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I’m delighted to welcome you to the latest edition of Alumni News from the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences at University College Cork. The second term of the academic year has drawn to a close after a solid resumption of on-campus university life. Notwithstanding some COVID-related disruption to face-to-face activity last term, and the changes – some positive, indeed, and perhaps permanent – that this has brought about in how we work, teach, research and communicate, it has been heartening to see students and colleagues confidently re-engaging and interacting in person again at UCC. A special highlight for me was the full return of our conferring ceremonies to campus this spring. It was an immense pleasure to greet our graduands and their families, and to congratulate them on their substantial achievement. Their accomplishments are all the more evident when we consider that their studies were undertaken during the most challenging period of the pandemic when access to campus was limited and contact with their classmates and lecturers was almost entirely confined to virtual fora.
In this newsletter, we highlight the successes of two of the College’s exceptional alumni: Brídín, a recent graduate of the School of Film, Music and Theatre, whose contemporary compositions for harp have gained critical and popular recognition, will release her first album this year. Professor Helen Watanabe O’Kelly (who completed a BA in German and Spanish at UCC in 1969, with an MA in 1971) will be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, on 20 June, to honour her outstanding contribution to German studies. As we look forward to and plan for a more complete restoration of university life for the next academic year, I am very happy to convey that many exciting College-led events will continue over the summer period. As a historian, I am particularly proud that the National Civil War Conference, part of the Decade of Centenaries commemorations, co-organised by the School of History and colleagues across Ireland’s universities, will take place on the grounds of UCC campus from 15 to 18 June. I invite you to come along – online or in-person – to the many interesting papers and events that will take place during the conference. As you will see from this newsletter there continues to be much of value and importance happening both in the College and with our alumni out in the wider world. Please stay tuned for more updates from the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences in the months to come.
Professor Chris Williams Head of College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences