Teenagers want a greater voice in shaping social media. New UCD research found young people understand how algorithms influence their online experiences and want more transparency, control and accountability from platforms. Read more: www.ucd.ie/newsandopini...

Teenagers understand social media algorithms but want more control, UCD study finds

ucd.ie

👮‍♂️📲 Should gardaí be able to seize mobile phones without a search warrant? Responding to calls by broadcaster Joe Duffy for new powers to seize phones "on a hunch", Dr Elizabeth Farries warns that the proposal could disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. @ucddigitalpolicy.bsky.social

Are our phone laws outdated? | Newstalk

Former RTÉ Broadcaster Joe Duffy has called on the Government to introduce new laws that would g...

newstalk.com

The UCD Sutherland School of Law is proud to welcome more than 2,500 delegates to ICON-S 2026, the largest public law conference ever held in Ireland. Learn more: www.ucd.ie/law/events/i...

How do perceptions of fairness shape public trust in policymaking? A new paper by Dr Margaret Samahita and Ciara O'Donnell of the UCD School of Economics explores the concept of "luxury beliefs" and what it means for public policy in Ireland. publicpolicy.ie/papers/luxur...

Luxury Beliefs, Distributional Fairness and Public Policy in Ireland - Public Policy

This paper explores the concept of “luxury beliefs” and whether they function as status signals, considering their relevance for Irish public policy. The findings suggest that concerns about the unequ...

publicpolicy.ie

Congratulations to Scott Nagle, a UCD Economics and History student, and Suyun Zheng of the UCD School of Medicine, whose start-up Auralink won the 2026 NovaUCD Student Enterprise Competition. www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

n a recent Irish Examiner feature, Dr Stephan Köppe of the UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice discusses why better-paid leave schemes are key to increasing uptake among fathers. www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/he...

'Many dads don’t want to be the main breadwinner — they want to be involved in family life'

Most Irish dads want to spend more time at home with their children, but limited and poorly funded parenting leave makes it difficult for many

irishexaminer.com

UCD researchers continue to inform national policy discussions. Professor Lisa Ryan, Dr Patrick Brodie and Professor Oana Peia recently contributed their expertise to Houses of the Oireachtas committees examining AI, energy and fiscal policy. Read more: www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

UCD is proud to host the 41st Meeting of the European Economic Association and the 77th European Meeting of the Econometric Society from 17-21 August 2026. Hosted by the UCD School of Economics & UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. Explore more: www.eea-esem-congresses.org/full-programme

Today, Dr Patrick Brodie (UCD School of Information and Communication Studies) and Professor Lisa Ryan (UCD School of Economics and UCD Energy Institute) appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Watch live: www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachta...

The National Economic Dialogue takes place today. Professor Orla Doyle (UCD School of Economics) is chairing the event, while Professor Michelle Norris (Geary Institute for Public Policy) contributes to discussions on housing. #NED26 www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

The Children’s School Lives study, led by the UCD School of Education, has attracted widespread national media coverage. New findings highlight declines in reading and maths attainment following the pandemic, alongside widening educational inequalities. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

Irish children’s reading and maths got worse after pandemic, study finds

Gap between the reading scores of children in Deis versus non-Deis schools widened after pandemic, report says

irishtimes.com

The UCD School of Information and Communication Studies is helping lead Rinn AI, a new €121.8m national centre for Research and Innovation in Data Science and AI, announced as part of the €460m Research Ireland Rinn network. www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

👩‍🎓🏛️ UCD at the Oireachtas: Ireland’s response to rising energy and living costs must shift from short-term fossil-fuel subsidies to insulating homes, reducing energy demand, and boosting renewable energy, an Oireachtas committee has heard. 🧵 @ucdsocscilaw.bsky.social @oireachtasnews.bsky.social

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping public policy, infrastructure and economic strategy, but at what cost? Dr Patrick Brodie of @ucdischool.bsky.social explores the growing backlash against AI in the Irish Examiner. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

AI backlash is growing — and tech execs know it

AI data centres are inflating a financial bubble — and even top tech execs know the bubble will burst if we don't all adopt AI, and fast, writes Patrick Brodie

irishexaminer.com

The Colleges 10-Year Anniversary Programme closed with a fantastic staff lunch in Newman filled with great food, music and conversation. A huge thank you to everyone who supported and attended events across the anniversary year. Look back on the celebrations here: bit.ly/49lbLuv

Dr Orla Kelly of the UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice will co-lead a new €3.1m Horizon Europe-funded project examining the impact of four-day working weeks across Europe. Read more: www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

Dr Paul D'Alton, Associate Professor at UCD Psychology, has co-authored a major new report highlighting inequalities in cancer care for people living with significant mental health difficulties and calling for reforms to improve access and outcomes. www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

Dr John Francis Leader, Adjunct Research Fellow at UCD Psychology, joined RTÉ Radio 1’s DriveTime to discuss reality TV, contestant wellbeing and the blurred boundaries created in entertainment-focused formats following reports around Married at First Sight UK. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

Married at First Sight UK pulled from platforms over 'serious allegations of wrongdoing'

Dr John Francis Leader, Psychologist with the UCD Media Entertainment Psychology Lab

rte.ie

🔹🔸Yesterday, UCD Centre for Digital Policy hosted “Shaping Ireland’s AI Future: Education, Policy and Leadership at UCD" alongside UCD School of Information and Communication Studies and UCD College of Social Sciences and Law to celebrate the launch of our renewed MSc programme Digital and AI Policy

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law@ucdsocscilaw.bsky.social · 4mo ago

A great morning at MoLI for "Shaping Ireland’s AI Future: Education, Policy and Leadership at UCD", organised by @ucddigitalpolicy.bsky.social & @ucdischool.bsky.social A valuable discussion on AI governance, innovation and digital policy ahead of Ireland’s EU Presidency.

Researchers from the UCD School of Economics recently contributed to Oireachtas committee discussions on investment policy, energy security and cost-of-living pressures, helping bring academic research into national policymaking. www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

Is audience behaviour at concerts getting worse? Dr Claire Howlin from UCD Psychology joined Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live to discuss the psychology behind crowd behaviour at live shows following reports that a record was thrown at Eric Clapton. Listen from 1hr 45mins: bit.ly/4d9l433

Lunchtime Live - May 13th, 2026 - 12:00 PM-2:00 PM

May 13th, 2026 - 12:00 PM-2:00 PM

bit.ly

A great morning at MoLI for "Shaping Ireland’s AI Future: Education, Policy and Leadership at UCD", organised by @ucddigitalpolicy.bsky.social & @ucdischool.bsky.social A valuable discussion on AI governance, innovation and digital policy ahead of Ireland’s EU Presidency.

As part of the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law 10-Year Anniversary Programme, UCD Alumni Awardee Paul O’Brien reflects on human rights, protest movements and democracy in *Human Rights Work in the Trump Era*. Watch the full lecture: youtu.be/0P1T0VStfK4

Paul O’Brien: Human Rights Work in the Trump Era

YouTube video by UCD College of Social Sciences & Law

youtu.be

Listen back to Prof Lisa Ryan (UCD School of Economics) as she joined RTÉ Radio 1’s News at One to discuss Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels and the growing focus on energy security. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

Taoiseach: Ireland should consider nuclear power, reduce fossil fuel reliance

Lisa Ryan, Professor of Energy Economics at the UCD School of Economics and Energy Institute, discusses Europe's reliance on fossil fuels, a subject which has been highlighted by European Commission P...

rte.ie

Energy poverty remains a major challenge in Ireland. New research by Orla Dingley (UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice) explores gaps in current supports and what more effective, targeted policies could look like. publicpolicy.ie/papers/payin...

Paying for Power: How Should Ireland Support Households in an Energy Crisis? - Public Policy

With rising energy costs, many households in Ireland continue to struggle to afford their energy bills, highlighting the limitations of existing supports. Drawing on European experience, this paper ar...

publicpolicy.ie

A fantastic evening celebrating the UCD College of Social Sciences and Laws inaugural College Principal Awards recognised the outstanding contribution, dedication and impact of colleagues across the College. Congratulations to all awardees. Read the full list: www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

CONUNDRUM, led by Prof @niamhmcherry.bsky.social (UCD School of Geography and College Principal), has secured National Challenge Fund prize phase funding. Working with communities, the project is rethinking sustainable mobility beyond cities. www.ucd.ie/research/new...

Dr Jeremy Auerbach (UCD Geography) has been awarded €219,597 through the COALESCE programme for RIDERLAB, a project examining delivery rider conditions in Dublin to inform policy and improve protections. www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

Paul O’Brien of Amnesty International USA joined the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law to discuss the future of human rights and the challenges facing advocacy today. Read more: www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/ne...

UCD’s Global Engagement Seed Fund supports XR-LEARN 2035, led by Declan Qualter, Dr Michał Wieczorek and Dr Rachel Farrell, in partnership with Northeastern University. The project explores how XR can enhance learning design and student experience in future classrooms.