Address by Minister Harris at the DCU Global Forum on 'Higher Education Leadership for Democracy, Global Sustainability, and Social Justice'

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President Keogh, colleagues I want to sincerely thank you for inviting me to speak this morning.

This meeting is highly significant and particularly timely given the ongoing attacks on democracy all over the world and on our own continent.

I am going to shoot for the stars at the outset here and evoke the memory of Nelson Mandela, who championed education in his many roles.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world".

For higher education, our collective goal must not be confined to skills development, as crucial to our well-being as it is. Without the right skills in our economy, we will not reduce our emissions to avert climate breakdown. We will not build the homes our people need.

But higher education also has an essential role in not only defending but advancing genuine democracy for all. Education is the greatest leveller.

Indeed, it is the most powerful weapon we have to maintain peace, and advance democracy.

It can deliver, as Mandela cherished, "the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities".

Council of Europe

On 20 May Ireland took the helm of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers for a seventh time.

In 1949, we were one of ten founding members.

Today, the Council comprises 46 states, spanning our continent and crucially including Ukraine.

All of the Council’s members have committed to protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Themes which your discussions over the next two days will focus on, and which over the next six month’s Ireland will work to advance.

It is the intention of the Irish Government that the work of our Presidency will take place in rooms like this and others in cities and towns across Europe. I see the value and ambition of the human rights agenda as I travel the country myself visiting students and staff in our third level institutions.

The overarching goal of Ireland’s Presidency is to renew "the conscience of Europe".

In the wake of Russia’s expulsion, Ireland wishes to re-focus on the Council’s core work, so we can deliver the most effective support for Ukraine and its people.

We will pursue three clear and complementary priorities during our Presidency.

1. First, as a founding state, we will work to reaffirm ‘Our Founding Freedoms’, reinforcing human rights protection for civilians across Europe.

2. Second, we will draw from our national experience, including with citizens’ assemblies, to promote participatory democracy and engage young people in the democratic process.

3. Finally, we will work to foster a Europe of welcome, inclusion, and diversity. We have framed this around the concept of ‘Fáilte’.

To support our priorities, we will make an additional voluntary contribution of almost one million euro to the Council this year, channelled, in particular, to the Action Plan for Ukraine, the new Human Rights Trust Fund, and the effective functioning of the Court.

This, the importance of inclusion and diversity, which is integral to social justice, sustainability, and democracy will be the focus of my comments today.

First, to your friends in Ukraine and the assault they are facing on their democracy.

Ukraine

At the turn of the year, there were few here that would have predicted war and with it, the biggest displacement of people on the continent since the dark days of World War Two.

The EU has shown its true democratic colours and from the get-go, our nations worked together to support and protect Ukrainian people fleeing conflict.

Early this year at a meeting of the European Council on Education, we heard from our Ministerial counterpart in the Ukraine that the continued access of Ukrainian young people to education will be an essential element in rebuilding their future.

Ultimately, we must and will do everything we can to empower Ukrainians to shape a positive collective future for themselves and their country.

As a government and as a country, we are unequivocal in our welcome for people fleeing Ukraine and are determined to deliver access to education, social income and shelter.

I am proud to see that this approach is widely reflected throughout our society and in the third level education sector.

The Irish Higher Education sector has been open and generous in our response to the crisis and I want to thank everyone here who had and continues to have a role to play.

Pronouncements of the importance of education are only as useful as the programmes that are in place to support them.

So I’m here to talk of the action as well as the overarching pledge.

Helpdesk

The National Student and Researcher Helpdesk is a single point of contact for all displaced students who are seeking to access higher education, and will guide applicants through the documentation required to support their continued access to higher education.

Since its establishment, it has dealt with over 500 queries, and this number is expected to grow significantly over the summer months.

I’m looking forward to visiting the Helpdesk in person next week when I get to witness these supports in action.

English language

For Ukrainians who wish to learn English or improve their English, they can contact their local Education and Training Board for a free assessment of their English language competency in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

I am pleased to announce that proposals to support Ukrainian students to improve their English for the coming academic year, have been submitted to the department. We expect to be able to announce this shortly.

Entrance exams

Maintaining a connection between Ukrainian higher education institutions and their student population is vital. So too, I know from meeting Ukrainian students that they wish to maintain strong bonds with home.

This year we will facilitate the Ukrainian Higher Education Entrance Exams which will be taken online in a dedicated testing centre.

We believe that so far 229 students have indicated they wish to take the test.

I wish them all the best for this which is no easy task when you have been forced to flee your home.

Finally, next week I will seek approval of Government on a range of measures to facilitate financial supports for Ukrainian students planning to attend Irish universities and colleges. These measures if agreed will be equivalent to SUSI rates and will provide support to attend further education courses as well.

There is a common theme among the Ukrainian people I meet weekly in my constituency or in colleges or in my dealings with the Embassy.

They are united in their determination to return to and rebuild their homeland as soon as they are able to.

Our support is unwavering so that when they return, the forces of democracy in Ukraine and across Europe will be stronger than ever.

We want one of the outcomes of this conference to be increased leadership by our higher education institutions in democracy, social justice and sustainability.

Eliminating barriers

If we want to widen the net to shape a higher education space that is truly representative, the choice to attend must be a real one, it must be an available one, an accessible one for every single student and family, here in Ireland and across the world.

To make access a lived reality, not only must we fund our higher education as part of the public space delivering a common good, we must also remove cost barriers for all students.

That is why on 4 May I published Funding the Future, a landmark government policy which has settled the question on the funding of Higher Education in Ireland.

[Our higher education system will be a multi-funded model of additional Exchequer investment and employer contributions through the National Training Fund.

The Student Contribution will be retained but I am committed to reducing it over time].

Not only we will properly fund our institutions with the core funding necessary to provide this public good, as part of this reform programme, I have committed also to reducing the cost of education.

And there’s more to come.

Particularly I would like to progress more supports for flexible and blended learning which will really benefit women, carers, people with disabilities and people from other groups which have been traditionally under-represented in higher education.

Broadening access means widening the ways you can get to higher education as well.

That’s why I would like to talk a little about another part of my reform agenda – a third level sector of higher, further education and apprenticeships which is interlinked and working in tandem.

Citizen-centred education

If we want an education system that is citizen-centred, that is democratised, that is empowering future generations to deliver social justice, we must have a unified system without silos.

I am very proud of Ireland’s education and research systems and the tremendous track record they enjoy internationally.

I saw this especially through the challenges of the pandemic and was, frankly blown away by the response of staff to the needs of their students.

There is always room to do more and be better. As educators and researchers, I’m sure you would agree with that!

Our policy pathway is to enhance the ways in which the system as a whole responds to the changing needs of students and learners, of industry, and of wider society.

It is my view that a more unified approach across tertiary education and research can ignite a sea change of broader yet more cohesive opportunities for learners, researchers and innovators.

At its heart, this new design is about opening doors for people, rather than closing them. Unfortunately, this can often be the case now with separate entry routes to third level education and no clear signposts or pathways for the learner.

Education should never close doors. Education should always mean opportunity and hope.

No matter who you are. Where you come from. Or where you are in life, young or older.

Central to this new policy approach is increasing movement for learners and researchers across and within all aspects of the third level system.

From doing a PhD through apprenticeship to joining up disciplines across further and higher education.

There is no doubt in my mind that these reforms will advance equality, diversity and inclusion across the educational landscape.

This will be good for regional development and industry too.

But we don’t have all the answers to this and it will only work if driven by the innovators and trailblazers in higher education.

My department has now commenced an open consultation process on how we shape this collectively. We are looking for all and any ideas and suggestions for change.

Increasing access

As we break down barriers of cost and illuminate more effective pathways across of parts of the third level system, a truly democratic education system ensures that access and inclusion are core values and practices.

We’ve come a long way here in Ireland. We’ve increased access for people with disabilities, we have more members of the Traveller community than ever before in higher education.

But we cannot rest on our laurels.

Very shortly I will bring to Government our new National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education. I’m really excited about this plan actually as I think it’s going to make an impact where we need it most.

Not only will students be supported to enter third level, they will also be supported to succeed and come out the other side.

The plan is to ensure that the student body entering into, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland's population.

The Plan identifies the target groups that are currently under-represented in higher education. These include entrants from socio-economic groups that have low participation in higher education, Irish Travellers, students with disabilities, including for the first time a dedicated pathway for students with intellectual disabilities, first time mature student entrants, part-time/flexible learners and further education award holders.

I look forward to seeing some of you there when we launch this at the end of the summer.

We are reforming third level education beyond higher education too.

Education advances equality - Literacy

My generation must not forget those who went before us and were locked out of the education system.

We talk of our knowledge-based economy and talent as our greatest strategic asset.

In this rapidly changing world, knowledge and talent will drive forward democratic transformation.

But everyone must have an equal opportunity to contribute to and participate in these advances.

I said that education at every stage in life is the great leveller.

And the aims of education should be the full development of the human personality.

The State in recognising, championing and delivering on this – which I am determined to do – will protect the inherent dignity of our citizens and enable all persons to participate effectively in a democratic and equal society.

Key to democracy, equality and sustainability is literacy.

Beyond its conventional concept as a set of reading, writing and counting skills, literacy is now understood as a means of identification, understanding, interpretation, creation, and communication in an increasingly digital, text-mediated, information-rich and fast-changing world.

On the other hand, unmet literacy needs adversely affect the enjoyment of other democratic rights.

Across the globe, literacy is not only key to lifelong success, but is a precursor for people's ability to vote, advocate for change and otherwise fully participate in society.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals also see literacy as an integral part of lifelong learning.

According to UNESCO, literacy is a driver for sustainable development as it enables greater participation in the labour market; and improved child and family health and nutrition. It reduces poverty and expands life opportunities.

Unfortunately, the stark reality in Ireland 2022 is not so rosy on the issue of adult literacy.

One in six Irish adults can’t read or struggle with reading. This is not a figure I can live with.

I have met people around the country from all walks who have hid for years in forgotten worlds where literacy and numeracy needs are often experienced in shame.

Well, I think the shame is ours as a society. We can change this.

I was proud to publish the first ever 10-year Adult Literacy Strategy last year.

We will shortly be recruiting and appointing new literacy coordinators across the ETBs and a new National Programme Office to deliver a cross-government, cross-economy and cross-society response.

With an awareness campaign, the one-stop-shop www.adultliteracyforlife.ie up and running and supports through the National Adult Literacy Agency’s Freephone helpline, I am determined we will reach the people who need this education.

Education, skills and lifelong learning are the most robust, transformative and lasting means to future-proof our country’s economic and social wellbeing.

No one should be included from those opportunities.

I want to make some final remarks on the theme of social justice in relation to gender equality.

Gender equality

To all women in this room and your allies who support gender equality, I and my department share your ambitions for change.

We know there are lots of good things happening in the higher education sector. And I’ll talk about these shortly.

We need to make them stick, and work together.

That’s why focusing on gender equality consistently is so important.

In Ireland, our own experience with the Citizen’s Assembly on Gender Equality demonstrates how engaging citizen dialogue can make change happen within society and across government systems.

This was a significant moment in the long history of advocacy and public discourse around how we treat and value women and girls in this country.

The Assembly recommended that all levels of the education system should monitor policies and practices through the lens of gender equality and report regularly on trends and outcomes by gender.

Just last month I addressed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Gender Equality established on foot of the recommendations. I shared with my parliamentary colleagues, some of the changes we are progressing.

Changes such as the National Review of Gender Equality and the Gender Action Plan.

If we can see it, we can track it and we can change it.

Another significant disrupter is the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (SALI) which was launched in 2019.

It’s such an exciting programme and I had the pleasure of meeting many of the SALI professors together recently, an engagement which we plan to continue.

This programme creates rapid and sustainable change in the representation of women in the senior professor grade, with funding for 45 prestigious senior leadership posts over three years.

There are other positive developments such as the Gender Equality Enhancement Fund and the 98 Athena Swan awards in Irish HEIs.

However gender inequality is a deeply ingrained cultural problem.

Rest assured we are in this for the long haul.

Because until we achieve gender justice, our universities and in fact all of society is prevented from realising their full potential.

I know that the Council of Europe is side by side with us on this journey.

Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy and Climate

Another journey the whole world is taking together is that of climate change and sustainability.

With this, we have to recognise that the human condition fears change.

On climate, the public are way ahead of us. They know things need to change.

But not every knows how we are going to get there.

This is where you come in. We need higher education to guide us by educating and informing us all.

It is you the researchers who will find the zero-carbon replacements and new ways of living and working.

In Ireland, we have to ensure that we maintain momentum around the Climate Action Plan and our goal to achieve a 51% reduction in overall carbon emissions by 2030.

My own department is of course uniquely placed to play its part.

Those we work with and represent are integral to every part of the solution to this issue from the academics and researchers who will create the evidence base to tackle this global crisis, to the builders and retrofitters who will undertake the work needed to reduce our carbon footprint.

Addressing climate change is a fundamental, complex and multi-faceted issue for society.

Last month I launched Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy.

This is our shared ambition for research and innovation for this decade.

This will see us through these years of accelerated change and rapid transformation.

To bring this strategy to life, how I think of it, is a system that generates new ideas, technologies, skills, knowledge and solutions which transform our prosperity and the way we work and live.

The impact we are determined to deliver is an effective response to the twin transition challenges of climate change and digitalisation.

The strategy commits to maximising the impact of the Irish research and innovation system on critical sectoral agendas of Government.

High-quality research we know is vital for a robust evidence-base.

However, a decarbonising economy will also bring opportunities, including in research and innovation.

These are clearly emerging in energy efficiency, in renewable energy, in resource recovery, in the circular economy and bio economy, and need to be systematically developed through research and innovation.

For the first time ever, under Impact 2030, I will chair a group of the six government departments with the largest research budgets, including DECC.

Through this and other measures, we will ensure research and innovation are critical enablers to support delivery of our climate action targets and to address wider environmental and sustainability challenges as part of the strategy’s first work programme to 2024.

And some of that research is happening on this very campus!

The Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme is one great example. We have 16 projects at present around the country and I’m delighted that the Marconi building, home of the School of Physical Sciences, will have its upgrade and retrofit completed this year.

I wish you many more years of learning and research in your building with an Energy Rating of E1 now as it moves to a much warmer projected rating of B2.

Second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development

Next week, I will be launching ESD to 2030: the Second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (with colleagues Minister for Education and Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth).

Education for Sustainable Development is grounded in principles of social justice, equity and a respect for human rights.

We are looking to get people of all ages engaged, empowered and motivated to take action towards a sustainable future.

Our strategy focuses on lifelong learning from cradle to grave. We will extend sustainability education beyond the traditional education systems to communities and enterprise.

A key lever for change I think will be the transformation of our learning environments which is a priority action area under the Strategy.

Many of you are already actively embracing this approach.

I know this will make a sizeable impact towards out commitment to SDG Goal 4.7and I look forward to working with you to deliver this progress.

Before I move to finish up, I just want to mention one very important project my department undertook with Science Foundation Ireland. Creating our Future.

This was what I called ‘a national conversation’ with the people of Ireland on science and what types of issues matter to them. We asked about the issues researchers and innovators should be looking at into the future.

We will use the data captured to set up a series of Grand Challenges. Climate of course featured heavily so watch this space over the next few years to see the innovations and new solutions flowing from this work.

I can’t leave you here today without sharing some of Joyce’s Bloomsday wisdom with you.

“To learn one must be humble, but life is the great teacher”.

Life is teaching us a lot at the moment.

More than ever though we need an education system that is properly resourced and protected as a public good.

But we need our educators to be humble also and help us to find the solutions to the challenges of the future.

To all of you here who have helped our Ukrainian neighbours find a peaceful education in Ireland, thank you.

And for your leadership in higher education, I also say thank you. Your work has the possibility to shape so much of our shared future.

My final message is to keep in mind the need to include the broadest cross section of people in all your endeavours and to continually ask how we can put our commitment to inclusivity, equality and diversity into practice.

I wish you the best of luck in these deliberations, and indeed throughout all of the important discussions that will take place throughout Ireland’s Council of Europe Presidency.