Available to Advance HE Members only. Designed for Irish institutions.
Elevate Ireland supports academics to share innovative teaching practices and gain professional recognition in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape.
Through three integrated strands – online spotlight sessions, a digital showcase publication, and an in-person fellowship forum – we provide Irish academics with a high-visibility national platform to present their work, learn from diverse institutional practices and connect with the Professional Standards Framework.
This isn’t just about individual recognition; it’s about building a stronger, more collaborative Irish higher education sector where teaching excellence is celebrated and developed collectively. Whether you’re looking to share your innovations or learn from others, Elevate Ireland connects you with the best practice happening across Ireland’s universities and colleges.
Spotlight sessions are now open for booking, designed to focus on challenges in Ireland, they are accessible to all Advance HE Members.
Delivered in partnership with:
Why Elevate Ireland
Align your work with the Professional Standards Framework and gain sector-wide recognition for your teaching excellence.
Connect with educators across technological universities, research-intensive institutions, and further education providers.
Learn from diverse teaching practices and discover new approaches to enhance your own educational impact.
Build your professional profile and create opportunities for collaboration and advancement across Ireland.
Project highlights
Spotlight Series
Join three dynamic 90-minute online sessions. Share your innovative teaching practices with peers across Ireland, learn from diverse case studies, and gain valuable insights from student perspectives. What You’ll Get:
- Platform to present your teaching innovations
- Q&A sessions with leading educators
- Takeaway resources and practical tools
- National visibility for your work
Excellence Showcase
Feature your impactful teaching practice in our digital publication, launching in March 2026 and shared as a free, open-access resource. Why Participate:
- Professional recognition and credibility
- PSF-aligned professional development
- Wide dissemination across Irish HE sector
- Permanent showcase of your excellence
Call for submissions is now closed.
Fellowship Forum
Connect face-to-face with Advance HE Fellows across Ireland on 10 June 2026. Building on the success of our 2025 inaugural Forum, this exclusive event strengthens our professional community. What You’ll Get:
- Networking with Fellow community
- In-person case study presentations
- Collaborative development opportunities
- Strategic partnership building
Project timeline
- 1 December 2025 – Application form closes
- January 2026 – March 2026 – Spotlight Series – Three themed online sessions showcasing excellence.
- April 2026 – Digital Showcase Publication – Your work featured nationally
- 10 June 2026 – Fellowship Forum – In-person networking and collaboration
Elevate Ireland Fellowship Forum
Fellowship Forum: Connecting and celebrating fellowship in Ireland
Date: Wednesday 10 June 2026 | 11 am – 4 pm
Place: Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland
The Fellowship Forum for 2026, building on the success of the 2025 inaugural Fellowship Forum, will be an event to celebrate fellowship in Ireland, bringing opportunities to network, share experiences and receive national updates about teaching and supporting learning practice.
The Fellowship Forum will bring the Elevate Ireland 2026 series to a close with highlights from the Spotlight series and the Digital Showcase as well as hearing from colleagues about the use of the Professional Standards Framework to support professional recognition as part of institutional practices.
About the event
This event will bring together higher education professionals, institutional leaders, and academic staff to recognise the value of Fellowship and the impact on teaching and supporting learning both from an individual and institutional perspective. The forum will provide a unique platform to engage with peers, share best practices, and explore the strategic advantages of adopting the PSF 2023 within Irish institutions. We are delighted to be holding the Fellowship Forum at Muster Technological University, Cork Campus.
This event is free for colleagues at Advance HE member institutions. We are delighted to be holding the Fellowship Forum at Muster Technological University, Cork Campus.
Why Attend?
- Celebrate the achievement of Fellowship in Ireland and the growing community of over 640 Fellows.
- Gain insights into how the Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023) enhances teaching and learning.
- Learn from institutions that have successfully integrated Fellowship into their professional development strategies.
- Network with leaders in higher education and explore future developments in professional recognition and career progression.
Facilitators:
- Louise Lumsden, Head of Fellowships, Advance HE
- Raj Dhimar, Fellowship and Awards Adviser, Advance HE
- Prof Mark O’Hara, Senior Consultant, Education, Advance HE
Speakers:
- Professor Christine Cross, Vice President Academic Affairs and Registrar, Munster Technological University
- Aoife Prendergast, Careers & Employability Manager, TUS : Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest
- Dr Sharon McGreevy, The Higher Education Authority
- Sinead Huskinsson, Lecturer, Munster Technological University (MTU)
- Shane O Mahony, Munster Technological University (MTU)
Facilitators
Louise Lumsden SFHEA
Head of Fellowships, Advance HE
Louise has been working with the Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education for ten years. Louise’s work is primarily to support individuals to be professionally recognised for their teaching and supporting learning practice through the Advance HE direct route to fellowship, but also supports institutions through teaching and learning accreditation.
Raj Dhimar
Fellowship and Awards Adviser, Advance HE
Raj is a highly committed, enthusiastic and experienced professional in higher education. Following eight years in Sheffield Hallam University’s (SHU) Learning and Teaching Institute (LTI), working as a Lecturer in Educational Change, researcher and academic developer in higher education.
Professor Mark O’Hara
Senior Consultant, Education, Advance HE
Professor Mark O’Hara is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a National Teaching Fellow and a winner of the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence in the UK.
Spotlight events
Spotlight event 1
Widening participation: working in partnership with the Traveller community
Took place on 15 January 2026
Ireland’s National Access Plan 2022–2028 places Irish Travellers (Mincéirs/Pavees) at the heart of its widening participation goals, committing to a fourfold increase in Traveller enrolment by 2028. Through targeted initiatives, culturally responsive supports, and sector-wide collaboration, higher education institutions are working in partnership with the Traveller community to dismantle persistent educational barriers.
This webinar highlighted two leading examples of good practice. Explored the innovative approaches and learn how higher education is driving real change for one of Ireland’s most marginalised communities.
Spotlight 1 Speakers
Róisín Birch
Community Mentoring Coordinator, University of Galway
Róisín works in the Access Centre at University of Galway, coordinating outreach and widening participation initiatives for primary school students, with a focus on supporting children from underrepresented backgrounds to engage with higher education from an early age.
Spotlight event 2
Values, global citizenship, and professional identity
Took place on 19 February 2026
Values‑based education and Global Citizenship Education are increasingly central to how higher education enables students to develop as reflective learners and professionals. This session explores how institutions are embedding shared values, social responsibility, and professional identity development across programmes and disciplines to support student motivation, self‑awareness and agency.
The webinar spotlights two complementary examples of good practice. At Munster Technological University, a values‑clarification intervention (Croí) has been scaled institution‑wide through open educational resources, cross‑school facilitator training, and systematic evaluation. This work is explored further in a recent Advance HE blog by Dr. Gwen Lettis on student enablement and sustainable facilitation of learning. At Hibernia College, a whole‑college approach to Global Citizenship Education is shaping Initial Teacher Education by integrating sustainability, social justice, wellbeing and inclusive practice.
Institutions involved:
Munster Technological University and Hibernia College
Speakers:
Dr Fred Creedon (Munster Technological University)
Dr Gwen Lettis (Munster Technological University)
Patricia Nunan (Hibernia College)
Slides from Spotlight 2
Croí: Scaling a values-clarification
initiative across MTU
Enabling Student Teachers:
Developing Global Citizens through
a Whole College approach
Spotlight 2 Speakers
Patricia Nunan
Programme Director of the Professional Master of Education (PME) in Post Primary Education, Hibernia College
Since joining Hibernia College in 2020, Patricia has worked as the School Placement Lead on the PME Post Primary programme. Her background is as a Post Primary teacher of Mathematics and French.
Dr. Gwen Lettis
Co-Ordinator and Chair, Munster Technological University
Dr. Gwen Lettis, Year 4 Co-Ordinator and Chair of the Visual Communications course at Munster Technological University (MTU) Cork, has lectured for 15 years. Her research focuses on Education for Sustainable Development, specifically integrating personal values into work processes to foster responsible student behaviour.
Dr. Fred Creedon
Lecturer in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems and Programme Director for the Special Purpose Award in Designing Innovative Services
With a background in software development and systems analysis. Fred’s work focuses on teaching Service Design, Design Thinking and works closely with MTU’s Innovation and Enterprise Unit delivering design thinking facilitation and innovation support.
Spotlight event 3
Recognising prior learning and enquiry‑based approaches in professional education
Took place on 19 March 2026, 10:00–11:30 GMT
This session brings together two complementary approaches that strengthen progression, authenticity, and professional development across higher education.
We first explore how recognising the prior learning of Non‑Commissioned Officers (NCOs) supports meaningful and accessible routes into higher education. The Higher Certificate in Leadership, Management & Defence Studies (LMDS) demonstrates how existing professional experience can be valued to enhance leadership capacity, career mobility, and progression opportunities for non‑traditional learners. The session will consider effective approaches to assessing experiential learning, designing inclusive pathways, and supporting employability within and beyond the defence sector.
Alongside this, we examine how the sustainable integration of Enquiry‑Based Learning (EBL) can enrich professional education. Through real‑world clinical scenarios, collaborative enquiry, and assessment of both process and product, EBL fosters critical thinking, confidence, and theory‑to‑practice coherence. Evaluation findings will be discussed, including its impact on authenticity, inclusivity, and the potential transferability of EBL across disciplines.
Institutions involved:
Education Pathways for Defence Forces Learners
South East Technological University
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Speakers:
Aisling Hutchinson (Education Pathways for Defence Forces Learner)
Anne Meaney (SETU)
Dr. Anita Byrne (DkIT)
Aisling Hutchinson
Academic Partnership Project Lead, Education Pathways for Defence Forces Learners
Aisling Hutchinson is the Academic Partnership Project Lead for the HEA funded initiative Education Pathways for Defence Forces Learners. With over 14 years of experience in the education sector, she has developed strong expertise in programme development, academic support, and building effective educational partnerships. Aisling holds a Master’s degree in Business and is committed to creating accessible, high quality pathways that enhance progression and lifelong learning opportunities for Defence Forces personnel.
Anne Meaney
Head of extended campus, South East Technological University
Anne plays an integral role in advancing work based learning initiatives at SETU, fostering strong and sustainable collaboration between academia and industry. She works closely with industry partners to identify training needs and shape innovative, industry relevant programmes that blend real world experience with academic learning. Anne represents SETU on several national committees and advisory groups across the aviation, defence, energy and sport sectors. A strong advocate for Work Based Learning and Recognition of Prior Learning, she has embedded both within the Extended Campus. She also collaborates widely across faculties and services to support programme development and enhance the student experience.
Dr. Anita Byrne
Senior Lecturer in Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology
Dr. Anita Byrne (SFHEA) is a Senior Lecturer in Health and Science at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT). She has a longstanding commitment to inclusive and authentic approaches to learning and teaching, and was instrumental in introducing Enquiry/Problem-Based Learning to Midwifery Education in Ireland.
Slides from Spotlight 3
Embedding and sustaining educational authenticity and inclusivity
Education for employability
If you are looking for ways to improve your teaching while also gaining recognition for your work, then Elevate Ireland can help.
Kate Weedy – Head of Partnerships (Ireland and Europe) – Advance HE
Designed to support the transformative work taking place across the sector, this platform provides Advance HE members in Ireland the opportunity to share their teaching innovations with peers across the country, learn from diverse practices in other institutions and align professional development with internationally recognised standards.
