Greetings from RCSI
It is my great pleasure that RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is host to the inaugural THE University Impact Forum on Health & Well-being. We had greatly hoped to be able to welcome delegates to our Dublin campus, however due to the pandemic we will gather virtually instead for a thought-provoking programme on improving health outcomes and transforming lives.
With a singular focus on health sciences, RCSI is purposefully committed to working to solve the greatest challenges of modern healthcare through world-class education and research. We take seriously our duty to use our expertise, knowledge and discoveries to inform and influence healthcare providers and policymakers and to foster improvements in health across the world.
Our mission to educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health is built on an institution-wide imperative to add social value. We are dedicated to inspiring and supporting local and national learners, and to supporting and promoting improved lifelong health and well-being.
The entire RCSI community was rewarded for their efforts when we were ranked number one in the world for good health and wellbeing in the THE Impact Rankings 2020. We are deeply committed to achieving change across SDGs where we can make the most impact. The THE Impact Rankings enable us to begin to measure, reflect and respond to these challenges in a more focused way.
SDG 3 is aligned to our core mission as one of the world’s leading health sciences universities. Our staff and researchers are actively working to make a difference around the world through our Institute of Global Surgery which makes a difference through projects such as Surg-Africa (scaling up safe surgery for district and rural populations in Africa) and our collaboration with the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa. Our Waterspoutt project aims to provide safe drinking water to communities that rely on unsafe sources.
Responding to the mental health and resilience challenges presented by the COVID pandemic, our Centre for Positive Psychology and Health is delivering a free public online course on the science of health and happiness to over 20,000 members of the public. This type of public outreach reflects our university-wide commitment to leverage our knowledge and expertise to bring healthcare information to the public.
Our research strategy focuses on translational research and scientific discovery in areas including bioengineering and regenerative medicine, cancer, neurological and psychiatric disorders, surgical science and practice, vascular biology and population health and health services.
Our field-weighted citation index is the highest in Ireland and twice the world average and this is achieved through our collaborations with more than 2,000 institutions in 120 countries.
This is an important and timely forum as we grapple with the impact that the pandemic will have on healthcare for many years to come. I think the excellent programme provides delegates with the opportunity to reflect on progress made and to share insights that will allow us collectively to ensure that, as we move into a new decade, we take even greater strides in addressing the challenges set out in the Sustainable Development Goals, which have been laid bare by the pandemic.
Cathal Kelly
CEO
RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
4
INTERNATIONAL CAMPUSES
60%
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
450
SURGICAL GRADUATES IN AFRICA
About RCSI
Founded as the national training body for surgery in Ireland, RCSI has been at the forefront of healthcare education since its establishment in 1784.
Today, we are an innovative, world-leading international health sciences education and research institution offering education and training at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional level.
Our largest faculty, the RCSI Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences delivers education and training across the healthcare spectrum through our schools of medicine; pharmacy and biomolecular sciences; physiotherapy; nursing and midwifery; postgraduate studies; and the Institute of Leadership.
RCSI has a long tradition of integrating simulation into postgraduate surgical training and has been a strong advocate of simulation in undergraduate health professions education. In 2017, we opened 26 York Street – a 10-storey educational facility that houses Europe’s most advanced medical simulation centre.
Our students benefit from a research-driven education experience, spearheaded by our academic departments, many of which are involved in patient-centred clinical care on a daily basis.
Our research agenda drives scientific breakthroughs, innovations and insights that allow us to understand and respond to changing healthcare needs. Our field-weighted citation impact (2014-18) is twice the world average and ranks 124th in the THE World University Rankings 2020, and our researchers were awarded €35.1m in external research funding in 2018.
We recognise our responsibility as educators and researchers to use our expertise, knowledge and discoveries to foster improvements in health and education in Ireland and around the world. Locally, nationally and internationally, we strive to support and promote enhanced lifelong health and well-being and widen educational participation and tenacity.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for our students and staff at RCSI and we are proud to have been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education.
RCSI is located in the heart of Dublin city. Home to 1.5 million citizens, Dublin is a vibrant, friendly city that is steeped in history. The main RCSI campus is situated beside the leafy St Stephen’s Green Park and the busy Grafton Street shopping district.