To mark International Women’s Day 2023, the President of Maynooth University, Eeva Leinonen, hosted the six women university presidents in Ireland for a panel discussion on leadership.   

Since the event, Prof. Orla Feely has taken office as President of UCD, bringing the total number of female university presidents in Ireland to seven.  

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, joined the beginning of the event with a speech highlighting the importance women in higher education being recognised in this way. 

The panel discussion, chaired by Kathy Sheridan of The Irish Times, focused on each individual's career journey, their thoughts on leadership and ‘breaking the glass ceiling’, and a discussion about some of the issues facing higher education today.   

 
The panellists were: 

  • Veronica Campbell, President of South-East Technological University 
  • Maggie Cusack, President of Munster Technological University 
  • Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity College Dublin 
  • Orla Flynn, President of Atlantic Technological University 
  • Eeva Leinonen, President of Maynooth University 
  • Kerstin Mey, President of the University of Limerick