Former European Parliament president Pat Cox has kicked off a new series of talks at University of Limerick.
‘Curious Conversations: The World at a Crossroads – An Evening with Pat Cox’, was the first in a planned series of talks hosted by UL Chancellor Professor Brigid Laffan.
The event, held in UL’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, featured former MEP Pat Cox, who provided expert insights into pressing global issues.
Hosted by Professor Laffan, a leading voice in European political affairs, the discussion saw an exploration of the complexities of today’s geopolitical landscape and what it means for Ireland, Europe, and beyond.
The event was attended by Acting UL President Professor Shane Kilcommins, founding president Dr Ed Walsh, elected members and public representatives, invited guests and members of the public.
Professor Kilcommins said the discussion between Professor Laffan and Mr Cox, who lectured in UL (then NIHE) in the late 1970s, was ‘thought-provoking and an enriching experience, reflecting our university’s role in fostering intellectual dialogue and innovation.
“Universities play a crucial role in driving societal change through knowledge exchange and debate. It is through the rigorous exploration of ideas and the fostering of intellectual dialogue that we can address the pressing questions of our time.
“At University of Limerick and as Dr Walsh will attest to, curiosity is in our DNA and while we have been both dynamic and bold, we are committed to being at the forefront of this intellectual engagement. Our mission is not only to educate but to inspire critical thinking, innovation, and societal progress.
“Universities are uniquely positioned to serve as hubs of knowledge, where diverse perspectives converge and where the seeds of change are sown. By encouraging debate and fostering a culture of inquiry, we empower our students and faculty to contribute meaningfully to the world around them,” Professor Kilcommins added.
Professor Laffan said it was a “really great pleasure to be here this evening for the launch of our Curious Conversations. This is the first of I hope many over the next number of years during my time as chancellor of the University.
“It really is important that in universities that we have the ‘big conversations’, and particularly at times of extraordinary shift and shock.”
Noting that we are living in a time of “accelerated change”, Professor Laffan said she could think of “no one better to begin these conversations with, than Pat Cox”, whom she said had made a “wonderful contribution to Europe”.
“Pat and I were lecturers in Limerick in our first academic posts way back in the 1970s, into the 1980s. We were the ‘Doc Walsh babies’ of the time,” she laughed.
“Pat has gone on to have an extraordinary career, both in his many contributions to Irish life, to Europe and to international politics. We are grateful and honoured that you have agreed to be the first in our series,” added Professor Laffan.
In a spirited address before a wider conversation with Professor Laffan, Mr Cox discussed issues around America, Ukraine, Europe and trade policy on the eve of the announcements in Washington DC.
He cautioned “that the past is no guide to the future of transatlantic relations”.
Speaking about his time in UL, he said: “I taught here from 1976 to 1982 – more than four decades ago. That is when I met a young academic and my friend Brigid Laffan, in the early stage of what, for her, has become a very illustrious academic career.
“Every time I have returned to the campus since, I have marvelled at the scale and the quality of its ongoing physical development and the beauty of its natural environment,” he added.
The next event in the Curious Conversations series will be announced in due course.
