Brian Mac Namee
School of Computer Science, University College Dublin
Rupert Bowen
International Postgraduate Liaison Officer, University College Dublin
Built on an advanced ecosystem of world-class academics and state-of-the-art research centres, a university is overhauling their entire curriculum to surpass industry standards amid AI acceleration.
For two decades, University College Dublin (UCD) has been a leader in supporting law enforcement agencies’ fight against cybercrime, training over 1,700 police officers through its MSc in Forensic Computing and Cybercrime. In September, new modules are being introduced in response to new AI-driven challenges.
Rupert Bowen, International Postgraduate Liaison Officer, explains: “All crimes have a digital component now. We teach officers how to gather that digital evidence and use it to secure convictions. We train officers to be both effective and responsible, leveraging AI to find results.”
Future-proofing their AI graduates
With AI evolving at an unprecedented pace, UCD is making it a key priority. “We are overhauling our entire curriculum to reflect how large language models are impacting the way we write and understand code,” explains Brian Macnamee, Director of the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, UCD. “Graduates need a deep understanding of what AI is and how it works. Our newly launched MSc in Advanced AI is a cutting-edge programme, which will train the next generation of AI experts while our AI and creativity module encourages students to explore how far AI can be pushed.”
We are overhauling our entire
curriculum to reflect how large
language models are impacting the
way we write and understand code.
Unparalleled research and industry ecosystem
UCD, with a strong AI legacy, hosts the country’s largest concentration of AI experts and leads national initiatives like Insight, CeADAR and the Centre for Research Training in Machine Learning.
“We are experts in this field, collaborating with companies like Google, Microsoft, Accenture and many others on research projects, student placements and internships to equip our students with the ability to shape their own roles as AI continues to develop,” adds Macnamee.
Pioneering AI applications in healthcare, sustainability and the environment
The university is producing tangible, real-world results, with the AI Healthcare Hub in particular applying AI to some of the world’s most pressing medical concerns. “We’re turning noisy wearable data into meaningful health insights in both clinical and athletic settings. Our PhD candidate at the Mater Hospital is using AI for opportunistic screening to flag health issues from medical images taken in emergencies,” says Macnamee.
As innovation grows in healthcare, sustainability and the environment, the university remains committed to educating Ireland’s future leaders. Bowen adds: “We’re not just teaching tools; we’re showing how they work and which tool is right for the job. That’s what we’ve always done with digital forensics, and now we’re applying the same approach to AI.”
