10 Things I Learned from the UCD-Howard University Collaboration

It’s not often that you get the opportunity to travel to a different continent, meet Fortune 500 CEOs, and learn more about different historical and cultural backgrounds, so when I learned of the Howard University study engagement, I had to apply.

Little did I know the ground-breaking impact it would have on me both personally and professionally.

Growing up a mile from the Northern Ireland and Irish border, I’ve long been reminded of the troubled past in Ireland, and the influence it has had on the country we know and love today. Imperialism has shaped both Irish and American history and culture and it has forged the Irish American relationship which continues to burn brightly to this day.

Throughout my journey so far in Smurfit, I’ve cultivated my intercultural understanding while immersed in a diverse classroom of over 70% international students. In this era of globalisation in business, I recognise how important this understanding is in bridging cultural differences and fostering high performance in the workplace.

Over the course of the collaboration, we hosted our Howard University peers in Dublin during February, with Howard reciprocating this hospitality in Washington, D.C. a few weeks later. From golfing to corporate visits and insightful panel discussions, I’ve learned more than I could have ever imagined.

Whether you’re a prospective student, alumni, or even just keen on hearing my perspective on the engagement, I hope this blog will enlighten you to the incredible opportunities for students to enrich their academic experience and self-development at UCD Smurfit.

In what is my first blog, I’ll share my 10 key takeaways (in no particular order) from my experience.

Now, let’s dive in.

1.???Ireland Offers More Than Just a Tax Haven for Foreign Multinationals

It’s no secret that Ireland tops the list for foreign multinationals looking to enter the European market. For the last 20 years, Ireland has had one of the world’s most attractive corporation tax regimes, with a corporate tax rate of 12.5%. We’ve seen many of the largest corporates relocate headquarters here, including Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

On the first day of Howard’s trip to Dublin, I had the pleasure of introducing Martin Shanahan who served as CEO of the Industrial Development Agency (“IDA”) of Ireland for the last 8 years. As the agency responsible for the attraction of foreign direct investment (“FDI”) into Ireland, the IDA has spearheaded significant economic growth over the last decade.?

While the “headline” corporate tax rate often gets the media attention, Mr. Shanahan raised several other key factors in attracting FDI to Ireland, including Ireland’s stable government policy, world-leading universities, and Europe’s youngest population, providing unparalleled access to a highly educated workforce.

While some worry about the implications of the OECD Global Minimum Corporate Tax of 15% on Ireland, I think we can take comfort in the many competitive advantages Ireland has to offer besides an attractive tax regime.

2.???Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (“DEI”) Looks Different Around the Globe

Throughout the trip, from panel events, to focus groups, and even on bus journeys, the topic of DEI was discussed continuously.

What struck me was that the focal point of DEI in Ireland and the US are two different matters.

In Ireland, the key focus of DEI is on gender equality, while in the US it’s racial equality. And this makes sense when you look closer at population demographics.

According to the 2016 Irish Census, “White Irish” and “Any other White background”, a single ethnic group, made up 91.7% of the population. This is in stark contrast to the US, where there are three ethnic groups over 10% of the population, namely White (59.3%), Hispanic or Latino (18.9%), and Black or African American (13.6%).

We can’t simply look at every organisation’s DEI efforts through the same lens – the perfect solution does not exist. Organisations must focus on understanding what DEI looks like from their own perspective to truly drive positive change.

3.???Diversity Quotas Play an Important Role in Business Transformation

Diversity quotas remain a hotly contested subject matter, but my perceptions on these have changed since our trip to DC.

Let me be the devil’s advocate for a second. For a long time, I’ve felt that diversity quotas were somewhat discriminatory, demeaning those that benefited while also increasing the uncertainty of landing a job based on merit for graduates who don’t benefit from quotas. I’ve now realised how wrong my standpoint was.

While flawed, diversity quotas work.

During our trip to the residence of the Irish Ambassador to America, Geraldine Byrne Nason commented on the importance of female role models like Mary McAleese during her career. Increasing minority representation can create role models and help in breaking through glass ceilings, creating a positive feedback loop.

While gender equality has come a long way with help from quotas, there is still a long way to go in many organisations to truly represent the societies they operate in.

4.???Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

A personal highlight of the experience was attending a CEO spotlight at Howard University School of Business (“SOB”) with Goldman Sachs CEO, David Solomon.

As a finance student, life doesn’t get much better than this.

After about 10 minutes of being awestruck, I managed to tune into the conversation. And it was liquid gold.

Mr. Solomon spoke of serendipity, perseverance, and failing constantly to reach the top. Even for the head of a leading global financial institution, it wasn’t simply a straight line upwards.

My personal highlight was the discussion around how culture trumps strategy every day of the week. No matter how excellent your strategy, somebody’s got to implement it, and culture is the key differentiator.

Figure out what your values are, stand by them, and surround yourself with like-minded people. I would say you can take that advice to the bank, but maybe hold off for the time being…

5.???Irish Are More Naturally Introverted

If you’ve come through the Irish Leaving Certificate system, you can probably agree that it isn’t the best way to evaluate a person’s intelligence. Hey, but at least you’re probably fantastic at regurgitating information onto a page.

I’ve always been somewhat curious about the differences between the US and Irish education systems, and their impact on how we express ourselves.

In Ireland, for most, a college application is determined by two weeks of exams in June of final year.

In the US, you are measured over a number of criteria: GPA, essays, admission test scores, extracurriculars, college prep courses, and recommendation letters.

From conversations with Howard students, the US system focuses on finding your inner voice. You are taught to have an opinion on things, ask questions, engage in class discussions, and be confident. A very different approach to the Irish system of keeping to yourself.

On Day 1 in Dublin, I recall a Howard student standing up to ask a question, leading with their name, course, and hometown before asking their question. I was intrigued, maybe even a little bewildered at first.

For someone who went three years without asking a question in class, there’s a lot to learn from the US culture.

Find your own inner voice, don’t channel simply what you’ve read in a book.

6.???You Can't Really Know Where You're Going Until You Know Where You Have Been

Our visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (“NMAAHC”) in DC was a stark reminder of how much work still needs to be done to achieve racial equality in the US.

While there has been substantial progress since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there remain immense barriers to overcome, with access to quality education a key challenge to this day.

As we journeyed from the basement of the museum beginning in the early 17th century, stories of perseverance, resilience, and courage formed a powerful lens into centuries of discrimination and adversity.

As the exhibits moved floors higher towards the 21st century, emulating the uphill battle faced by the African American people, the role of the arts, music, and sport in shaping the African American identity and culture was portrayed eloquently.

As I reflect, the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”) like Howard University in providing equality of education and opportunity cannot be understated.

7.???Golf is More Than a Game – It’s a Networking Tool ????????

Ever since reading Tiger Woods’ biography last summer, I’ve been eager to get myself golfing. The trip stateside delivered!

We had the privilege of receiving an ‘Intro to Networking with Golf’ and ‘Golf 101’ from Callaway Golf, followed by some lessons at East Potomac Golf Links.

From ‘shotguns’ to ‘scrambles’, we learned the basic etiquette for the next corporate golf outing. Just turn up right before tee-off, in jeans and a t-shirt, right?

It goes without saying that this was incredibly fun, and a great way to blow off some steam. Would highly recommend to a friend.

While you won’t be seeing me on the PGA Tour anytime soon, I can now tell you what the 19th hole is. A personal favourite.

8.???The US Needs a Shove, not a Push, to Advance the Global Climate Transition

The US is a key player in the global economy. In 2021, the US had the highest carbon dioxide emissions per capita of the G7 at 14.86 metric tonnes per person – more than double the European Union.

Immediately after landing in the US, the problem is clear: excessiveness, in everything. The cars are almost twice the size of EU cars, engine sizes are even more worrying and food portions are ridiculous. All-in-all, there’s a huge issue with the overconsumption of basic necessities.

During our trip, we were hosted by KPMG in their DC office where they presented on ESG reporting and regulation.

Long story short, despite societal pressures, large US corporations are in large part ignoring key issues in favour of maximising shareholder returns. US oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron made a combined $91.2bn in profits in 2022, with both actively resisting pressure to decarbonise.

Wall Street will continue profiteering unless the government imposes climate disclosure requirements on organisations and forces accountability. The political divide in the US is undoubtedly a huge headwind for progress.

Here’s us trying our best to influence some politicians outside the Capitol:

9.???Irish Culture Travels Well, Except for Guinness…

We were lucky enough to be in the capital on St. Patrick’s Day, and in the spirit of being Irish, sought out the nearest Irish pub.

Many Irish musicians traveled over for the weekend, hailing from Kerry all the way up to Derry. We sang Fields of Athenry to Grace. A terrific night was had.

However, I’ll not be in a panic for the Guinness again, particularly at $10 a pint. Rough.

10.???You Meet Amazing People in Co-curriculars

Saving the best for last.

The ambassadors on this trip, both from UCD and Howard University, were some of the friendliest and most intelligent people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Good craic, too.

I’ve forged lifelong connections and learned more than I could have bargained for. It’s powerful what can be achieved when you bring together a diverse group of leaders with insightful perspectives on the world around us.

I’ve no doubt many of those in this collaboration will go on to lead Fortune 500 corporations in the future and will bring positive change to an evolving society.

To sum up, it’s been one of the best experiences out of my four years at UCD.

I’d like to thank the faculty at both UCD Smurfit and Howard University for the years of hard work and thought that went into planning and organising this collaboration. I hope this blog’s takeaways were aligned with your aspirations for the engagement, and that it will continue for many years to come.

We’re a very lucky bunch of students, that’s for sure. If you’re thinking about attending UCD Smurfit next year, don’t think twice about applying.

I’ll close with a personal favourite quote from Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company:

"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes?care of itself." - Henry Ford