Don O'Neill is Head of Department of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism and Senior Lecturer in French in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at South East Technological University,Waterford Campus. He also supervises doctoral research in the area of Internationalisation in Higher Education. 

He has worked at SETU since 1989 in a variety of academic and management positions including Assistant Head of Department in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and Senior International Officer in the Office for International Relations. He has also held the positions, of Head of Department of Languages, Tourism and Hospitality in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities as well as International Affairs Manager in an acting capacity.

Dr O'Neill graduated from University College, Cork with a BA in French and Spanish with Portuguese, and with an MA in French. He pursued further postgraduate studies in France, graduating with a Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS) in International Business from the University of Perpignan before completing his doctoral research at the University of Bath in the area of internationalisation in higher education.

Through his involvement in both academic and administrative management roles, Don has extensive experience of collaborative research and project management with university partners in Europe, North Africa, and North and South America.

Dr O'Neill has worked as an external examiner, and served on programme review and programme validation boards at several higher education institutes throughout Ireland, and currently act as reviewer for the Government of Ireland, International scholarship programme. 

Don's ongoing research focuses primarily on the theme of internationalisation in Irish higher education. He has a particular interest in the challenges and opportunities of internationalisation of the curriculum and 'internationalisation at home'. 

• Internationalisation in higher education
• Internationalisation of the curriculum
• Internationalisation 'at home'
• Inclusive internationalisation
• The role of languages in internationalisation
• International student mobility

Publications

Book Chapter

Lucey, S., O'Neill, D., O’Sullivan, G., Ryan, M., (2021) ‘Ciência Sem Fronteiras: a experiencia irlandesa’, Chapter 18, pp. 291-310, Programa Ciência Sem Fronteiras: idealização, desenvolvimento e resultados, Cultura Academica, São Paulo

Thesis

‘Cooperation or competition: an exploration of values relating to internationalisation in higher education in Ireland’, O'Neill, D., University of Bath, (2019)

Published conference proceedings

Thomas, K., O’Neill, D., Cardoso, F., Toledo, E., (2015), ‘Engineering Accreditation and Professional Competence in Ireland and Brazil: Similarities, Differences and Convergence in a Global Context’, World Engineering Education Forum, Sept 2015, Florence

Furlong, A., Molloy, R., Cisneros, A., Fraioli, P., Cummins, U., O'Neill, D. (2008):  'Challenging assumptions in language learning and teaching:  a CLIL experience at WIT’. NAIRTL 2nd annual conference, WIT

O'Neill, D. (2005) ‘The integration of planning and presentation skills into a French language module, with a focus on reflection and self-assessment’, Case studies from Transferable skills in third level modern languages curricula project, TCD, DCU and WIT, NAIRTL.

Peer-reviewed presentations at international conferences

O'Neill, D,. (2024), Developing students intercultural competence through 'internationalisation at home' a Franco-Irish collaborative research study, l'Association des études françaises et francophones d'Irlande (ADEFFI), Spring forum, Dublin, 8th March, 2024

O’Neill, D., Berthaud, S., Brogan, K., et al., (2023), ‘Assessing Language Needs at the Technological Universities: Surveying Students and Regional Employers’, Languages Connect Summit, 14 October 2023, Convention Centre Dublin.

O’Neill, D., Coyne, C., Dooley, N., McNamara Cullen, E., Owens, N., (2022), 'Building bridges between the classroom and employers: Understanding student and employer needs in language learning', Irish Association for Applied Linguistics (IRAAL) Conference, 30 September 2022, Munster Technological University, Cork

O’Neill, D., Bulnes, C., Piplani-Kapur, N., (2022), ‘Exclusive to inclusive: Internationalisation at Home in full bloom?’, European Association of International Education, annual conference, Barcelona, 13-16 September 2022

O’Neill, D., (2019), ‘Charting a sustainable future for internationalisation through partnership – an Irish higher education perspective’, Conference of the Americas on International Education, October 23rd – 25th, 2019, Bogotá, Colombia

O’Neill, D., (2019) ‘Shaping a sustainable future for internationalisation in higher education through knowledge diplomacy’, SSFIHE Conference, University of Toronto, June 2019

O’Neill, D., Freire Junior, J., Grochocki, L., Marchi, P., (2014), ‘Science without Borders – a global perspective’, European Association of International Education (EAIE), Annual conference, Sept 2014, Prague

O’Neill, D., (2014) ‘Study abroad – An Irish perspective on the ‘Science without Borders’ Programme’, FAUBAI International Education Conference, April 13-15, 2014, Joinville, Brazil

O’Neill, D., (2013) invited by HEA to present at annual conference on International Education, ‘Improving participation of Irish students in Erasmus: Barriers and benefits, potential and policy’, December 10th 2013, Dublin Castle

O’Neill, D., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C., Rock,T., (2013) ‘Using social media in disrupted markets’, National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), annual conference, 24th -27th April 2013, Orlando, USA [by proxy]

O'Neill, D., Murray, J., Ryan, M., Sheridan, I. (2012) 'Ireland’s answer to rethinking education and reshaping the economy', European Association for International Education annual conference, 11th - 14th September 2012, Dublin 

O'Neill, D. (2012) 'Getting beyond the Great Firewall: implementing a social media strategy for the promotion of international education in China', European Association for International Education annual conference, 11th - 14th September 2012, Dublin

O'Neill, D. (2012) 'The student voice in social media strategy. Perspectives from Irish Higher Education', European Universities of Life Sciences annual conference, 20th – 22nd June 2012, University of Bolzano, Italy – Invited guest speaker

O'Neill, D., (2012) ‘Implementing social media in a marketing strategy. A study of International offices in Irish Higher Education', Enterprise Ireland Social Media seminar, 16th January 2012, Dublin - Invited guest speaker

O’Neill, D., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2011) ‘Social media 3.0: implementing social media in your marketing strategy and making it work’, European Association for International Education, (EAIE), Annual conference, 15th – 18th September 2011, Copenhagen

O’Neill, D. Choudaha, R., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2010) ‘Social Media Marketing in China and India’, National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), annual conference, 6th -9th April 2011, Washington DC, USA

O’Neill, D. Choudaha, R., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2010) ‘Social Media Marketing in China and India’, European Association for International Education, (EAIE), Annual conference, 15th – 18th September 2010, Nantes

O’Neill, D., Johnson, J., Lee, T., Price, C. (2010) ‘Social Media and student recruitment – A European perspective’, National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), annual conference, 21st -24th April 2010, San Francisco, USA [by proxy]

O’Neill, D. (2009) ‘Targeting “Generation Y”. Does social media really work? A case study from an Irish Institute of Technology’. European Association for International Education, (EAIE), Annual conference, 16th – 19th September 2009, Madrid

SETU conferences

Furlong, A., Molloy, R., Cisneros, A., Fraioli, P., Cummins, U., O’Neill, D. (2008): Evaluating CLIL lesson plans and resources. WIT seminar for primary and secondary school teachers in the South East of Ireland

Furlong, A., Molloy, R., Cisneros, A., Fraioli, P., Cummins, U., O’Neill, D. (2007): A CLIL overview. Examples of CLIL best practice. WIT seminar for primary and secondary school teachers in the South East of Ireland.

• French language 
• French culture and society
• Business French and French economy
• Spanish language
• International study perparation and supervision
• International work-based learning preparation and supervision