The World Health Organisation defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In direct alignment with this holistic ethos, ‘A Healthy MTU’ (AHMTU) is a campus health promotion initiative that aims to maximise the health and wellbeing of all MTU students, staff and indeed the extended university community. To date, the initiative has been informed by a designated programme of research that has endeavoured to investigate the complex determinants of health within university settings. The overarching purpose of this event was to challenge traditional models of health, and to discuss the inextricable links that exist between health, education, social equity, inclusion, organisational cultures and broader societal determinants. The event encompassed an overview of empirical evidence that has been gathered to date by the AHMTU Research Team, pertaining specifically to the health and wellbeing of MTU staff. In addition, the event aimed to challenge attendees to consider the international ‘Healthy University’ movement, and its aligned initiatives such as AHMTU, as a powerful, synergistic force to contribute towards the creation of a more diverse and inclusive higher education landscape.

"Ireland’s reception system for asylum seekers is known as Direct Provision. Under the Direct Provision system, people are accommodated across the country in communal institutional centres or former hotel style settings. The vast majority of the centres are managed on a for-profit basis by private contractors. In this session, we heard from Fiona Finn , CEO of Nasc, about the work of Nasc and we also heard from two of Nasc’s clients about their stories and the challenges they have faced, because of living in Direct Provision. In addition, we were treated to a short Palestinian cookery demonstration from Izz and Eman’ Alkarajeh, who previously spent time in Direct Provision on arrival in Ireland but have since leaving opened the amazing Izz Café in Cork City!"

"Following the disappearance of Sarah Everard, and the news of her subsequent murder, a post by social media influencer Lucy Mountain with the green WhatsApp message on a white background simply reading “text me when you get home xx” went viral with many women taking to social media to share their personal stories about feeling scared and unsafe in public. This workshop was an interactive 90-minute workshop dealing with the following topics: What is consent, the law and consent? What are the barriers and things that help communicate consent? How to give consent and skills for resisting pressure? Sexual harassment, what it looks and sounds like? What to do if you witness /are being harassed? Where to get support?"

"Diversity in the workplace has become a popular topic of conversation in recent years, as more progressive movements and views have permeated society and culture. At this point, the need for and benefits of more workplace diversity regarding gender, race and sexual orientation has been well documented. However, age is one dimension of diversity that is equally important in a learning and working environment. This event celebrated “Age” and offered an insight into generational differences while featuring inspiring talks and experiences of successful MTU professionals. By removing the lens of age as a way to view and label individuals, you can shift the focus to their abilities, skills, experience, and knowledge, where it belongs."

"White Irish Travellers are an Irish ethnic group, making up almost 1% of the Irish population. Travellers have their own unique culture which was based on travelling around the country. As a society Ireland needs to work in partnership with Travellers to address the issues that face the Traveller community, such as education, housing and health. There is a need for public services to respect the cultural and ethnic identity of Travellers when they access services. Less than 1% of the Traveller population progress to third level education. The session was delivered in two parts as follows: Part 1: Denise Baker, a CIT postgraduate, whose thesis was on traveller education and who works with the Traveller community presented her research findings. Part 2: Traveller Cultural Awareness Training (TCAT) was delivered by Traveller Community Workers who have been trained in facilitation skills to deliver the programme. The aims of the TCAT programme are: To raise awareness of Traveller issues To provide information on Traveller culture and how this impacts on educational opportunities To identify the main barriers experienced by Travellers in accessing education To identify ways of moving forward to improve access and uptake of education"

"Every year, people from all over the world travel to different countries in Europe to work and study. Ireland is the destination of choice for some, particularly international students, with its reputation for having a high-quality education system, being English speaking and being a friendly and welcoming destination. But what’s it really like being an international student? Hear, first-hand from our panel of current and former international students about their experiences, the benefits they perceive of being an international student and the challenges they faced and had to overcome."

"There is often a misconception that due to our history of colonisation, racism does not take place in Ireland, but this is not true. Racism has existed in Ireland for a long time and it is important to educate ourselves about the different types of racism that people can experience in order to actively work to be anti-racist in our daily lives. This event was an opportunity to hear from members of the black community in Ireland who shared their personal stories of growing up, living and working in this country, their experiences of identity and racism, and their views on what needs to be done to make Ireland a more inclusive society."

"When a woman goes through the menopause, the symptoms can have a devastating effect on her work life, social life, and relationships. Women going through the menopause often find that they are met with a lack of understanding and empathy in their workplace. Misunderstanding and lack of information about the menopause contribute to everything from dips in employee performance to loss of employees. It is important therefore that organisations make every effort to give their employees the tools necessary to ensure an understanding of the menopause is firmly embedded at all levels within an organisation."