Dr. Deirdre Lillis

Dr. Lillis was Assistant Secretary-General at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, overseeing the Research, Innovation, Evidence for Policy and EU/International Division. She has led key national initiatives, including the Impact 2030 Research and Innovation Strategy and the Global Citizens 2030 International Talent and Innovation Strategy. Her extensive experience and expertise encompasses government operations, policy development, international collaborations and the nexus between policy and research. A proven senior executive in higher education, Dr. Lillis’s prior experience includes university leadership roles in university-enterprise engagement in TU Dublin and as Head of Computer Science in Dublin Institute of Technology. She has a track record of research capacity building, internationalisation and transformation in higher education including being principal investigator for an unprecedented national investment in university-enterprise engagement through the Human Capital Initiative Convene project, as well as the HubLinked Knowledge Alliance and the Marie-Curie funded Global Entrepreneurial Talent Management programme. She is a Chartered Director and has held roles on the governing authorities of various prominent organisations, including the board of the Higher Education Authority, the Senate of the National University of Ireland and the board of the Irish Writers Centre. Her research interests include national research and innovation systems, higher education policy, university-industry innovations and young talent management. She has won European awards for her sustained commitment to developing the careers of female academic staff and for increasing the participation of females in technological higher education programmes.