South East Technological University (SETU) awarded 182 members of the Irish Defence Forces with academic awards during its annual conferring ceremony at the Kilkenny Road Campus in Carlow. It is the largest annual military graduation from a higher education institution to take place in Ireland.
Thomas Byrne TD, Minister of State for Defence, attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the graduation, Minister Byrne commented, “As Minister of State for Defence, I want to commend and congratulate the members of our Defence Forces graduating from SETU today. Lifelong learning is integral to personal development, and it is heartening to see the great value that our Defence Forces places on education. I encourage others to consider a career in the Defence Forces, which offers a ‘life less ordinary’, along with diverse opportunities, structured training and lifelong learning. I welcome the ongoing collaborative partnership between the Defence Forces and SETU and I want to take this opportunity to thank the staff and management of SETU.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Veronica Campbell, President of SETU, said, “The Defence Forces ceremony holds a distinctive place within this week of celebration at out University. As the number of graduates and programmes grow, and so too does the strength of our connection with Óglaigh na hÉireann.”
“At SETU, it is our huge privilege to play our part in supporting the educational achievements of serving members, knowing that the ongoing upskilling and development of our Defence Forces are vital in creating and maintaining stability both nationally and globally,” Prof. Campbell continued.
