The Pat Kenny Show A new national centre for inclusive higher education opens
Nov 14, 2025
Professor Katriona O'Sullivan, director of the new Centre for Inclusive Higher Education at Maynooth University, shares her inspiring journey from an access programme to academic leadership. She discusses the centre's aim to serve as a national hub for inclusion and the challenges of restoring support post-recession. Katriona emphasizes the importance of collaboration among institutions and how mentorship can transform lives. Additionally, she highlights innovative programs focused on underserved groups, advocating for change in funding practices to promote equity in education.
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Personal Journey From Access Program To Success
- Katriona O'Sullivan shares that Trinity Access Programme personally transformed her life and helped her discover her intelligence.
- She credits community support, adult education, and childcare for enabling her to enter higher education.
Access Supports Were Reduced After The Crash
- O'Sullivan explains supports cut after the crash mean today's system is less able to give the same chances she received.
- The centre will identify effective practices from the last 20 years and share them nationally.
Invite Institutions To Collaborate
- O'Sullivan invites all institutions to join the centre as a partnership to solve the 'wicked problem' of inclusion.
- She urges collaboration across universities rather than isolated efforts to scale what works.
