The upcoming DCU open days are ‘hugely important’ to the university, according to DCU President Brian MacCraith. The dates have been set for this Friday and Saturday and prospective students are expected to turn out in huge numbers.
Speaking to The College View, Professor MacCraith described the importance of the two days. “The open days are hugely important, we looked at them before and it was revealed that they were a hug factor for prospective students in choosing DCU…they get a great buzz from the campus.”
Last years CAO figures revealed a 7% increase in students picking DCU as their college of first preference. Brian MacCraith outlined his views on the increased interest to The College View.
“Ultimately here at DCU we set out to increase these figures, the increase in numbers has been quite significant and we are delighted that DCU is so well received by prospective students, we’ve had to adjust and adapt to these numbers.
“It has increased for a number of reasons, we are performing well, punching well above our weight, our placing in the top 50 young universities in the world helps quiet a lot, we’re a very friendly university and we’re so focused on the outside world. With levels of unemployment so high it’s reassuring that the DCU degree is such a strong one.”
The open days will take place from 10am to 3pm on both days and Prof MacCraith himself will be around campus to chat with students, teachers and family members. He told The College View: “I always come along to the various talks and events, it’s important to engage with people.”
Last years CAO figures showed an increase in demand for Biomedical Engineering in DCU, increasing in first preferences by 56%. Dr Joseph Stokes, Head of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering in DCU expects the same interest again at this year’s open days.
“We expect keen interest in our BEng/Meng in Biomedical engineering during our open day event. Ireland is a major hub for bioengineering technology and research in Europe and a global player in the area. Considerable graduate employment opportunities both in industry and academic research are currently available here in Ireland.”
Gill Fitzsimons
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