Following on from attending the Research Ireland Fourm June 5th we were encouraged by the thoughts and proposals discussed for Ireland and the wider academic community.

Around the world, governments and institutions are racing to strengthen their innovation ecosystems — investing in advanced research, doctoral training and implementing deep-tech talent cultivation.

But if we’re serious about long-term impact, we must start earlier.

At The Global Undergraduate Awards, we’ve always believed that excellence doesn’t begin with a postgraduate application — it begins in the undergraduate sphere. It starts when students ask bold questions, cross disciplinary lines and commit to creating change.

That’s why it’s exciting to see frameworks like Innovate For Ireland and Irish Universities Association - Competitiveness and Innovation Capacity proposal aligning with Impact 2030 and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, placing greater value on early talent excellence through impact and disruption and cross-sectoral collaboration. These ideas resonate well beyond Ireland — they reflect a global shift in how we define and develop excellence.

Our pillars have always focused on recognising undergraduate work to:

• Build confidence at a critical stage of formation.
• Connect thinkers globally and create networks that last beyond university.
• Inspire innovation, grounded not only in knowledge but in values of excellence and impact.

Importantly, the volume was also turned up LOUD on the growing recognition that today’s PhD students are not only future academics — they are potential entrepreneurs, policy drivers, social innovators and industry leaders. A topic discussed at length during our recent podcast "Procrastinate. Panic. Publish" with Frensei, Brooke Struck, PhD Thomas Ledwell and Dr. Ali Rizvi

The shift toward entrepreneurial capacity-building within doctoral training represents a necessary evolution: one that empowers researchers to lead outside traditional academic silos and influence real-world outcomes.

The world doesn’t just need more graduates. It needs more changemakers and many of them are already here — in lecture halls, libraries and internships, ready to lead if we give them the platform - Let’s keep building that bridge