UCD Smurfit School appoints David McCourt as Adjunct Professor to support leadership in Artificial Intelligence

 DUBLIN, March 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has announced that technology, media, and telecommunications entrepreneur David McCourt has been appointed as an Adjunct Full Professor to support the School’s national and global leadership ambitions in Artificial Intelligence. 

As founder and CEO of worldwide investment firm Granahan McCourt Capital and the Chairman of National Broadband Ireland, McCourt is described by The Economist as possessing “impeccable credentials as a telecom revolutionary”. Having spent his 30-year career at the intersection of public policy, business and society, McCourt has led major collaborations between private sector corporations and Governments, as well as bodies including the United Nations.

As Adjunct Professor, McCourt will deliver a number of lectures on AI, technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership to students across all levels and will also provide guidance in programme development, thought leadership and industry engagement.

Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean of UCD College of Business said, “David has been at the forefront of technology, media, and telecommunications for over 30 years and has been responsible for pioneering many industry firsts. His abilities and experiences as a leader, as an entrepreneur, and as a visionary in connectivity and technology will be invaluable in supporting the School in advancing our educational and thought-leadership activities in the area of Artificial Intelligence. The impact of digital technology will be transformative for global society and business and in line with the School’s mission to ‘lead transformative change’, I am delighted that David will be working with us to achieve this ambition.”

Commenting on his appointment, David McCourt added, “It is an honor to join UCD as an Adjunct Professor and I am especially pleased to contribute to the School’s vision for AI. As a media commentator, I have been a vocal advocate for Ireland taking a more prominent role on the world stage to help lay the foundations for using AI for good. To support this, this summer we are launching a landmark series of events called “The AI Wealth of Nations” and Ireland will proudly host the first leg of a global tour, bringing together some of the most preeminent thought leaders in the world. 

“Ireland has an enviable position hosting almost every big tech brand which have made the country their European home, plus we have an unrivalled track record of introducing bold and pioneering policy decisions, from electrification, to our road network, to free education, to same-sex marriage, to making it a birth right for every man, woman and child to have access to high-speed broadband with the National Broadband Plan. 

“As Ireland will quickly become the most connected country in Europe, it’s an exciting opportunity for leading institutions like UCD to help shape the future of AI, which will touch all of our lives.”

For media queries, contact: Tom Webb, Chief Executive Officer, Element Communications, +44 (0)771 890 5611, tom@elementcommunications.co.uk.

About David McCourt

David McCourt is the Chairman of Granahan McCourt Capital, the worldwide investors in technology, media, and telecommunications. He is also the Chairman of National Broadband Ireland, responsible for delivering Ireland’s National Broadband Plan in partnership with the Government of Ireland. The €3 billion project is the biggest Public Private Partnership in European telecoms.

Recognized as one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, McCourt is also an Emmy Award-winning television producer and is the author of the bestselling book Total Rethink. He is the inaugural economist in residence at USC’s Annenberg School.

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SOURCE Granahan McCourt Capital