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Following meetings at University College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast, President Aoun welcomed Northeastern students for Thanksgiving dinners in Dublin and Belfast.
Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun was in Ireland and Northern Ireland this week, meeting with faculty, staff and administrators at University College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast.
He also hosted dinners for Northeastern students participating in experiential learning programs in those cities.
The dinners in Dublin and Belfast were joyful gatherings with a traditional Thanksgiving feast. The menu included roast turkey, butter poached mashed potatoes, cranberry stuffing and green bean casserole.
The good food was matched only by plenty of conversation with students who were eager to share their experiences with President Aoun.
And he made a point to chat with every student at each dinner — that’s hundreds in all.
The seasonal vegetable parcel and spiced yams with maple syrup would have to wait.
“President Aoun went around the room and ensured that he talked to every person there,” said Brady O’Keefe, a first-year Northeastern student from Houston studying in Dublin. “He was very lively and engaged with conversation.”
An environmental engineering and health science major, O’Keefe said he was grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with his new Northeastern family.
“Since I will not get to see my family for the holiday, it was nice to get to experience some of the hallmarks of Thanksgiving as not fully to miss out on it,” he said.
O’Keefe said the event also took his mind off his impending final exams.
“All of my expectations were exceeded with the event having great food, an energetic ambience, and it being a positive experience,” he said.
William Coleman grew up in San Diego, but has called Westborough, Massachusetts, home the past two years. A first-year chemical engineering major, he found himself seated at a table with Aoun and Orla Feely, president of University College Dublin.
The conversation, he said, was very surprisingly casual.
“Despite the fact I was talking with two college presidents, they put me very much at ease,” Coleman said. “From talking about family members to discussing the importance of being a global citizen, I got to discuss a very diverse set of topics with them.”
He said Aoun and Feely made it a point to engage every student.
“They would often ask us questions if they saw us spacing out or not talking,” Coleman said.
He described the event as formal yet cozy.
“Many of my fellow classmates remarked at how they had never really been in such a fancy establishment or event,” Coleman said. “However, all the students knew each other and all the guests were very easy to talk with. Therefore, you got this feeling of tenseness that quickly dissipated into jokes and stories as the night progressed.”
Nikhil Patel is a first-year Northeastern student from Hillsborough, New Jersey, is studying this semester at Queen’s University Belfast.
He began the semester in the Northeastern’s Explore Program — which includes resources to help students test their academic interests — but recently declared a combined major in business administration and psychology.
Like many students, Patel enjoyed his conversation with Aoun.
“He was incredibly friendly and casual, which was an unexpected yet lovely experience,” Patel said. “We talked about my semester abroad and how great Queen’s University Belfast is. And I talked about the benefit the Explore Program has had on me during my time abroad.”
Timothy Wong is a first-year mechanical engineering major from Belmont, Massachusetts. Soon after the event began, he said Aoun approached him and his best friend.
“He immediately introduced himself as Joseph, and asked what our names and majors were,” Wong said. “He then asked how we were liking Belfast and what we liked to do to relax.”
Wong said he appreciated the casual demeanor and informality of the exchange.
“It allowed us to have fun with our conversation,” Wong said. “Later on, I ended up sitting near him during dinner, and he was great company!”
Wong said the Queen’s University Belfast staff was also incredibly welcoming.
“The event was festive, inviting and the speakers were memorable and gracious,” he said.
Wong especially enjoyed the reception, fun photo booth and live music.
“The open and casual atmosphere made it super easy to approach others,” he said.
A first-year behavioral neuroscience and design major from San Francisco, Inaaya Omer described Aoun as funny and friendly.
“He showed a genuine interest in my friends and I’s college experience,” said Omer, who appreciated the celebratory mood of the evening.
“It was a really fun experience and the dinner felt as close to home as it could with the family vibes,” Omer said.
The dinners each followed extensive conversations with leaders — at University College Dublin on Sunday and Queen’s University Belfast on Monday — including President Aoun’s book, “Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
At UCD, President Feely provided an overview of her university’s just-released strategic plan, and praised the partnership with Northeastern. They discussed shared priorities for both institutions, including innovations in artificial intelligence, drug delivery and other research areas.
At QUB, President and Vice Chancellor Sir Ian Greer also applauded his university’s partnership with Northeastern and shared research priorities including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering and life sciences.