Community Engaged Research and Learning as a Vehicle for Responsiveness and Responsibility in TU Dublin, Ireland

Community Engaged Research and/or Learning (CER/L) offers universities a dynamic mechanism to proactively engage with societal partners to address challenges and deliver long-term, impactful collaboration, for mutual benefit. This case study explores how Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) has embedded CER/L through its long-standing Students Learning with Communities (SLWC) programme, drawing on over sixteen years of experience. It examines how CER/L has evolved and continues to develop in this newly established university, formed through the merger of three institutions with origins dating back to the late nineteenth century.
Guided by a theoretical framework grounded in civic engagement, organisational change, and trust-building, this study critically evaluates the structures, leadership, and practices that support—or hinder—responsiveness to community ideas and needs. It incorporates input from community partners and academic staff actively involved in CER/L, through an externally-conducted evaluation of the SLWC programme, as well as reflections by CER/L support staff, to identify key enablers and barriers.
The study concludes with pointers and guidance on sustaining best practices and developing enhanced supports to expand CER/L as a vital community engagement activity. It sets out proposals to guide TU Dublin’s future path to further strengthen responsible and responsive engagement with communities.
Key findings emphasise the importance of institutional values and commitment, cross-functional and cross-sectoral collaboration, relationship-building, and embedded support systems to ensure the long-term sustainability of CER/L. Change leadership and management approaches are vital in developing and sustaining CER/L in a university, we argue, with equal emphasis on processes, tasks, and relationships. The study offers practical insights for all higher education leaders seeking to embed community engaged research and/or learning within academic and organisational practices.