On March 20, 2025, the Praxis Project proudly launched eight new educational resources and a research report titled “Building Beyond Borders: Research Insights on Global Justice Education in Higher Education”. Hosted by Dr. Gertrude Cotter, the launch event brought together a vibrant community of educators, researchers, students, and staff committed to advancing Global Citizenship and Development Education (GCDE) across disciplines at University College Cork (UCC).
The resources can be found on this page: Resources – PRAXIS
The research report can be found here: Research – PRAXIS
A recording of the event is at the bottom of this page.
Speakers and Key Messages
Prof. Ursula Kilkelly, Vice President for Global Engagement, opened the event by celebrating the value of Praxis as a model of impactful global education:
“Initiatives like Praxis serve as exemplars for impactful global education, demonstrating how universities can champion this work, embedding it in all that we do.”
She emphasised how Praxis aligns with UCC’s upcoming Global Engagement Plan and contributes meaningfully to both national and international discourse on education and justice.
Prof. Nicola Ingram, Head of the School of Education, stressed the transformative and transgressive power of education:
“Education is not just about content delivery. It’s about transformation—and I would say, about transgression.”
She commended the interdisciplinary reach of the Praxis Project and highlighted its alignment with the School’s strong commitment to social justice.
Launched Resources
Eight powerful resources were launched, each offering a unique lens on GCDE:
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“The Elephant in the Room” – Exploring racism on campus through participatory art, critical race theory, and lived experience.
Speakers: Dr. Sanaa Khabbar, Dr. Amin Sharifi Isaloo, Maria Torres, and Martha Phelan“The project creates spaces where difficult conversations can happen openly and productively.” – Dr Khabbar
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Ophthalmology and GCDE – A pioneering resource co-authored by Dr Rene Gonzales, examining the intersection between global health justice and eye care.
“This resource encourages medical educators to equip future ophthalmologists to be not only clinicians but also advocates for equity.”
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Let’s Get Critical: Critical Pedagogy and GCDE – Developed by Dr. Sharon Ulsch, this toolkit offers educators theoretical grounding and practical tools.
“Education must not be neutral. It must be a force for transformation and justice.”
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The Mystery Box Project – An innovative arts-based approach to teaching about global issues, co-created with UCC staff across departments.
Speaker: Eimear Moloney“It was disarming and emotional—engaging with craft made it easier to confront difficult truths.”
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LGBTQ+ Rights and GCDE – A deeply reflective resource by Richard McDonnell, linking queer activism and GCDE across disciplines.
“This is not just about LGBT rights within unjust systems—but about how we dismantle those systems.”
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GCDE Living Timelines – A rich, visual set of timelines tracing the history of GCDE, development theory, and activism in Ireland and globally.
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Oral History of GCDE in Ireland – A series of radio interviews from community radio and podcast archives, capturing voices from the 1960s to today.
Speaker: Vicky Donnelly, Financial Justice Ireland“This longer story helps us know where we’ve come from—the threads, tensions, and courage that got us here.”
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GCDE and Direct Action – A timely and relevant resource exploring the role of activism in higher education, featuring student reflections on UCC’s encampment in solidarity with Palestine.
Research Report: Building Beyond Borders
The launch also marked the release of a major research report, “Building Beyond Borders”, which offers critical insights into GCDE implementation across UCC. With contributions from over 750 students and 20 departments, the report sheds light on staff and student experiences, curricular practices, and opportunities for collaboration and transformation.
Dr. Cotter noted:
“This is more than research. It’s a collective story of resilience, imagination, and commitment to global justice in higher education.”
A Living Project
Praxis is not just a collection of resources—it is a living, evolving initiative that brings people together, bridges disciplines, and centres the voices of the marginalised. From creative arts to law, medicine, history, and beyond, the Praxis Project continues to foster deep engagement with the root causes of global injustice, always with a spirit of hope, action, and collaboration.
As Gertrude concluded the event with an “elephant rumble” and ribbon-cutting, it was clear that the real launch had only just begun.
Video Recording below. Apologies the first five minutes were not recorded.
