Geography and Geosciences in the School Curriculum

PLEASE NOTE: If you register for online tickets after 19 November 2025 your joining instructions will be included in your email confirmation. 

Evening panel event exploring geography and geosciences in the school curriculum.

The Royal Irish Academy Geography and Geosciences Committee is pleased to be partnering with the Geographical Society of Ireland to host an evening panel event exploring geography and geosciences in the school curriculum. Taking place during Geography Awareness Week, the panel discussion aims to draw attention to the importance of geography and geosciences in evolving school curricula, across primary, post-primary and higher education, and to highlight how these disciplines can support and enhance the renewed focus on education around climate action and sustainable development.

Programme

18:00-18:05 Welcome: Kath Browne MRIA, University College Dublin

18:05-18:10 Opening Remarks: Dr Karen Keaveney, University College Dublin, President of the Geographical Society of Ireland

18:10-18:30 Keynote Address - 'Teaching Geography in Challenging Times': Professor David Kaplan, Kent State University

18:30-19:30 Panel Discussion chaired by Karen Keaveney

Panellists

• Dr Alma Clavin, University of Galway
• Dr Susan Pike, Trinity College Dublin
• Dr Siobhán Power, Geological Survey Ireland
• Brendan O'Sullivan, Post-Primary Inspector and Link Inspector for Geography at the Department of Education and Youth

Hybrid Tickets

This will be a hybrid event meaning attendees can join online or in person in the Royal Irish Academy. You can select your ticket preference when booking. Please do not book more than one type of ticket per person. The webinar link will be shared the day before the event.

Speaker Bios

David Kaplan

Dr David Kaplan is a Professor of Geography at Kent State University. He has written some 70 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and has published 14 books including Segregation in Cities, Nested Identities, Boundaries and Place, Human Geography, Urban Geography (4 editions), Landscapes of the Ethnic Economy, Perthes World Atlas, the four volume Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview, Navigating Ethnicity, Scaling Identities, and Nationalism. Dr. Kaplan has given 95 invited keynote presentations around the world. Dr. Kaplan’s research interests include nationalism, borderlands, ethnic and racial segregation, urban and regional development, housing finance, and sustainable transportation. Dr. Kaplan has directly advised 61 graduate students (Masters and PhD) and teaches courses on many different aspects of human geography. Dr. Kaplan is the Past-President for the American Association of Geographers (2019-20), the largest academic geography association in the Americas, chair of the AAG’s Healthy Departments Committee, National Director of the Race, Ethnicity and Place Conferences, a Councilor for the American Geographical Society, and Chair of Kent State’s Faculty Senate. He has received numerous awards including the AAG Mentorship Award, AAG Fellows Award, the Kent State Distinguished Teaching Award, and the President’s Faculty Excellence Award. He also edits the Geographical Review, the flagship journal of the AGS.

Alma Clavin

Alma Clavin is Geographer with a strong interest in learning and teaching. In early 2024 she began a role as Lecturer in Sustainability/Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the University of Galway. Prior to this, Alma spent 5 years in UCD Geography working as part of the Cities, Governance and Sustainability team on community engaged climate action research. With fifteen years’ experience lecturing in higher education in Ireland and the UK, Alma has developed expertise in transformative, place based and experiential learning, she is passionate about critical and public pedagogies, of forms, processes and sites of learning in the public sphere.

Susan Pike

Dr Susan Pike is an Assistant Professor in Geography and Sustainability Education in Trinity College Dublin. She leads the PME Geography and co-leads the PME Climate, Sustainability and Action Education strands at Trinity. Through these and other modules, Susan works with new and established teachers in geography, sustainability and action based pedagogies at Masters and Doctoral levels. Susan currently edits Geographical Viewpoint, the journal of the Association of Geography Teachers of Ireland. She was President of the Geographical Association (2020-21), chair of the International Olympiad (2022-24) and was a member of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment of Geography group (2023-25). Susan's research focuses on young people (aged 4-19 years) experiences of learning in their schools and localities.

Siobhán Power

Siobhán Power is Senior Geologist at Geological Survey Ireland, a section of the Dept. of Climate, Energy and the Environment, with responsibility for outreach and education, research management, and bedrock mapping. With a background in research and third-level education, she took the lead in many of the outreach activities to mark 175 years of the Geological Survey in 2020 including the role of scientific advisor on the RTÉ/BBC production, The Island, and co-curator on the National Museum of Ireland “Down to Earth” exhibition at Collins Barracks. Siobhán is the current president of the Institute of Geologists of Ireland.

Brendan O’Sullivan

As link inspector for Geography at the DEY, Brendan’s primary role is to evaluate, advise and promote effective practice in the teaching of Geography in our post-primary schools. He joined the Inspectorate in 2020 and has led a large number of initiatives, particularly in the areas of Geography and School Leadership. An experienced educator, prior to his appointment to the Inspectorate, Brendan taught Geography for 30 years in Ireland and the UK. From Cork, Brendan’s undergraduate studies were at UCC and he has subsequently earned post-graduate qualifications in Geography, Information and Communication Technology, School Leadership and Education Innovation from SETU, UL and UCD. As the Department of Education and Youth’s representative on the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Group for Geography he is well-placed to offer an informed and unique insight into the development of the new Leaving

Queries

If you have queries relating to this event, contact Fionnuala Parfrey by email: f.parfrey@ria.ie

Access requirements

Have you got any access requirements that we can assist you with, so that you can fully engage with our event? Please let us know by contacting our access officer in advance of the event by email: accessofficer@ria.ie