Bridging the Gap: From Campus to Cabinet - How to turn Ideas into Action and shape Government policy

Recorded March 10th, 2026.

This interactive workshop discusses policy - how it is created, and how it can be shaped and influenced - with former Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh, and Mary Doyle, RIA Secretary for Policy and International Relations and former Assistant/Deputy Secretary in the Departments of the Taoiseach, Education and Skills, and Health and Children

This is the third instalment of our new series, Bridging the Gap between Policy and Research, which explores how scholarship in the Arts and Humanities can shape and inform public policy for the common good.

This event is designed to be of interest to anyone who wishes to explore how academic research can be more effectively integrated into national policymaking processes, with a focus on building sustainable, evidence-based partnerships between higher education and the State.

The discussion will look at the current disconnects between research outputs and policy implementation.

It will also explore lessons that can be learned from crisis-response models (e.g. COVID-19) where collaboration was immediate and highly effective.

The objective is to identify feasible pathways and frameworks that could help us better engage more directly with the policymaking process.

In doing so, it will help us better understand who to approach when we have relevant research we wish to share, and how to go about shaping and influencing public policy.

Joe McHugh is a former Minister for Education and Skills and previously served as Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs. During his time in public office, he held a number of senior ministerial roles and has been closely involved in European policy and governance at a national level.

Mary Doyle is a former Assistant/Deputy Secretary in the Departments of the Taoiseach, Education and Skills, and Health and Children (1992 to 2018). While at the Department of Education and Skills she had responsibility for higher and further education policy, funding and legislation. She is a member of the Board of the Wheel and has been a member of the National Economic and Social Council, the Board of Science Foundation Ireland, the National Statistics Board and a Forum Member of the Economic and Social Research Institute. She holds a degree in European Studies from the University of Limerick and a Master’s in Public Service Management from Trinity College Dublin/Irish Management Institute. She was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2022.

Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub