Global Corporate Leaders, Educators and Funders Convene to Address Critical Issues Affecting Low-Income Students at International Summit co-hosted by Trinity in the US

Posted on: 16 April 2014

‘The Galileo Summit’ organised by Trinity  and US organisation ‘College For Every Student’   Focused On The Structure, Policy, Pedagogy and Funding Of College 2025

Global leaders in higher education and the corporate sector from Ireland, China, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and the United States came together on April 9th and 10th last in Essex, New York to discuss how to expand college access and the way students would learn in the coming years, and the challenges that currently leave low-income students behind.  The international conference was co-hosted by Trinity College Dublin and by the US organisation,  College For Every Student. Speakers included Salim Ismail, founder of  Singularity University  in the US, Lord David Puttnam, educationalist and  Digital Champion for Ireland, Dr William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions, Harvard College,  Professor Paul Reville, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Professor Les Ebdon, Director of the Office of Fair Access  in the UK.

Trinity’s  Dean of  Undergraduate Students, Dr Patrick Geoghegan and Director of Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) at Trinity, Cliona Hannon  participated in the  programme and Irish delegates included the Head of the Higher Education Authority, Tom Boland.

Also participating in the Summit were executives from Google, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Harvard, General Electric, Boeing, Ernst & Young among others.

“Access to, and full participation in, higher education for young, and not so young, low income people is a key challenge facing Ireland as it is in many other countries.  Finding ways to meet that challenge is as much a matter of human rights as it is an economic and social imperative.  Doing so encompasses issues of student support, academic programme development and delivery as well as social and economic issues relating to culture, motivation and confidence.  Ireland has much to learn from international experience and much to share from our own experience to-date,” explained the Head of the Higher Education Authority, Tom Boland.

Lord David Puttnam who spoke on the topic ‘A Country that fails to value its Teachers, fails to value its future’, said. “As the outgoing Chancellor of the Open University, I’ve seen at first-hand, the ways in which educational opportunities can transform lives for people from low-income backgrounds. It’s critical that we enhance access to education for everyone to help ensure that they have the opportunity to enjoy fulfilling lives at a time of increasingly tough global challenges.”

Commenting on the summit gathering, TAP Director, Cliona Hannon said: “These leaders understand the need for a global solution and are committed to working together to create and sustain higher education opportunities that meet the needs of all young people with talent and motivation, regardless of socio-economic background.”