{"id":11452,"date":"2026-08-19T15:21:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:21:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.ucd.ie\/magazine\/?post_type=events&p=11452"},"modified":"2026-08-20T13:50:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:50:25","slug":"volunteering-2026","status":"publish","type":"events","link":"https:\/\/alumni.ucd.ie\/magazine\/events\/volunteering-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is incredible scale and diversity to UCD’s mentoring programmes, showcased this year with the vibrant community of students and alumni volunteers<\/sup>. Alumni mentors and student mentees connected to drive professional development and sharpen vital soft skills<\/sup>. Overall, among all the mentoring initiatives taking place across campus, UCD facilitated a remarkable 717 mentoring relationships<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Career Mentoring Programme supported 220 relationships as it expanded across UCD’s five colleges, while the Bridging Generations \u2013 African Mentoring Programme scaled rapidly from last year’s pilot to 100 thriving connections<\/sup>. At undergraduate level, the Quinn Mentoring Programme brought together over 150 students and 130 business alumni, with an impressive 70% of mentors returning this year to support the next generation of business leaders<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At postgraduate level and in its sixth year, the UCD Smurfit Global Leadership Programme for mentoring has officially supported over 1,000 student mentees on their professional journeys to date, supporting 2,150 lifelong connections between students and mentors since the start of the programme<\/sup>. Twenty eight percent of mentors are located internationally, spanning 20 countries, ensuring students are empowered with the global networking skills and professional mindset needed to conquer the job market<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UCD’S MENTORING PROGRAMMES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"Launch<\/a>
Launch of UCD Career Mentoring Programme, November 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Ella<\/a>
Ella Plunkett & Colm Lehane at a mentoring event at UCD Quinn School.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"UCD<\/a>
UCD Quinn School Mentoring launch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Laura<\/a>
Laura Fleming, Carla McNally, Liam Smyth, Prof. Maeve Houlihan and Meeta Dutt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CAREER DEVELOPMENT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are here to support graduates with lifelong learning and career development, continually developing new, impactful programmes to support you through all stages of your professional lives<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The year started with three career webinars and one in-person career workshop<\/sup>. The success of these programmes is rooted in community, and this year, six alumni generously volunteered their time and expertise to support and grow these career development initiatives<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Alumni<\/a>
Alumni volunteered to support and grow career development initiatives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Alumni<\/a>
Alumni generously volunteered their time and expertise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BUDDY PROGRAMME<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fostering vibrant cultural connections is at the heart of the UCD Alumni Buddy Programme, which enjoyed fantastic momentum this year, engaging approximately 200 students and 156 alumni volunteers. The programme is designed to help international students find their footing in Dublin and at UCD. With many of our current alumni volunteers being former participants of the programme as international students, this highlights the lasting impact and the enduring sense of global community the programme fosters. Alongside individualised support, the programme features popular monthly group outings, with alumni serving as local guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Participants<\/a>
Participants of the UCD Alumni Buddy Programme.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Connecting Communities continued to engage Indian and Chinese alumni for peer-led career development<\/sup>. This initiative celebrates the diverse alumni community and offers a forum to expand professional networks and gain valuable experience and guidance in a range of sectors<\/sup>. The events drew on the wealth of expertise and experience of alumni across many industries, including banking, finance, governance, AI and research<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Connecting<\/a>
Connecting Communities attendees in January 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Connecting<\/a>
Connecting Communities attendees in February 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION EVENT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A volunteer recognition event hosted at UCD in June was the perfect opportunity to thank alumni who gave their time, energy, and expertise back to the university community over the past year<\/sup>. This dedicated group of volunteers came together to celebrate their impact on students’ lives, through helping out at events, joining career panels, and mentoring and offering advice<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch this space for additional opportunities to get involved, and a huge thank you to all volunteers who make our impactful programmes possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25a0 ucd.ie\/alumni\/volunteering\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Attendees<\/a>
Attendees at the volunteer recognition event hosted at UCD.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is incredible scale and diversity to UCD’s mentoring programmes, showcased this year with the vibrant community of students and alumni volunteers. Alumni mentors and student mentees connected to drive professional development and sharpen vital soft skills. Overall, among all the mentoring initiatives taking place across campus, UCD facilitated a remarkable 717 mentoring relationships. The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":12083,"template":"","event_categories":[247],"class_list":["post-11452","events","type-events","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","event_categories-247"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nVolunteering - 2026 Alumni Relations - UCD Connections<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.ucd.ie\/magazine\/events\/volunteering-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Volunteering - 2026 Alumni Relations - UCD Connections\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is incredible scale and diversity to UCD’s mentoring programmes, showcased this year with the vibrant community of students and alumni volunteers. Alumni mentors and student mentees connected to drive professional development and sharpen vital soft skills. Overall, among all the mentoring initiatives taking place across campus, UCD facilitated a remarkable 717 mentoring relationships. 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