2026 | August | September | October STUDENTS • RESEARCH • TEACHING • LEARNING • EVENTS • ALUMNI • COMMUNITY
RESEARCH • IMPACT
Does the gender pay gap extend to AI?
A study co-authored by Dr Mary Hausfeld at Kemmy Business School examined how the appearance of AI assistants affected the way people treated them.
In a virtual office, 189 workers completed tasks with AI assistants and then divided real money between themselves and the assistant. The findings raise a practical question for organisations introducing AI colleagues: could design choices reproduce inequalities already familiar in human workplaces? The study suggests that appearance influences perceptions of contribution, trust and reward. These are findings from a controlled study, rather than a measure of pay across all real-world AI systems.
The female-presenting agent received 10.25% less than the male-presenting agent, despite the technology being identical. Participants also trusted human-like assistants more than a robot or text-based chatbot. Their behaviour did not always match their stated preferences about an assistant’s appearance.
EVENTS • STUDENTS
UL Open Days at Kemmy Business School
The UL campus hosted over 20,500 visitors during October Open Days, including, most importantly, prospective undergraduate students, but also their teachers, guidance counsellors, and parents. We welcomed many of these visitors here in KBS, who attended our information talks and engaged with our faculty, staff and student ambassadors.
Professors Robert Ford, Kieran Gallery & Brendan McCarthy lead the conversations about our undergraduate programmes over the past two days. Our lecture theatre and classrooms hosted hourly talks on our Bachelor of Business Studies, BA in International Business and BA in Law and Accounting programmes. Our faculty were also available to speak with prospective students and parents one-to-one in our Cube restaurant.
Our Open Days are also staffed by our KBS student ambassadors. Student ambassadors are our current students who represent the Business School, assisting faculty, staff and students during the year. They welcomed our visitors and took part in panel discussions, giving our prospective students a first-hand glimpse of what studying at the KBS is really like.
Our Undergraduate Faculty Coordinator, Elaine Mullane, organises these events and she is critical to sharing the success stories of our programmes. The next open day will be held on Saturday 16th of January 2027, but we’re available for questions any time by emailing business@ul.ie
It's about time
In September, Business leaders and academics came together at UL for a seminar led by Dr Sarah Kieran, Director of Executive Education at KBS. The discussion explored time as a strategic resource, with implications for organisational culture, innovation and performance.
L to r: Prof Giles Harrington (UL); Dr. Sarah Kieran (UL); Prof Sarah MacCurtain (UL); Dean Michael Morley (UL); Mr. Aongus Hegarty (UL); Prof Annmarie Ryan (UL); Prof Shane Kilcommins (President UL)
EVENTS • EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
Where does your leadership time make a difference?
The event brought industry experience into conversation with academic perspectives. Topics included the influence of short-term deadlines, expectations about the future and the importance of spending leadership time with teams and stakeholders. The central question was how leaders choose to use the time available to them.
Contributors considered the pressure to deliver quickly alongside the need for thoughtful dialogue and collective learning. Professor Michael Morley examined contrasting cultural understandings of time: one centred on schedules and deadlines, another on investing in relationships.
EVENTS • KBS DIGITAL HUB
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT FOR OUR NEIGHBOURS
The impact of the KBS Digital Hub is increasingly being recognised beyond UL. In October, Robert Dalton and Greg Rogala were invited to attend the opening of the GATE Digital Studio at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), where they received special acknowledgement for their support and contribution to the development of the initiative.
The event marked an important milestone in a growing collaborative relationship between KBS and MIC, with further opportunities for partnership and shared innovation already being explored. The recognition reflects the expertise, creativity, and commitment that the Digital Hub team continues to bring to every project.
L to R: Tom Kinsella, Digital Learning Manager (MIC); Dr. Katherine Whitehurst, Director of Teaching & Learning (MIC); Greg Rogola, Snr Multimedia Designer (UL); Robert Dalton, Digital Hub Manager (UL)
TEACHING • RECOGNITION
Climate learning with a lasting connection
The CATALYST initiative received the Pedagogy Award at the 2026 PRME Awards. Professor Elaine Doyle accepted the recognition in Cairo on behalf of the team, which also includes Dr Mary Curtin and Erin King. CATALYST brings climate education and responsible management into an accounting module. Offered to KBS’s first-year business cohort, it gives students an active way to explore climate change while meeting classmates and collaborating in groups. The award recognised the design and delivery of meaningful learning experiences. For Professor Doyle, accepting it in Egypt also recalled her own childhood learning through travel—an experience that helped shape her approach to education.
TEACHING • DOCTORATE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
A new community of scholar-practitioners
KBS welcomed the founding cohort of its Executive DBA in Leadership, Sustainability and Systemic Transformation. The programme connects senior leaders’ professional experience with sustained academic inquiry into organisational and societal challenges. Professor Michael Morley opened the first residency, while Academic Director Dr Catriona Burke introduced its intellectual foundations. Participants explored how to question assumptions and work with complexity and uncertainty. The residency included contributions from Professors Mike C. Jackson, David Coghlan, Ann Cunliffe and Mats Alvesson. Discussions ranged across systemic inquiry, engaged scholarship, evidence-based decisions and leadership, establishing a shared space between research and professional practice.
COMMUNITY • FUNDRAISING
UL Christmas Bike Appeal Returns for 2026
Following the incredible support shown by the UL community, we are delighted to announce that the UL Christmas Bike Appeal is back for 2026.
Over the past few months, volunteers have been busy rescuing, refurbishing and restoring bicycles of all shapes and sizes. From children's bikes for future cycling stars to practical commuter and adult bikes, there will be something to suit every age and budget.
Bikes will be available to view and purchase from 1 December for two weeks, with every sale helping to raise funds to purchase new bicycles for children and families in need this Christmas.
The University of Limerick Bike Appeal is a volunteer-led sustainability and community initiative that gives donated bicycles a second life while supporting local families. Working with partners including Extern and the Silver Arch Family Resource Centre, the appeal helps ensure that children and families across the Mid-West experience the joy of receiving.
By refurbishing unwanted bicycles and returning them to use, the project promotes sustainability, active travel and the circular economy, while the funds raised enable the purchase of new bikes for children who might otherwise go without.
The appeal is made possible through the generosity of UL staff, sponsors, volunteers and community partners. Together, we are helping to create a greener future while making Christmas a little brighter for local children and families.
You can get involved by purchasing a bike or by donating directly
RESEARCH • LIVING WITH AI
The XTREME Living Lab at UL
A cross-disciplinary research hub based in the Kemmy Business School. XTREME is an €8 million Horizon Europe research project utilizing mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) to bring immersive 3D visual and spatial sound experiences into people's homes.
The Lab is led by Principal Investigator Associate Professor Máirtín Cunneen (AI governance and ethics), alongside a multi-disciplinary team of researchers specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), UX, music therapy, community music, and trustworthy AI/XR. Recent collaborations include partnering with the Irish Chamber Orchestra to transform Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons into a mixed reality experience, as well as case studies on music therapy, social inclusion, and arts-based resilience.
Watch out for more XTREME events by following the Lab on its LinkedIn pages.
RESEARCH • MEET THE RESEARCHER
Making care count in the world of work
Dr Caroline Murphy examines how labour market policy can support people to sustain their careers while living well. Her research connects two areas often considered separately: unpaid family care and the working conditions of paid home care assistants.
Dr. Murphy studies how caring responsibilities affect employment, wellbeing and career decisions, alongside the role of digital technologies in care. The question is whether new tools ease the pressure or create different demands on people’s time. Her work puts care into the wider discussion of job design, working hours and workforce planning. It asks how labour markets can recognise work that is essential but frequently undervalued.
RESEARCH • EDUCATION
Small tasks, more often
The analysis drew on almost 100,000 students across 23 countries. Frequency mattered more than total volume, although the same positive association was not found for weaker-performing students.
The researchers also raised a question for future study: if AI completes the task for a pupil, could it undermine the learning benefit of retrieving and applying knowledge independently?
The research garnered widespread media interest and was featured across the national press and broadcast channels.
PEOPLE • RECOGNITION
International recognition for work psychology
Deirdre received the distinction at its congress in Florence in July 2026. Her research addresses motivation, self-management and occupational health, examining the psychological factors that help people work safely and effectively.
The fellowship recognises sustained contributions through research, practice, leadership and service. Professor O’Shea acknowledged the colleagues, collaborators and students who have supported her work at UL and internationally.
VISITORS • SEMINARS
Prof Paul De Grauwe
We welcomed Professor De Grauwe, John Paulson Chair in European Political Economy at LSE, for a seminar hosted by the Department of Economics. His research spans monetary integration, monetary policy, foreign exchange markets and open-economy macroeconomics. His career has also included service in the Belgian Parliament and contributions to the European Commission’s Group of Economic Policy Analysis.
Philip Ducie
The department of Management & Marketing was delighted to welcome Philip Ducie, HR Lead Business Partner of Analog Devices, to campus on the 5th October 2026. Mr. Ducie gave a guest lecture to the BA in Human Resources Management on HR negotiating skills in unionised companies as part of UL's ‘Industry in the Classroom’ initiative.
RESEARCH • PUBLICATIONS
Academy of Management Learning & Education
The September issue of the Academy of Management Learning & Education was a special issue co-edited by Dr. Moran Anisman-Razin, Associate Professor, Department of Work & Employment Studies that focuses on building theory on leadership development.
While we have a lot of theories of leadership, and insight into how to develop leaders, often our leadership development efforts are missing a guiding theory that can provide a solid foundation on how to develop specific aspects, behaviors, and practices that will enhance leaders’ effectiveness.
The special issue offers different theoretical perspectives on leadership development – from more general principles to specific approaches to leadership development.
Where a KBS education can take you
ALUMNI • ENTERPRISE
Building businesses that improve lives
In KBS’s Alumni Spotlight, Bachelor of Business Studies graduate Jack Starling reflects on a career across healthcare, technology and consumer services. His work includes ADHD Now, AutismCare and Fettle. He describes UL’s mix of academic learning and practical application as formative. Clubs, societies and relationships also helped build confidence and resilience. His advice to students is to take opportunities that stretch them, develop ideas and learn from early mistakes. The thread running through his career is a focus on solving practical problems through sustainable businesses.
STUDENTS • GLOBAL LEARNING
Three countries. Two degrees.
A new chapter. Patrick Roche graduated with a BA in International Business from UL and a BSc in Finance and Accounting from Kozminski University in Warsaw. His studies also included an exchange at EDHEC Business School in Nice. A placement with a yachting agency in Paris gave him experience in a sales environment and life in another country. These opportunities helped him develop both professional skills and confidence. He was awarded the 2026 Rev. John M. Conlisk Scholarship to pursue postgraduate study at Fairfield University in Connecticut, adding another international chapter to his education.
STUDENTS • COMMUNITY
The power of belonging through sport
Bachelor of Business Studies graduate Caoimhe Lally combined academic life with elite sport, captaining UL to a Purcell Cup win. Her experience strengthened her belief in the value of sport for girls and young women. Growing up without a team at the youngest age groups, she stayed involved by training on the sidelines. Looking back on her time at UL, she highlighted the friendships, teamwork and determination that came with camogie. Graduation marked achievements both in the classroom and on the pitch.
