Ireland’s continuing connection with Denmark was in focus at South East Technological University (SETU), as the Faculty of Business welcomed the Irish Ambassador to Denmark and the Danish Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Ireland for its Graduate Master Seminar series.
The seminar, held at SETU on Wednesday, 23 September, formed part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. As part of the Presidency, each county in Ireland is twinned with an EU Member State, with Waterford paired with Denmark to strengthen connections and explore shared interests.
Danish Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Ireland, Mr Ole Mikkelsen, and Irish Ambassador to Denmark, Mr Kyle O’Sullivan, visited SETU’s Cork Road Campus as part of a whistle-stop tour of Waterford, meeting with staff and students from the Faculty of Business.
Warmly welcoming the distinguished guests, SETU President, Professor Veronica Campbell highlighted the seminar’s role in strengthening connections between the two countries, which share many similarities.
“Denmark and Ireland are countries of similar size, population and ambition. Having both joined the European Union in 1973, our countries have worked closely within a partnership founded on shared values, including international cooperation, diplomacy, democracy and multilateralism. Much of Ireland’s economic, social and educational progress has been shaped by our membership of the European Union,” Prof. Campbell said.
“Our guests are outstanding representatives of these shared values, and we are grateful to them for giving our students direct insight into the diplomatic, economic and political relationships shaping Europe. This engagement also provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the wider challenges and opportunities facing Europe today,” she added.
Professor Campbell emphasised how SETU’s connections with Denmark demonstrate the benefits of international collaboration.
Both diplomats addressed the students before taking part in a question-and-answer session, which explored European affairs, international relations and the longstanding connections between Ireland and Denmark.
Gerard Arthurs, Lecturer in International Relations and Politics, who chaired the question-and-answer session, highlighted the wider significance of the discussion against a backdrop of geopolitical and economic change.
“At a time of significant geopolitical and economic change, small states within the EU share many important interests and values. The seminar provided a timely opportunity to explore issues being discussed in Dublin and Brussels, including the next EU budgetary framework, transatlantic trade disruption, the war in Ukraine and conflict in Iran, and the recent agreement between Denmark and the US regarding Greenland arctic security,” he said.
Dr Thomas O’Toole, Head of Faculty of Business, Waterford, said: “Launching our graduate seminar series with a discussion of Ireland’s relationship with Denmark provided a valuable opportunity to bring international business and diplomacy into the classroom. For our students, hearing directly from the Irish Ambassador to Denmark and the Danish Charge d’Affaires offered a practical insight into how diplomatic relationships, international trade and economic cooperation work in practice. It was an excellent opportunity to connect the academic themes we explore in the Faculty with the real-world relationships shaping business and trade across Europe.”
This event formed part of the ‘Contemporary Issues in Business Seminar Series’, a programme that encourages thought-provoking discussion and engagement at SETU.
