Internationalisation Lunchtime Series: The Impact of Brexit for Irish Universities

Professor Raymond J Friel is Special Advisor to the President of UL on European Policy with a special focus on Brexit.

Although the arrangements for Brexit are some way from being finalised, there can be little doubt that the impact of Brexit will be one of the most significant events to affect Ireland since the creation of the State, not only at a general level but also for the Irish University sector in particular. The departure of the UK from the EU will result in dramatic changes to the educational landscape, even under the most benign of circumstances. Irish Universities, both institutionally and as a sector, have already begun early strategic planning to deal with the emerging situation.

At this event, Prof Friel, as Special Advisor to the President of UL on European Policy with a special focus on Brexit, will outline the background factors that must inform any future planning by Irish Universities as a result of Brexit. In particular he will examine the role of the UK University sector within the EU both in research and teaching, as well as the impact the UK’s departure will have on Irish Universities and the wider European 3rd level sector.

From that Prof Friel will attempt to draw a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities for Irish Universities. He will then host an interactive discussion with the audience as to how Irish Universities, and UL in particular, might exploit those opportunities while limiting the challenges that Brexit will create. He will explore potential models for dealing with Brexit and how these can be operationalised within the disparate disciplines of modern Irish Universities such as UL while still serving the needs of our students, staff and faculty.

Speaker:

Professor Raymond J Friel

Ray Friel is a graduate of UCC and the University of Exeter and was called to the Bar in 1986. After an appointment in University College Wales, he joined the School of Law at University of Limerick in 1989. Since then, he was Head of the Law School for nine years, Interim Head of the Department of History for one year and University Advocate for four years. He has held visiting Professorships at Boston College Law School, Western University Law School in Canada, the University of New Hampshire Law School and the University of Kansas Law School. His areas of specialisation are contract and commercial law and he has authored leading treatises on contract, tax and business law. He has published extensively both nationally and internationally in prestigious law reviews, including the International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Fordham Journal of International Law, Common Law World Review, Arbitration, North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, Journal of Legal Education, Washburn Law Review and University of Kansas Law Review, to name a few.
Currently he is Director of the International Commercial and Economic Law Research Group and is an examiner for the Honourable Society of the Kings Inns in Contract Law and an examiner Law Society of Ireland entrance examination in Tort Law. He has also been appointed to several Universities as an external examiner and has been invited as an expert referee for a number of journals.

Internationalisation Lunchtime Series and Further Supports:

This lunchtime series is a collaborative initiative of the HR Division, Assistant Deans International, International Education Division, the Research Office, and Plassey Campus Centre.