Ann O’Dea in conversation with Trinity College Dublin provost, Prof Linda Doyle. Image: Luke Maxwell/Silicon Republic
With just days to go before she takes over as the first woman provost of Trinity College Dublin in its 429 years, Prof Linda Doyle sat down to speak with Ann O’Dea for the pilot in a new Future Human series.
I have known and admired Prof Linda Doyle for many years, a fact that will be self-evident as you watch our fireside chat this week.
After 18 months of video interviews and virtual events, I think our pleasure at sitting down in person is very much on display, and I hope you’ll enjoy our one-take chat, which took place in the gorgeous library in Iconic Offices’ Masonry building – appropriately enough the venue for the launch of Future Human back in the day when we could all mingle freely. We even had a real fireside!
Doyle has been shaking things up in academia for many years through pioneering work in the worlds of engineering, the arts, research, diversity and more, most recently as professor of engineering and the arts at Trinity College Dublin and dean of research there from 2018.
An engineer, researcher, leader, and advocate for the arts and women in STEM, this varied career has seen Doyle rise to the position of Trinity College provost – a position held only by men for the past 429 years.
Doyle will take over from current provost Dr Patrick Prendergast on 1 August and will hold the role for 10 years.
But first, she shared with us some of her vision for the future of Trinity, including her intention to make it a ‘climate-first’ university, with the appointment of its first vice-president for biodiversity and climate action. We also discussed her views on the challenges and opportunities from Covid, and the thorny issue of third and fourth-level funding. And, of course, we chatted leadership styles.
This is the first in a series of Conversations with Leaders from the Future Human team at Silicon Republic.
Watch out for our big announcement in the coming weeks on the next instalment of Future Human live. We can’t wait to see many of you in person again soon.
