Annual MBA Welcome Dinner

The annual MBA welcome dinner took place on Friday night last to welcome all the incoming members of the Full-time MBA Class of 2015 and EMBA class of 2016.  Also in attendance we partners of the class members who had come to see where their other halves would be spending so much time over the next year or two and members of the academic staff of the School and the MBA Programme Office and Careers Service.  The welcome was extended by the Dean of the School Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh and MBA Director Orla Nugent.

A feature of the evening was the ever popular film produced for the 45th anniversary of the graduation of the first MBA class.  It was a timely reminder of that first class in this the 50th anniversary year of the commencement of the programme.

Celebrating 50 years of the UCD MBA

On day two of this years Foundation Week programme the students took a little time out from the business of the day to meet with Ciarán Ó Hógartaigh, Dean of the UCD Business Schools who hosted a coffee break for the incoming classes at which he welcomed both full-time and EMBA classes to to the School, wished them the best on their MBA journey and hoped they would use this time to explore their interests and abilities in a safe environment.

He also noted that this is an important year for the School since it marks the 50th anniversary of the first intake of MBA students to the university in 1964 making the programme Irelands first MBA and one of the first in Europe.

Once the formal greeting was over it came time to cut and of course eat the cake supplied for this auspicious occasion.  Ciaran did the honours and slices were distributed to all interested parties.   All students and staff who sampled it were very complimentary.

PS It was chocolate biscuit cake in case any0ne is wondering.

Celebratory Lunch marking 50 years of the MBA at UCD

A celebratory lunch was held this Wednesday February 26th to mark the beginning of the the 50th anniversary of the Smurfit MBA which had its first intake in 1964.  This will be the first of a number of events to mark this significant milestone for the MBA Programme, the Smurfit School and UCD.

In attendance were a select group of 60 current MBA and EMBA students, MBA Alumni drawn from many years of the the programme and staff representing Smurfit and the wider university.  We were very proud and happy to have among our Alumni members of that first class 1964-1966 Gerry Curley, Noel Donnellon, Brian Gregory, Enda Hession, John Neiland, Joseph O’Loughlin,  Patrick Spain and Thomas Toner.

Addresses were made by Dean Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh and our special guest Ruairi Quinn, Minister for Education & Skills.