The second annual 3U Leadership Symposium took place on Saturday, 1 March at NUI Maynooth. Following on from last years' successful event, the theme of leadership and professionalism was further developed and discussed.

The keynote speaker on the day was Professor James P. Spillane from the School of Education & Social Policy in Northwestern University, Illinois, USA. addressing delegates on the theme of distributed leadership in organisations residing in a pluralist environment. Other key contributors to the symposium include Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald; Professor David Coghlan, Organisation Development, TCD; Professor Freddie Wood, President of the Medical Council: and Tomás Ó Ruairc, Director of the Teaching Council.

The symposium also featured research by graduates of Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership (Tóraíocht), offered by the Education Department in NUI Maynooth, in partnership with Professional Development Service for Teachers' (PDST) and MSc programmes in Leadership at RCSI's Institute of Leadership.

Speaking on the symposium, Dr Pauline Joyce, Institute of Leadership, RCSI said, “This symposium is unique as it addresses a gap in research into educational leadership spanning both the teaching and healthcare sectors. This event offers both academics and postgraduate students the opportunity to learn about emerging practice in action-oriented research and to share their leadership experiences within two very different but complimentary sectors.” 

Dr Joyce organised the symposium, along with Paula Kinnarney, Education Department, NUI Maynooth.

The 3U Partnership is a new force in Irish higher education that combines the complementary strengths of RCSI, DCU and NUI Maynooth.