muirthile, Head of Faculty & Climate Champion, IADT
The Good Guide to Creative Practice
Heitor Laforga de Araujo Monterio, Interdisciplinary designer and researcher, IADT alumnus and one of the creators of The Good Guide
SDG Introduction for Students and Curriculum Support for Staff
Louise Glynn, Lecturer in Computing, IADT
Cross-Faculty Teaching, Campus Initiatives, and Community Collaboration
Clyde Doyle, Lecturer in Design + Visual Arts, IADT
Media and Climate Change, & Campus Permeability
Dr Cormac Deane, Lecturer in Film and Media,Department of Humanities, IADT
National College of Art and Design
23 May 2025
Presenters
NCAD Staff Circular Economy Sandpit
Enda O’Dowd, Lecturer & Programme Coordinator – MSc, Medical Device Design
Creative Boardroom: Collaborate 4 Climate
Louise Allen, Director, Director of the Creative Futures Academy
Munster Technological University
16 May 2025
Presenters
A University Wide Approach for an Inclusive Curriculum for a Sustainable Future
Dr Niamh Power, Lecturer in Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, MTU and Chairperson of the Environmental Science association of Ireland
CARES: Curriculum Advancements & Rapid Embedding of Sustainability
Maria Cullinane, Programme Coordinator for Sustainable Energy Engineering at MTU
Dr Aisling O’Gorman, Programme Coordinator & Lecturer Chemical & Biopharmaceutical Engineering, MTU
‘A Healthy MTU‘: Leveraging universities as settings for health, wellbeing, and sustainable development.
Dr Andrea Bickerdike, Lecturer in Health & Wellbeing and Director of ‘A Healthy MTU‘
A Design Thinking approach to implementing Sustainability Thinking in teaching practice
Lisa Zimmermann, Assistant Lecturer in Visual Communications at MTU
Trinity College Dublin
09 May 2025
Presenters
Trinity College Dublin: Session Overview
Dr Claire McAvinia, Academic Developer, Centre for Academic Practice
A Framework to Support Curriculum Design for ESD – facilitating the embedding of ESD into the Trinity Curriculum
Dr Caitríona Ní Shé, Academic Developer, Centre for Academic Practice
Enacting Education for Sustainable Development in Trinity Business School
Dr Cicely Roche, Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Fellow in Education for Sustainable Development
Dr Norah Campbell, Associate Professor, Trinity Business School
A Roadmap to Inform and Track Trinity’s ESD Journey
Dr John Gallagher, Associate Professor, Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering
Music and Climate: A Case Study in Ecomusicological Pedagogy
Dr Jonathan Hodgers, Lecturer, Department of Music, School of Creative Arts
South East Technological University
11 April 2025
Presenters
Education for Sustainable Development at SETU
Dr David Ryan, Associate Vice President for Sustainability at SETU
The SETU Living Lab at Carriganore
Dr Denise O’Meara, Lecturer in Molecular Biology, Department of Science, School of Science and Computing, SETU
Sustainability in the Arts Festival
Dr Hazel Farrell, Lead SETU Sustainability in the Arts Festival
SDGs in Architecture at the Granary
Juergen Bauer, Dipl. Ing. Architekt MRIAI, Lecturer in the Department of Architecture and the Built Environment & Dept. Coordinator of HCI Building Change 2022-2025, SETU
The SETU GrowthHub
Dr Margaret Tynan, GROWTHhub Project Lead and Senior Lecturer in Enterprise and Management
Atlantic Technological University
04 April 2025
Presenters
Overview of ATU ESD Academy
Dr John Scahill, Department of Building and Civil Engineering and Co-Lead of the ATU ESD Academy
Engaging Community through the Power to Change Project
Dr Yvonne Lang, Lecturer and Project Manager Power to Change, ATU
Embodying Outdoor and Place-Based ESD
Dr Deirdre Garvey, Head of Department of Environmental Humanities & Social Sciences, Chair ATU Mayo Green Campus
Kevin O’Callaghan, Programme Co-ordinator for MSc in Outdoor Education, Sustainability and Wellbeing, Lecturer in Outdoor Education
An Analysis of the Environmental Attitudes of Undergraduate Construction Management Students
Dr Jan Gottsche, Lecturer in the Department of Building and Civil Engineering, ATU
Mary Immaculate College
28 March 2025
Presenters
Overview of ESD at Mary immaculate College – Collective Consolidation
Professor Lorraine McIlrath, Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism (EDII) at MIC
Playing to our traditional strengths to deliver ESD:Teacher Education and Education for Sustainable Development (Undergraduate and post graduate opportunities)
Dr Anne Dolan, Associate Professor, MIC
New pathways for innovative ESD (Part 1)
Emma Gleeson, PhD Scholar, Department of Geography, MIC
New pathways for innovative ESD (Part 2)
Dr John Morrissey, Associate Professor in Geography, MIC
Supporting SDGs in Curriculum Design
Dr Katherine Whitehurst, Director of Teaching and Learning, MIC
Technological University Dublin
21 March 2025
Presenters
Overview of TU Dublin ESD Strategy
Dr Olivia Freeman, Sustainability Education Lead, Sustainability Education, TU Dublin
The Sustainability Education Team at TU Dublin
Dr Lucia Walsh, Sustainability Education & Innovation Lead, Sustainability Education, TU Dublin
The role of Community Collaborations in Educating 21st century Horticulturists
Rachel Freeman, Lecturer in Horticulture, School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, TU Dublin
Sustainable Design in Civil and Structural Engineering: A case study of new module development
Caitríona Quinn, MSc. PGDip, Lecturer, School of Transport and Civil Engineering, TU Dublin
Education for Sustainable Development: An Assessment Approach
Dr Róisín Vize, Lecturer in Digital Marketing, School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, TU Dublin
University of Galway
14 March 2025
Presenters
Creating an Undergraduate Transdisciplinary Sustainability Course at the University of Galway
Dr Gesche Kindermann, College of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Earth and Life Sciences, University of Galway
Matamaitic don Inbhuanaitheacht – An Irish-language Interdisciplinary Sustainability Module
Dr Fintan Hegarty, College of Science and Engineering, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Galway
Learning Through Doing: Lessons from Stakeholder Engagement in Media Education
Dr Kelly Fincham, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Global Media, University of Galway
Embedding a Culture of ESD in a New Pharmacy Programme
Dr Joanne O’Dwyer, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Pharmacy, University of Galway
Also featuring Dr Elizabeth Hurley and Dr Alma Clavin, Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), University of Galway
University College Cork
07 March 2025
Presenters
Education for Sustainable Development at UCC: An Overview
Dr David Nyaluke, Education for Sustainable Development Officer, Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), University College Cork
ESD in Action: Practices and Approaches at UCC
Dr Catherine O’Mahony, Director of the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), University College Cork
Integrating the SDGs into Teaching with the UCC SDG Toolkit
Dr John Barimo, Manager of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Ireland (SDSN), University College Cork
Ulster University
28 February 2025
Presenters
ESD at Ulster University: a multifaceted approach (2019-)
Dr Amanda Platt, Senior Lecturer Higher Education Practice and ESD Lead, Ulster University
Integrating Research and Teaching with/for Sustainability
Dr Kieran Higgins, Lecturer in Higher Education Practice, Ulster University
Ulster University Research Teaching Nexus Toolkit
Professor Raymond Bond, Professor of Human Computer Systems, School of Computing, Ulster University
Research-led Approach to Learning — Environmental Engineering
Professor Pilar Fernandez-Ibanez, Professor in Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Ulster University
Sustainability Paradoxes: Research-Teaching Nexus
Dr Susann Power, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Tourism, Dept. of Hospitality Tourism & Events Management, Ulster University
Dublin City University
21 February 2025
Presenters
What can you achieve in one year of ESD?
Barry Peak, ESD Officer, Dublin City University
ESD in Practice – Dublin City University Business School (DCUBS)
Dr Cliona McParland, DCU Business School, Dublin City University
Make it Slow
Dr Michael Hinds, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Dublin City University
