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Student Partners at the AHEAD Conference March 2026

About the Programme

The Student Partnership Programme directly involves students in the work of breaking down barriers to inclusion in UCD through Universal Design. Recognising “Nothing About us, Without us”, the Programme creates genuine and meaningful partnership with students; empowering them to advocate for a more inclusive university experience for all. Student Partners are appointed for a full academic year.

The 2025/2026 Student Partners:

  1. Yusuf Alraqi - Medicine
  2. Alexa Benson - Business
  3. Lucie Bevazaha - English Literature
  4. Ninamay Brady - Engineering Science
  5. Ciara Buckley - Structural Engineering
  6. Matthew Collins Kearns - Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  7. Vaishnavi Kannan - Computational Science
  8. Radha Kumar - Computer Science
  9. Kevin Landers - Business & Law
  10. Nessa Last - Mathematics
  11. Sofia Mashkantseva - Business & Law
  12. Bushra K Mohamed Alameen Betro - English & History
  13. Matthew Murphy - Engineering Science
  14. Élise Msica - MSc Heritage Management & Conservation
  15. Saoirse Sheridan - Cell & Molecular Biology
  16. Amaliia Shmyhovska - English & Philosophy
  17. Yahya Rafferty - Economics & Finance
  18. Barbara Ziarnowska - Engineering Science

Programme Goals

  • To bring attention to the potential barriers that some university students may face. The Student Partners work together to brainstorm how they can break down these barriers. 
  • To create training materials for students that introduces them to the ideas of diversity, inclusion and Universal Design. They aim to teach students what their role can be in creating an inclusive university for all. 
  • Once these training materials have been developed. The student partners will deliver this training to a variety of students across campus, particularly those who directly work with and support their fellow students such as class reps, peer mentors, student ambassadors, etc.
  • To create communication materials and resources such as posters, social media content, flyers and videos to raise awareness for Universal Design and University for all in a way that is student focused and accessible to all. 
  • To support the implementation of Universal Design in UCD, working in particular with the Faculty and Professional Staff Partnership Programme

Role of the Student Partners

  • Develop and co-facilitate student workshops focused on Universal Design, inclusion and accessibility. 
  • Actively communicate the message of University for All and Universal Design through social media and other communications channels.
  • Support the development, planning and delivery of different events highlighting inclusivity and accessibility throughout the academic year.
  • Generate, create and organise resources for students, explaining diversity, inclusion and Universal Design.
  • Work with the members of the Faculty and Professional Staff Partnership Programme in rolling out the implementation of Universal Design across the University.
Selection of images of students participating in Incluza-Palooza events

Incluza-Palooza 2026

This year we celebrated the second edition of Incluza-Palooza, UCD's annual week-long festival to celebrate inclusivity on campus. Incluza-Palooza is a University for All Student Partner initiative running from 9th - 12th February 2026. The Student Partners started the week by meeting over 150 students in UCD Village where they had the opportunity to discuss accessibility and inclusivity around campus. Students had the opportunity to give feedback on the accessibility of their modules and get some University for All freebies and snacks. A 24 hour treasure hunt was hosted around campus over Monday and Tuesday using Navilens and highlighting quiet and sensory spaces on campus. The winners collected their prizes at a Coffee Social with coffee, chats, bracelet making and face painting.

The energy was high all week long with over 30 students meeting on Wednesday to design sensory spaces for a Hackathon challenge in collaboration with the Innovation Academy. There were some fantastic ideas and really creative solutions proposed by the teams of students, with the winning team received noise-cancelling headphones and the chance of seeing their idea come to life on campus. A table quiz rounded off the week on Thursday with some great prizes in the Fitzgerald Chamber, including Faerly gift boxes with some local and ethically sourced products.
Overall, a great week celebrating inclusivity around campus!

Play your part in a University for All

Every member of UCD's community is responsible for inclusion - that includes you as a student! Here's what you can do:

  1. Be respectful of everyone in our community and always treat others with dignity. This includes the way we speak with and about one another.
  2. Chat with other students and step outside your comfort zone. Talk to anyone you observe standing alone or who appears anxious and strike up a conversation. This is how we create a welcoming environment.
  3.  Don’t make assumptions about others. Although we are all here now, you never know what path someone else has taken to get here. By being open minded, we can learn a lot from others.  
  4. Remember that everyone is different and to acknowledge that we all can learn from each other, particularly those that are different from ourselves.

UCD Access and Lifelong Learning

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7123