I think my first trip to the Northwest coast of Ireland ticks this box.
I've been a city dweller my whole life so emerging from the car, following a 4 hour drive to Donegal, and breathing in the cleanest air, hearing the crashing Atlantic Ocean, and seeing the rugged beauty and breathtaking landscape will stay with me forever.
The nature of international education is one that is constantly evolving to the demands of a fast paced and ever-changing world. Working in this sector requires an adaptable mindset that is constantly looking for ways to improve what we offer students.
I have become very conscious of our responsibility to Society to graduate the type of students that can add real value - and make a real difference.
We hear so many here in the International Office, but one that sticks out is a student who came up to me at a student recruitment fair in India to say he had studied our Masters in Computing a few years previously.
During his time there he had achieved the highest award in his year (despite being dyslexic) and in his first year following graduation had developed an app that was bought out by a multinational corporation, had got married, and was now the proud father of 2 children. Such a great story!
I think our School of Law & Government offers some really interesting programs but if I had to pick one, I think it would be the MA in International Relations. This program is extremely popular with domestic and international students, (and with good reason!).
Some of the contemporary issues facing the world today (security, conflict resolution, globalization etc) are all taught, discussed and debated on this program - and I think all future leaders (across all industries and spectrums) need to have a good understanding of these issues.
DCU is recognized as Ireland's University of Enterprise and this has been integral to the institutional identity since its establishment over 30 years ago.
DCU works closely with Industry and Enterprise to ensure all of our offerings (academic programs, research, and most importantly, graduates) not only meets Industry need but exceed, and continually aims to pre-empt them.
In addition to this, through the DCU Graduate Attribute Program, a huge emphasis is placed on the personal development of each student - so really, we are not looking to churn out graduates.
Our programs are about equipping an individual to realize their potential personally, professionally and for the benefit of Society as a whole.
I believe a successful company is one that carefully develops a strategy that is; cognizant of the environment it operates in, is equipped to overcome obstacles and challenges, continually reviews its value proposition, ensures all it processes and procedures are aligned with and committed to the strategy and most importantly, actively seeks out the customer perspective to inform and enhance future development.