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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
W
DEARUCDBUSINESSALUMNI,
HENthinkingabouthowwecanbestrespondto worktowardbuildingasocietyofsubstanceandaneconomybasedon
thecurrenteconomicchallenges,Iamreminded solidfoundations.Weareacutelyconsciousofthechallengesthatface
of an anonymous quote, “Life is not about how thecountry.Acentraloneistoofferthechanceforasmanyunemployed
fastyourun,orhowhighyouclimb,buthowwell peopleaspossibletoengageinproductiveactivity.
youbounce”.Afteralongperiodofrunningfast To this end, in conjunction with the Higher Education Authority,
andclimbinghigh,theworldeconomyingener- theBusinessSchoolhasoffered40placesinourBachelorofBusiness
al,andtheIrisheconomyinparticular,hastaken Studies degree programme to unemployed people with Leaving
a tumble. Early comments about how much Certificate qualifications. We are also running a ‘Dare to Venture’
wealth had been destroyed by plunging stock markets and deflating certificate course for holders of third-level degrees, again aimed at
property bubbles have yielded to questions about whether all that those who are unemployed but have an ambition to start their own
wealthwasnothingmorethanafigmentofourimaginations. business.
We have seen a shift as well in people’s reaction to the recession. IntheSmurfitSchool,wehavereceivedafloodofhigh-calibreappli-
ElisabethKübler-Rossidentifiedfivestagesofdealingwithdeaththat cations for master’s programmes from new university graduates. In
manypeoplefindusefulinapplyingtoanymajorloss.Theinitialstage response,wehaveadmittedasmanyaswepossiblycould,thusoffering
is denial – refusing to accept the facts of a changed situation. We can qualified students the opportunity to enhance their credentials rather
wellrememberthelabelsattachedtothosewhosaidthatthepartycould thanperhapsloseayeartounsuccessfuljobsearch.
not continue indefinitely: fear-mongers, nay-sayers, unpatriotic. We Looking beyond the immediate situation, we have promoted steps
mightalsoremember‘softlandings’and‘temporarydownturns’. towardthenextstageofIreland’seconomicdevelopment.Onthetech-
Thesecondstageisanger.Almosteveryproposaltoincreasetaxesor nologyside,wehaveconcentratedontherealisationoftheUCD-TCD
reduceservices hasmetwithvociferousprotest.Therehasbeenacol- Innovation Alliance, with our first product the delivery of modules in
lective‘it’snotfair,gopickonsomeoneelse’reaction. entrepreneurship and innovation to PhD students in the sciences and
The third and fourth stages are bargaining and depression. engineering.Separately,weareworkingcloselywithBordBiatoprovide
Bargaininginvolvestryingtomakeadealtosoftentheblowwhilecon- acadreofprofessionalswithaglobalmindsetandsignificantexperience
tinuingtodenythefullextentofinjury.‘OK,we’llpaymoretaxes,but ofmarketingandsellingfoodproductsintooverseasmarkets.
doesithavetobethatmuchmore?’Depressionproducesprofoundfeel- Theseeffortspalebycomparisonwiththesizeofthechallenge,but
ingsofsadness,loss,andhopelessness.Expertscitedepressionasafre- ifmanyotherspitchinthecumulativeeffectcanbeconsiderable.In
quentanddebilitatingreactiontounemployment. anyevent,itistimetoputasidetheblamegame.Althoughwewant
There is a fifth stage to Kübler-Ross’s model – acceptance. to understand what got us into the difficulty, it is more important
Acceptanceshowsthewillingnesstofullyacceptalossthathasoccurred now to determine what will get us out. We may not be able to run
andthepainithasinflicted. Butitalsoinvolvesanabilitytomoveon, very fast or jump very high just now, so it is time to show how well
leave the anger and paralysis behind, and search out good things that wecanbounce!
mightexistorthatmightcomefromtheexperience.
Withoverayearofrecessionbehindus,havewereachedthestageof Withverybestwishes
acceptance?Manypeoplefeelthatitistimetopick up thepiecesand ProfTomBegley,Dean,UCDSchoolofBusiness
4 UCD BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
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