Several representatives from Durham College (DC) visited Dublin Ireland to share their expertise and showcase the excellent programs offered at the college in the first Irish-Canadian Higher Education in Transformation Symposium, held at both the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Printworks, Dublin Castle.

Lon Appleby, professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services; Jay Fisher and Kevin Dougherty, professors in the School of Business, IT & Management; and DC President Don Lovisa travelled across the pond for the conference, which ran from March 30 to April 1. Also in attendance were representatives from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Trent University, Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB), Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT), and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).  

DC staff and faculty actively participated through workshops and speaking engagements that provided a strategic focus for attendees on the direction of higher education.

Appleby hosted a workshop on the first day that focused on DC’s “global classes”, which connects students with industry experts, producers, researchers and authors from around the world through a virtual meeting room.

Dougherty provided an address on the second day that focused on Factors that Influence College Faculty to Adopt Digital Technologies in their Practice, and Fisher shared his expertise on the third day with a speaking engagement based on A New Model Within Canadian Colleges and Universities to Develop a Diverse Future Generation of Entrepreneurs: Inclusivity and Accessibility.

“I was very pleased to co-host and participate in this international symposium and engage in meaningful discussions with colleagues from Canada, Ireland and other countries about the evolution of higher education,” said Lovisa. “In addition, I was very proud of our Durham College faculty who presented at the conference and by the excellent reception they received.  Through our collective efforts we can focus on responding to the rapidly changing social and economic environment affecting higher education. From this place of cohesion, we can adapt our institutions and continue to prepare our students for success and position them as tomorrow’s leaders.”