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By Beth Kocher Gormley, PR and Communications Manager, UCD College of Business

UCD hosted the first AI and Career Education Symposium, bringing together career professionals, academic staff and industry leaders to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping learning, work and graduate employability. 

Photos by Peter Houlihan, CreativeCoalesce. Left to right: Bernie Burke, Symposium Organiser, UCD Smurfit Careers Network, Fulbright TechImpact Scholar 2025-2026; Dr Jennifer Keenahan, UCD School of Engineering; Dr David Foster, UCD Director of Careers, Employability and Skills; Professor Federica Pazzaglia, Director of UCD Smurfit School, Associate Dean of UCD College of Business; Professor Colin Scott, UCD Registrar; Michelle Coen, Symposium and AHECS AI CoP Chair, UCD Careers Network; Joe Houghton, Lecturer, UCD Smurfit School; Dr Lollie Mancey, UCD Innovation Academy, Programme Director; Michael McDonnell, AHECS Executive 

Hosted at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, and sponsored by the Association of Higher Education Careers Services (AHECS), the symposium brings together Careers Services from across the island to examine the ethical, pedagogical and labour market implications of AI, with a particular focus on its impact on students’ career development and professional practice. 

“Ireland has an opportunity to shape its own approach to the use of AI in careers and employability by bringing higher education institutions across the island together to work collaboratively on the opportunities and challenges these technologies present," said symposium organiser Bernie Burke, UCD Smurfit School Executive MBA and Full-time MBA LEAP Module Co-Lead and Career Consultant. 

Bernie is also a 2025-2026 Fulbright Tech Impact Scholar, which awards research grants for Irish citizens, or EU/UK citizens, to complete short-term, non-commercial projects and research in the US. The grants are designed to respond to the potential and pace of technology.

As part of her Fulbright award, Bernie will spend time at the Career Centre at Georgia Institute of Technology, one of the leading universities in the US and home to the US National AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education (AI-ALOE), a research institute funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). "I look forward to sharing my learning with AHECS colleagues next year,” commented Bernie.  

This event directly advances UCD's strategic priority to deliver groundbreaking research in Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies. An outcome of the Symposium is to develop an AI Community of Practice which will establish crucial partnerships with other universities across Ireland, solidifying UCD's role as a national leader in delivering impact through engagement.

“Careers education today is no longer just about producing a strong CV or cover letter, it’s about preparing students for a world where human and AI collaboration is redefining how work gets done,” said Dr. David Foster, UCD Director Careers, Employability and Skills.

“To thrive, graduates need not only technical capability but the behavioural intelligence to adapt, communicate and lead. That’s why we are integrating behavioural development directly into work-integrated learning, ensuring our students build real-world confidence while learning how to partner effectively with emerging technologies.”

This commitment to a broad, ethical and collaborative approach to AI not only supports industrial competitiveness, but also secures UCD's strategic initiative to establish an institute for AI and digital technologies research, education, ethics and policy, bringing together the diverse and growing interdisciplinary and cross-sector AI and digital technologies research and innovation community at UCD to deliver significant impact.

The full agenda for the symposium on Tuesday, 25 November 2025 follows: 

Agenda for AHECS AI & Career Education Symposium
Symposium & AHECS AI CoP Chair: Michelle Coen, UCD Careers Network

11:00am – 11:10am Opening 
UCD Registrar, Professor Colin Scott

11:10am – 11:20am Welcome to AHECS Member Institutions
Dr David Foster, UCD Director of Careers, Employability and Skills and 
Michael McDonnell, AHECS Executive 

11:20am – 11:50am Keynote 1: AI & Ethics
Dr. Susan Leavy, UCD School of Information and Communication
Irish Government Nominee to OECD-GPAI
Member of Irish Government AI Advisory Council
Insight SFI Centre for Data Analytics
Digital Policy Centre UCD

11:50am – 12:20am Keynote 2: The Future of Work
Dr. Lollie Mancey, UCD Innovation Academy
Programme Director
Digital Anthropologist & Futurist,
TV Presenter (Futureville), Radio Show and Podcast Host

12:25 – 12:45pm AI in Professional Practice: Augmenting Universal Design for Learning with AI
Joe Houghton, UCD Smurfit School
UCD AI & Teaching Working Group & UCD University for All Faculty Partner
Consultant & Author

1:30pm– 1:50pm AI in Professional Practice: AI & the Student Voice
Dr Jennifer Keenahan, UCD School of Engineering
Teaching & Learning Fellow Work-Integrated-Learning
Women in Technology & Science Ireland Board

1:50pm– 2:10pm AI & Career Education: Global Insights
Bernie Burke
UCD Smurfit Careers Network
Fulbright TechImpact Scholar 2025-2026
D.Ed. Candidate Trinity College School of Education

2:10pm – 3:10pm Industry Panel
Panel Moderator: Bernie Burke
●    David Carthy, Country Managing Partner, DLA Piper
●    Valarie Daunt, Partner, Human Capital Advisory, Deloitte
●    Kate Minogue, Fractional AI Advisory & The AI Leadership Lab
●    Tom McMahon, Head of Capabilities, Development & Resourcing, ESB
●    Conor O'Donovan, Head of Startups, Entrepreneurship& National Enterprise Hub

3:15pm Close