SETU awarded ASAS accreditation from Sport Ireland

South East Technological University (SETU) was among six higher education institutions awarded an Accreditation for Student Athlete Support (ASAS) award at Sport Ireland’s HPX 2023 Paris Ready conference held at Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort in Wicklow. First time recipients SETU received the affiliate award. 

The event is Sport Ireland institute’s flagship professional development and learning event for high performance professionals who will impact Team Ireland’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The biannual conference is organised to bring the CEO’s, performance directors, coaches and sport science and medical practitioners together as a community to exchange knowledge and insights to drive the performance of Irish athletes on the global stage.

Six higher education institutions were awarded with Accreditation for Student Athlete Support (ASAS) acknowledging their excellence in dual career support for their student athletes. Full ASAS Awards for 2024-2026 were presented by Dr. Úna May and Liam Harbison to Queens University Belfast, Setanta College, Technological University Dublin, University College Cork, University of Limerick and SETU.

ASAS is based on providing equal opportunity to all high-performing student-athletes to combine sport and education and is grounded in the right to education. The accreditation outlines clear dual career criteria that third-level institutes must have in order to receive the accreditation. The accreditation aims to identify and establish a network of accredited institutions who support elite athletes to achieve dual career excellence by applying guiding principles.

On SETU receiving the ASAS award, David Denieffe, Vice President for Academic Affairs at SETU in Carlow said, “The team at SETU is honoured to be recognised by Sport Ireland as a university that supports students athletes to achieve their dual ambition of academic and sporting excellence.  The Accreditation for Student Athlete Support (ASAS) award celebrates the contributions of our professional and academic staff across all departments in our multi campus university who strive to provide a student centred approach offering flexibility while supporting our student athletes competing at the highest level in their sport. We look forward to growing our new found partnership with the Sport Ireland Institute into the future supporting our high performing athletes throughout their journey through SETU.”

Sport Ireland Institute director Liam Harbison, right, Sport Ireland chief executive Dr Úna May, second from left, and ASAS winners at the HPX Conference 2023 at Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort in Blessington, Wicklow.