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Resilience, Loneliness & Wellbeing in an AI-Rich World
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Registration opens at 9.30 AM)
Location: Room AF301: Griffith College, South Circular Rd, Dublin 8, D08 V04N
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About this event
The HECA Healthy Campus Forum 2026 brings together students and academic staff from across Ireland’s private and independent higher education institutions for a focused exploration of resilience, loneliness and wellbeing in an increasingly AI-rich world.
As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in learning, assessment, communication and daily campus life, important questions are emerging about human connection, belonging and balance. This forum will explore how higher education can strengthen resilient, healthy communities while navigating rapid technological change.
Led by the Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA) Healthy Campus Committee, the event combines expert insight, student perspectives and collaborative discussion across institutions.
Student feedback across HECA member colleges has increasingly highlighted loneliness and disconnection as growing concerns. This forum provides space to reflect on these experiences and to consider constructive, practical responses that support both students and staff.
Speakers
The event will blend expert and student perspective, applied wellbeing practice and cross-institutional dialogue.
Register
Click the following link to REGISTER
Who Should Attend
Richard Hogan is a systemically trained Family Psychotherapist registered with The Family Therapy Association of Ireland. He writes every Thursday for the Irish Examiner. His column ‘Learning Points’ explores his progressive approaches to mental health promotion. He is the author of the best-selling book ‘Parenting the Screenager’. This book is a practical and accessible guide for parents of the modern child. The book received critical acclaim from The Irish Times as a ‘must buy for any parent of a teenager’. His recent publication, ‘Home is where the Start is’ was a national bestseller and shortlisted for an Irish book award. He is the clinical director of the award-winning psychotherapy and counselling service Therapy Institute. Trinity College Dublin invited Richard, in 2017, to undertake a PhD with the university to explore how his paper, ‘systemic practices in education’ could be introduced into the Irish educational system. Richard was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for his work in 2020 and travelled to America in 2021 to carry out research in a leading American University on how to better promote inclusion in Irish and American Schools. Richard is the leading contributor on RTÉ ‘Raised by the village’. Richard is also an expert contributor on Virgin media’s most successful launch of an original programme, ‘Eating With The Enemy’. He is also a regular contributor on shows such as, Drivetime RTÉ Radio 1, The Hard Shoulder Newstalk, The Today Show RTÉ, Ireland AM Virgin Media, The Tonight Show with Claire Brock, and he is a regular contributor on The Brendan O’Connor show where he offers his expertise and progressive strategies for better mental health promotion.
Rob Mulcahy (MSc, PhD(c)) is a Strength & Conditioning coach and sports scientist, currently serving as Head of Athletic Development with Setanta (Setanta 360). He previously held leadership roles with Clare GAA, including Head of Performance, supporting athletes across inter-county Gaelic games and wider high-performance sport.
Rob is completing a PhD at the University of Limerick focused on talent identification, detection, player transition and retention in youth academy environments. His applied research and practice centres on building developmentally appropriate systems for young athletes—particularly through growth and maturation monitoring, bio-banding, and long-term athlete development (LTAD) principles—bridging evidence with real-world coaching.
Research interests: Talent ID & recruitment, player progression/attrition, growth & maturation, bio-banding, youth physical development, and team-sport periodisation.
Ilse White is a researcher at Learnovate whose research explores how advances in AI and digital technologies are reshaping learning, work, and human connection, with particular attention to the wellbeing in education and organisational settings.
Patrice is a graduate of the BSc in Integrative Psychotherapy at IICP (Class of 2024–2025) and is currently completing her pre-accredited clinical hours. A mother of one and the first in her family to complete a BSc, Patrice’s path through training was shaped by navigating neurodivergence, epilepsy, and significant family health challenges while studying. Her work is grounded in the belief that resilience develops not through endurance alone, but through awareness, support, and connection. Patrice is particularly interested in how lived experience, therapeutic insight, and supportive environments can help individuals move through loneliness and build meaningful resilience.
