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Students Landing PageSETU Waterford offers a broad range of academic programmes from levels 6 to 10 on the national framework of qualifications across Business, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Computing.
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Events Landing PageHead of Department of Humanities
School of Humanities - Arts - Cork Road campus
+353 0 51 302033
TL 2.19 Tourism & Leisure Education Building
Cork Road campus
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4004-4126
I am Head of Department of Humanities where I manage education and research activities in the areas of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism. I also lecture in French language, culture and society and supervise doctoral research in the area of Internationalisation in Higher Education.
I have worked at SETU since 1989 in a variety of academic and management positions in the School of Humanities and also in the Office for International Relations. I have most recently held the position of Senior Lecturer in French in the Department of Arts.
I graduated from University College, Cork with a BA in French and Spanish with Portuguese, and subsequently with an MA in French. I pursued further postgraduate studies in France, graduating with a Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS) in International Business from the University of Perpignan. I undertook my doctoral research at the University of Bath, analysing and theorising on the values underpinning internationalisation in higher education.
Through my involvement in both academic and administrative management roles, I have extensive experience of collaborative research and project management with university partners in Europe, North Africa, and North and South America. I have also managed a variety of Erasmus Mundus and Tempus EU projects and have established university partnerships for SETU globally.
In my role as lecturer, I have worked as an external examiner and served on programme review and programme validation boards at several higher education institutions throughout Ireland. I have also acted as a reviewer for the Economic and Social Research Institute, and currently act as an expert assessor for the EU COST Association, the Government of Ireland International scholarship programme and as a European project evaluator for the Higher Education Authority.
My ongoing research focuses primarily on the theme of internationalisation in Irish higher education. I have a particular interest in the challenges and opportunities associated with international student mobility and in the areas of internationalisation of the curriculum and 'internationalisation at home'. I have presented papers, been an invited speaker, and chaired sessions at numerous international conferences.
Doctoral supervision
2022 – 2026: SETU PhD President’s Scholarship
Project title: ‘Reimagining internationalisation: connecting international and inclusive education in the changing context of Higher Education in Ireland’.
Student: Denise McAllister-Wylie
Co-supervisors: Dr Suzanne Denieffe, Head of School of Humanities, SETU and Dr Helen Murphy, Head of School of Life Long Learning and Education, SETU.
2022-2025: Irish Research Council, Government of Ireland, PhD Scholarship
2021-2022: WIT PhD President's Scholarship
Project title: ‘Embedding a culture of internationalisation into the curriculum through “internationalisation at home”. Preparing for the changing context of Higher Education in Ireland'.
Student: Nidhi Piplani-Kapur
Co-supervisors: Dr Suzanne Denieffe, Head of School of Humanities, SETU and Dr Helen Murphy, Head of School of Life Long Learning and Education, SETU.
Recent externally funded research projects
2023: Irish Research Council/French Embassy in Ireland Ulysses award
Project: ‘Internationalisation at home’: to what extent can collaborative design work between teachers and researchers from two European universities support the development of intercultural competence in students not going abroad? in association with La Rochelle Université, France
2019-2021: Higher Education Authority and the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement Funding in Higher Education
Project: 'Language Learning: Understanding Student and Employer Needs’ in collaboration with WIT Languages’ colleagues, Dr Carmel Coyne, Erin McNamara Cullen and Noeleen Dooley.
Book Chapter
Lucey, S., O'Neill, D., O’Sullivan, G., Ryan, M., (2021) ‘Ciência Sem Fronteiras: a experiencia irlandesa’, Chapter 18, pp. 291-310, Programa Ciência Sem Fronteiras: idealização, desenvolvimento e resultados, Cultura Academica, São Paulo
Thesis
‘Cooperation or competition: an exploration of values relating to internationalisation in higher education in Ireland’, O'Neill, D., University of Bath, (2019)
Published conference proceedings
Thomas, K., O’Neill, D., Cardoso, F., Toledo, E., (2015), ‘Engineering Accreditation and Professional Competence in Ireland and Brazil: Similarities, Differences and Convergence in a Global Context’, World Engineering Education Forum, Sept 2015, Florence
Furlong, A., Molloy, R., Cisneros, A., Fraioli, P., Cummins, U., O'Neill, D. (2008): 'Challenging assumptions in language learning and teaching: a CLIL experience at WIT’. NAIRTL 2nd annual conference, WIT
O'Neill, D. (2005) ‘The integration of planning and presentation skills into a French language module, with a focus on reflection and self-assessment’, Case studies from Transferable skills in third level modern languages curricula project, TCD, DCU and WIT, NAIRTL
O'Neill, D. (1997) 'La problématique du français langue de spécialité', L'avenir des études françaises dans l'enseignement supérieur en Irlande, Actes du Colloque, University of Limerick.
Peer-reviewed presentations at international conferences
O’Neill, D., Berthaud, S., Brogan, K., et al., (2023), ‘Assessing Language Needs at the Technological Universities: Surveying Students and Regional Employers’, Languages Connect Summit, 14 October 2023, Convention Centre Dublin.
O’Neill, D., Coyne, C., Dooley, N., McNamara Cullen, E., Owens, N., (2022), 'Building bridges between the classroom and employers: Understanding student and employer needs in language learning', Irish Association for Applied Linguistics (IRAAL) Conference, 30 September 2022, Munster Technological University, Cork
O’Neill, D., Bulnes, C., Piplani-Kapur, N., (2022), ‘Exclusive to inclusive: Internationalisation at Home in full bloom?’, European Association of International Education, annual conference, Barcelona, 13-16 September 2022
O’Neill, D., (2019), ‘Charting a sustainable future for internationalisation through partnership – an Irish higher education perspective’, Conference of the Americas on International Education, October 23rd – 25th, 2019, Bogotá, Colombia
O’Neill, D., (2019) ‘Shaping a sustainable future for internationalisation in higher education through knowledge diplomacy’, SSFIHE Conference, University of Toronto, June 2019
O’Neill, D., Freire Junior, J., Grochocki, L., Marchi, P., (2014), ‘Science without Borders – a global perspective’, European Association of International Education (EAIE), Annual conference, Sept 2014, Prague
O’Neill, D., (2014) ‘Study abroad – An Irish perspective on the ‘Science without Borders’ Programme’, FAUBAI International Education Conference, April 13-15, 2014, Joinville, Brazil
O’Neill, D., (2013) invited by HEA to present at annual conference on International Education, ‘Improving participation of Irish students in Erasmus: Barriers and benefits, potential and policy’, December 10th 2013, Dublin Castle
O’Neill, D., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C., Rock,T., (2013) ‘Using social media in disrupted markets’, National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), annual conference, 24th -27th April 2013, Orlando, USA [by proxy]
O'Neill, D., Murray, J., Ryan, M., Sheridan, I. (2012) 'Ireland’s answer to rethinking education and reshaping the economy', European Association for International Education annual conference, 11th - 14th September 2012, Dublin
O'Neill, D. (2012) 'Getting beyond the Great Firewall: implementing a social media strategy for the promotion of international education in China', European Association for International Education annual conference, 11th - 14th September 2012, Dublin
O'Neill, D. (2012) 'The student voice in social media strategy. Perspectives from Irish Higher Education', European Universities of Life Sciences annual conference, 20th – 22nd June 2012, University of Bolzano, Italy – Invited guest speaker
O'Neill, D., (2012) ‘Implementing social media in a marketing strategy. A study of International offices in Irish Higher Education', Enterprise Ireland Social Media seminar, 16th January 2012, Dublin - Invited guest speaker
O’Neill, D., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2011) ‘Social media 3.0: implementing social media in your marketing strategy and making it work’, European Association for International Education, (EAIE), Annual conference, 15th – 18th September 2011, Copenhagen
O’Neill, D. Choudaha, R., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2010) ‘Social Media Marketing in China and India’, National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), annual conference, 6th -9th April 2011, Washington DC, USA
O’Neill, D. Choudaha, R., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2010) ‘Social Media Marketing in China and India’, European Association for International Education, (EAIE), Annual conference, 15th – 18th September 2010, Nantes
O’Neill, D., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2010) ‘Social Media and student recruitment – A European perspective’, National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), annual conference, 21st -24th April 2010, San Francisco, USA [by proxy]
O’Neill, D. (2009) ‘Targeting “Generation Y”. Does social media really work? A case study from an Irish Institute of Technology’. European Association for International Education, (EAIE), Annual conference, 16th – 19th September 2009, Madrid
Contributions at conferences in SETU
Furlong, A., Molloy, R., Cisneros, A., Fraioli, P., Cummins, U., O’Neill, D. (2008): Evaluating CLIL lesson plans and resources. WIT seminar for primary and secondary school teachers in the South East of Ireland
Furlong, A., Molloy, R., Cisneros, A., Fraioli, P., Cummins, U., O’Neill, D. (2007): A CLIL overview. Examples of CLIL best practice. WIT seminar for primary and secondary school teachers in the South East of Ireland.
Conferences organised at SETU
Internationalisation in Higher Education in Ireland; Conversations on the power of inclusion, SETU Waterford, 3rd March 2023
Association of Lecturers of French at the Institutes of Technology, Annual Conference, April,1999.
Lecturer in French and Spanish
Management of funded projects related to the enhancement of teaching and learning:
Programmes taught include:
Recent External Examiner Roles
Board and Committee Membership
External boards
SETU Boards
International Awards
Member of WIT team awarded European Commission ‘European Language Label Award 2005’ for project on ‘Transferable Skills in Third-Level Modern Languages Curricula’. Project in collaboration with WIT Languages' colleagues, Dr Carmel Coyne, and Rosanna Molloy, and Head of Careers, Angela Collins, and colleagues from Trinity College Dublin, and Dublin City University.
Selected Press Releases
Argentina
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Croatia
France
Mexico
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Spain
Tunisia
USA
International Project Management:
Promotional videos produced and edited:
WIT - Portuguese: Estudantes 'Ciência sem Fronteiras' no WIT - Irlanda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDn2jIIpLo8
WIT - Portuguese: Estudar na Irlanda no WIT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r5feQWDeP4&t=1s
WIT - Spanish: Estudiar en WIT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8GO9YMHSXQ
WIT Erasmus outward - Why study abroad? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ6ObBB7ZAg
SETU student international study/work placement blog:
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
