Lawyer Noeline Blackwell, who is currently chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, is joining the governing body of University College Dublin (UCD).

The appointment to the governing authority was announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris.

Signal of intent

The minister said the move was a signal of his intent to ensure that issues surrounding harassment and the promotion of gender equality were represented at the highest levels of educational institutions.

Ms Blackwell (pictured) said she was “extremely honoured” by the appointment, and welcomed Minister Harris’s intention to promote gender equality and to end any tolerance of sexual harassment in third-level institutions.

Culture

The move comes after UCD academic Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin spoke out earlier this week about her experience of harassment and abuse in her job.

She told RTÉ it was time to change the culture and structures in academia, adding that she hoped her story would lead to meaningful changes in third-level institutions.