South East Technological University’s (SETU) third annual Digital Education Conference 2025 (DEC25) took place on 9-10 December, preceded by the DEC25 Doctoral Colloquium and the DEC25 teachers’ event, DigiTeachNet.
We look forward to building on the success of DEC25 as we continue to shape the future of digital education through national conversations strengthening Ireland’s digital future, learning, equity and possibility for all.
Dr Zeta Dooly, event co-chair
From Surf2Turf
Held over two days at SETU’s Cork Road Campus in Waterford, the DEC25 conference welcomed educators, researchers, technologists, student support specialists, industry partners, and policy leaders to explore this year’s theme: “Surf2Turf: Navigating Digital Transformation in Education, Life Below Water and Life on Land.”
Professor Paddy Prendergast, SETU Governing Body Chair and Research Professor at Trinity College Dublin opened proceedings with some insightful remarks. A highlight of day one was The AI Debate, where students argued in favour of using AI while staff argued against it. The lively debate, chaired by David Denieffe, Senior Vice President for Operations at SETU, was followed by enthusiastic audience participation that continued well beyond the allotted time.
The afternoon featured an engaging panel session on EU University Alliances, exploring their achievements to date and outlining planned future developments.
Kirra Pendergast, Strategic Advisor on Online Safety and an internationally recognised leader in the field, delivered a fascinating keynote address titled Human Digital Risk Management Across Smart Education in the Age of Digital Chaos. She guided the audience through the concept of Human Digital Risk Management, focusing first on awareness of risk and then on strategies for managing it. Tracing the impact of social media on young people from key US legislation introduced 17 years ago through to today’s 25+ age group, the talk challenged educators, parents, and students to consider agency, corporate responsibility, risk management, digital policy, and the future they wish to help build in the context of social media and AI.
HEI Presidents’ Panel
Day two opened with a programme highlight - the HEI Presidents’ Panel. The event was chaired by former UN Ambassador David Donoghue and featured Prof Veronica Campbell and Dr Orla Flynn of Atlantic Technological University. The panel explored European University Alliances - Empowering European Citizenship and Human Survival through SDG-Driven Collaboration, Education, Communities and Partnerships (SDGs 4, 11 and 17). The discussion demonstrated how shared vision and strong partnerships can deliver meaningful impact and was followed by questions from the audience.
Guest speaker Prof Gerard Dooly, Co-Director of the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CRIS) at the University of Limerick, closed the conference with a keynote titled ‘From Sea Floor to Smartphone: Digital Mapping, Marine Robotics and Citizen Science for Coastal Literacy’. The presentation took the audience on a journey from shipwrecks and drones to digital twins, offering insight into current capabilities in digital mapping and marine robotics. It also highlighted the BluePoint project and collaboration with local Waterford partner Propelor BIC, showcasing the practical application of these technologies through citizen science initiatives for coastal literacy, co-funded by Interreg Atlantic Area.
As part of the conference programme, John Barimo, Manager of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Ireland at University College Cork, delivered a workshop focused on promoting community and reducing alienation in digital learning spaces, drawing on a 20-year professional journey and an ecological perspective aligned with SDGs 14 and 15. Neill Wylie, FHEA Learning Technologist and Doctoral Candidate, alongside Emmett Cullinane, presented their collaborative research on the Blue Tourism training programme, highlighting innovative learning design and a shared vision for a more sustainable Atlantic.
Building on success
Speaking about the success of this year’s event, Dr Zeta Dooly, event co-chair said, “As SETU marks its third Digital Education Conference, we reaffirm that leadership in digital education is not a position we hold, but a dialogue we sustain. The strong engagement throughout the conference showed a clear appetite across higher education, industry, and policy communities to work together toward responsible, sustainable, and impactful digital innovation. We look forward to building on the success of DEC25 as we continue to shape the future of digital education through national conversations strengthening Ireland’s digital future, learning, equity and possibility for all.”
For the second year, DEC25 also hosted an associated Doctoral Colloquium, welcoming doctoral students and guest speakers to SETU for in-depth discussions on communicating research, building a research career, research data management, AI in research, and AI in education. The colloquium generated strong engagement and discussion, offering valuable insights and opportunities for future collaboration.
As a precursor to DEC25, SETU hosted the inaugural DigiTeachNet event, a collaborative network focused on enhancing digital teaching, learning innovation, and professional practice across education. The event featured educators from across Ireland showcasing digital innovation in practice. A keynote on AI was delivered by Dr Eamon Costello (DCU), while Kate O’Keeffe (SETU) presented on the new Digital Strategy for Schools in Ireland. Contributions were also made by Dr Brian Barron, Director of Waterford Education Support Centre, and Dr Caroline McGarry (SETU) on their Community of Practice for Universal Design for Learning, More Than Words.
The winners of the Digital Innovation Award were recognised including: Sorcha Ní Bhroin, Emma Horan O’Neill, and Eimear Sheahan for SEE Policy, an AI-powered tool designed to help teachers search, compare, and interpret educational policy quickly and clearly.