Ireland needs to rediscover a can-do attitude in order to dig itself out of its economic hole

Exactly two years ago today I wrote an e-mail to a former colleague in which I looked forward to the academic year then about to begin, suggesting that it was likely to be “particularly interesting”.

At the time, DCU was embarking on several new initiatives, including a framework for our undergraduate teaching programmes and some exciting research initiatives. But as it turned out, I had no idea how interesting things were about to get, not just in DCU, and indeed not just in higher education, but in the whole world economy.

Actually, even in 2007 there were problems in the third-level sector. Despite the boom, universities had been squeezed financially. It is true that higher education spending had gone up significantly, but this reflected increased student numbers; the actual income per student, in real terms, had declined, and while a number of studies had confirmed that third level was seriously under-funded, nothing much had happened to address that.

On the other hand, there were some good developments, such as the Government’s Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation, which placed science strategy and funding at the heart of national development.

So, even with some misgivings about the resourcing of Irish higher education, I was on the whole optimistic in 2007, believing that both our politicians and the wider society accepted the central place of universities in national development.

Well, everything has changed, and right now I would be hard-pressed to say what politicians or the general public expect from universities, or how it should be paid for. This is reflected in all sorts of things I experience on a daily basis.

For example, I encourage students to e-mail me if they have any concerns. Over the past few weeks my inbox has been full of mail from young people who are deeply worried about their future. Some of them wonder if their chosen subjects will equip them for finding employment in a recession. Others have financial problems that make them worried about going to college at all.

I’ve also had some e-mails that raise a more general issue: have we as a country lost our sense of confidence in the future?

This may seem like an abstract question to be sending a university president. But, in fact, confidence is everything. Like many people, I watched the first Late Late Show of the season and was struck that the Taoiseach himself, in his answers to Ryan Tubridy (pictured right) , seemed to be groping for that sense of confidence and decisiveness. Perhaps this reflects the national mood.

A few weeks ago, while in the US, I was struck by a key difference between Americans and Irish.

Like us, Americans are appalled at the behaviour of some financial institutions, concerned about levels of debt, worried about unemployment, and uncertain about the quality of leadership in some business sectors. But when asked about the future, Americans are irrepressibly optimistic, and believe that solutions will be found. They are worried but confident. They have a leader they mostly find to be in control and reassuring.

If we are to rediscover our own sense of imagination, creativity and success, we need to convey that same sense of confidence and optimism. What we need is not a preoccupation with finding someone to blame for all our problems, but a determination to do something better.

We need to convey this determination to the new generation of students about to descend upon the nation’s campuses. They need to begin their studies with a vision of what is achievable, rather than a wave of cynicism.

We also need to motivate and support university staff. It is suggested from time to time that academics (and non-academic university staff) have it easy in their jobs and are not committed to teaching.

Right now I am writing this at 12.55am. I have just e-mailed four colleagues with an issue I want to see resolved. Three of the four answered within 10 minutes of receiving my message – after midnight. I wonder how likely that result would be in almost any other profession.

Educators have to accept that the burden of restoring our national finances and competitiveness will, for now, require further sacrifices. In fact, I believe that we do accept that. In return, perhaps there could be less grumbling that we don’t make a sufficient contribution to national needs, or that public money is not well spent on us. Academic innovation and imagination will be key ingredients in our bid to restore Ireland’s good fortunes.

• Ferdinand von Prondzynski is president of Dublin City University