February 3rd, 2019 english

A brand new student services centre has been opened at Dublin City University (DCU). This new centre was officially opened on the 27th September 2018 by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins. This purpose built facility will be home to a variety of activities and many vital student services.

The ‘U’ is one of the most ambitious projects in DCU’s Campus Development Plan, and plays an integral role in student life on campuses in the Glasnevin-Drumcondra area.

The building includes a number of features:

A Global Village

The ‘U’ offers a centre point for International Students to engage and share with other international and domestic students. It is hoped that the global village will be a melting pot of culture, diversity and inclusion.

Functional spaces

Students can avail of two autism-friendly “escape pods”. These pods provide a quiet space for students, somewhere to escape and take time for themselves. The ‘U’ will also offer functional space to 150 student clubs and societies by offering a state of the art range of meeting and engagement spaces.

Arts and Culture Venues

Open spaces that will allow students to engage with the arts and stimulate and grow their creative sides.

Other features

It contains five retail outlets, consisting of a bar, a convenience store, a hairdressers, a bookstore and the campus print shop.

President of DCU Prof Brian MacCraith on its opening day said:

Today’s opening of ‘U’ represents a major milestone for everyone associated with DCU, a day where our commitment to the personal and professional development of our students is reflected in a magnificent facility. Today is also significant because it demonstrates what can be achieved by partnership and generosity. The ‘U’, which was totally funded by philanthropic donations, with the majority coming from our own students, will transform the lives of tens of thousands of students for many decades to come. The ‘U’ is a physical manifestation of DCU’s mission ‘to transform lives and societies’.