Dr Eoin Langan, Dean, Faculty of Business, Technological University Dublin  

Dr Eoin Langan’s background is in accounting, finance and IT consulting, before transitioning to a career in Higher Education. He joined TU Dublin in 2019 as Head of School Accounting and Finance, City Campus, and became Dean of the Faculty of Business, in September 2021. He brings extensive executive management experience in both industry and academia to the role of Dean. He encourages an inclusive approach with an open leadership style that promotes collaboration, incorporating opportunities for staff development with an emphasis on collegiality and partnership. Dr Eoin has a strong interest in innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and sustainability within Higher Education. His research interests include transition into Higher Education and innovation in Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Feedback. He is a former chair of the Irish Accounting and Finance Association (IAFA). Aligned with his interest in sustainability, Dr. Eoin was a keynote speaker at the International Research Climate Security Conference.  

In response to the ongoing climate crisis and the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN 2030 agenda, UNITAR organized its first International Research conference to deepen the understanding of Climate Security and its profound implications on Peace and Security. The conference took place in Bonn, Germany, hosted at the UN Campus, on 24 November 2023 gathering participants who sent research papers and essays from more than 25 different institutions, including policymakers, experts, practitioners and representatives from governments, international organizations, civil society and academia.  

In collaboration with the Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM), the conference aimed to deepen understanding and explore strategies to address the complex interplay between climate change and security. Dr Eoin Langan, states that: “As a partner Higher Education Institution with UNITAR, the Faculty of Business was, along with colleagues from across TU Dublin, delighted to participate in this inaugural conference. The conference allowed meeting and networking with a broad range of stakeholders, including policymakers, government agencies, civil society and other academic institutions”.  

The conclusions shared after the conference underscored the need for a ground-breaking educational model, backed by alternative learning approaches, guided and supported by research-informed learning, teaching and research environments, with Dr Langan stressing that “the key takeaways from our perspective were the discussion on topics such as climate change and its impact on security, conflict prevention and the importance of climate resilience, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and, finally, multilateral institutional co-operations and collaboration within Higher Education Institutions, including the opportunity to develop transdisciplinary approaches.”  

According to Dr Langan, the conference allowed  to identify paths for future action, especially towards the achievement of the 2023 Agenda: “The conference provided a valuable roadmap for policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders to guide their efforts in tackling the nexus of climate security challenges, economic and business growth, and human security and development effectively as we all grasp the challenges of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”  

The second edition of the conference on Climate Security will take place in UN offices in Brussels in December 2024.