UCD GEARY INSTITUTE SUMMER SCHOOL
PLANNING FOR IRELAND'S FUTURE CHALLENGES: KEY SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND STRATEGIES FOR POLICYMAKERS
14th - 16th July 2026, UCD O'Connor Centre for Learning, Dublin 4
About The Summer School
Through an intensive programme of plenary talks, masterclasses and workshops, the EPEx Summer School creates essential space for policymakers to step away from 'thinking fast' about immediate political priorities to instead engage in reflective, strategic thinking about systemic challenges and how to use alternative approaches to address problems and plan for the future.
Where
UCD O'Connor Centre for Learning, Belfield, Dublin 4
When
Tuesday to Thursday
14-16 July 2026
Event Speakers
John McCarthy
Chief Economist - Department of Finance
Lucie Martin
Research Officer - ESRI
Barry Vaughan
Principal Officer - Department of the Taoiseach
Anna Visser
Head of the Child Poverty and Well Being Programme Office - Department of the Taoiseach
Stefan Müller
Associate Professor - School of Politics and International Relations, UCD
Thomas Rochow
Research Associate - Centre for Public Policy
Donncha Kavanagh
Full Professor of Information & Organisation - College of Business, UCDEvent Schedule
Preliminary Event Schedule - Subject to Change
Registration
Registration and coffee!
Session 1: Policy Debate
John McCarthy, Chief Economist - Department of Finance
Policymaking for Future Ireland
Lunch
Lunch and Networking
Session 2: Policy Skills Workshop
Barry Vaughan, Principal Officer - Department of the Taoiseach & Anna Visser, Head of the Child Poverty and Well Being Programme Office - Department of the Taoiseach
Policymaking in Transition: Adapting Systems, Skills and Relationships
Break
Take a break, grab a coffee
Session 3: TBD
Speaker TBC
Session TBC
Session 4: Policy Case Investigation
Rory Mullholland & Keith Fitzgerald
Developing Ireland’s next enterprise strategy: Enterprise 2035
Break
Take a break, grab a coffee
Session 5: Policy Skills Workshop
Stefan Meuller, Associate Professor - School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin
From Data to Decisions: A Practical Introduction to AI and Data Science for Policymakers
Lunch
Lunch and Networking
Session 6: Policy Skills Workshop
Lucie Martin, Research Officer - ESRI
Tackling ‘Sludge’ in Public Services: identifying and reducing behavioural barriers to policy implementation
Break
Take a break, grab a coffee
Session 7: TBD
Speaker TBC
TBC
BBQ
Summer BBQ
Session 8: Policy Skills Workshop
Thomas Rochow, Research Associate - Centre for Public Policy
Using Stories to Understand the Effects of Policy Systems on Low-Income Groups
Break
Take a break, grab a coffee
Session 9: Policy Skills Workshop
Donncha Kavanagh, Full Professor of Information & Organisation - College of Business, UCD
Building Ireland’s Policy Foresight System
Lunch
Lunch and Close
Venue
Accommodation is available at a special rate for attendees.
O'Connor Centre For Learning
Opened in 2026, the UCD O’Connor Centre for Learning has been designed with active learning as its core objective, incorporating the kinds of formal and informal spaces that students need to acquire and practice the wide range of skills that they will need to thrive in the 21st century.
Sponsors
EPEx Summer School 2026 is Proud to be Sponsored By
Contact
Address
UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, DO4 P9C4
Call Us
+353 1 716 4615
Email Us
epex@ucd.ie