Ireland has taken a significant step toward reshaping access to higher education with the launch of the National Centre for Inclusive Higher Education at Maynooth University. Led by award-winning academic and bestselling author Professor Katriona O’Sullivan, the centre is the first of its kind in the country, designed to accelerate evidence based approaches that improve access, success, and progression for students from underrepresented communities.

Positioned as a national hub, the centre will unify and strengthen equity and inclusion initiatives already underway across Irish higher education institutions. This mirrors models established in the UK and Australia, where dedicated centres have driven measurable improvement in widening participation, student outcomes, and institutional collaboration.

The centre’s mission is clear. It will identify what works for students and staff from underserved groups, support institutions to embed inclusive practice, and influence policy through continuous research, evaluation, and shared learning. Professor O’Sullivan emphasised this commitment, noting that the goal is to prove through action and evidence that equity enhances the entire system rather than operating at its margins.

Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless highlighted the centre’s strategic importance, stating that its research driven approach will help ensure that access to higher education is shaped by opportunity rather than circumstance. He underscored the need for consistent, collaborative efforts that translate into genuine improvements in participation and progression.

Professor O’Sullivan brings extensive experience to the role. Based in Maynooth University’s Department of Psychology and the ALL Institute, she is widely recognised for her leadership of the STEM Passport for Inclusion, a programme that has already supported 6,000 girls from low income backgrounds on pathways into university. Her bestselling memoir Poor has further cemented her role as a prominent advocate for educational equity.

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