The Irish Institute at Boston College is committed to supporting the peace and normalization process on the island of Ireland by designing and delivering exchange programs for policymakers, leaders, and officials from all communities Ireland and Northern Ireland. Over 600 professionals from all levels of government, business, education and the non-profit sector have participated in programming aimed at developing effective management, governance, educational, and economic strategies.
The Irish Institute’s work also strengthens transatlantic relationships and increases mutual understanding, by bringing together Irish and American peers, to share the challenges and successes they have experienced in tackling social, political, and economic issues. The Institute utilizes the outstanding faculty and resources at Boston College, and has developed an extensive network of partners in Boston, across Massachusetts, and throughout the United States.
Despite progress towards peace at the institutional level as a result of the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement, people on the ground on both sides of the border need opportunities for meaningful interaction if they are to overcome seven decades of parallel and separate development. With the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the resulting freeze on devolution, personal and professional links across the border and between people of all traditions have never been more important to achieving a just and lasting peace for all the people on the island of Ireland.
Since its founding in 1997 the Irish Institute at Boston College has facilitated more than one hundred programs and numerous special events. Today, the Irish Institute continues to develop and offer executive education, professional development, and exchange programs in a variety of areas including education, civic leadership, community development, business management and entrepreneurship, nonprofit management and fundraising, environment and regional planning, and programs promoting peace and reconciliation.
Irish Institute Programs:
- Feature seminars with experts and university faculty, as well as site visits with industry leaders
- Demonstrate a commitment to relationship-building across organizations, sectors, communities and borders
- Focus on creating and maintaining personal and professional links between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States
