Technological University of the Shannon (TUS ) has been awarded the title EU Newcomer Gender Equality Champion for 2024 in recognition of its work to advance gender equality in education and research.
The award, presented to TUS at a special ceremony held today (Wednesday, May 15 ) by the European Commission in Brussels, is aimed at academic and research organisations across Europe that have implemented and successfully progressed gender equality action plans.
TUS received €100,000 in addition to the prestigious honour, presented by Director General for Research and Innovation Marc Lemaître and Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Iliana Ivanova.
The TUS gender equality action plan comprises 104 actions to be implemented over a three-year period (2021-2024 ). These actions cover Equality Diversity Inclusion committee structures, policy development, training and staff engagement initiatives.
The development of the university-wide action plan, was a key requirement of the application for the TUS Athena Swan Legacy award, earned by TUS in March 2022.
“We are honoured to accept this prestigious EU award, which recognises TUS’s leadership in advancing gender equality and inclusivity in higher education and research. The TUS Gender Equality Action Plan reflects our commitments to supporting and enabling gender equality within TUS,” expressing his pride in the achievement, TUS President Professor Vincent Cunnane said,
Accepting the award in Brussels on behalf of TUS, VP for People, Culture and EDI Marian Duggan said the achievement of this EU Newcomer Gender Equality Champions award is a result of collective multi campus efforts to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment for all in the TUS community.
“I acknowledge everyone’s support in embedding gender equality and equality more broadly across TUS activities, supported by our EDI Office,” Ms Duggan said.
“This recognition inspires us to continue our journey of institutional transformation towards greater inclusivity and equality. While significant progress has been made, the work doesn’t stop here; we remain committed to further advancing this cause collaboratively and are delighted to receive this additional funding to continue our work,” TUS EDI Manager, Dr Carol Wrenn, stated.
Established in 2022, the European Commission’s Gender Equality Champions award aims to inspire academic and research organisations across Europe to prioritise and advance gender equality through institutional change.
