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Mary Immaculate College Africa Day event celebrates culture, dialogue and belonging

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Mary Immaculate College Africa Day event celebrates culture, dialogue and belonging

Mary Immaculate College Africa Day celebrations highlighted culture, dialogue and belonging with an event exploring lived experiences by the African diaspora

The event also marked the fifth year of MIC’s Africa Day scholarship framework and forms part of the College’s wider commitment to inclusion, sanctuary and intercultural dialogue.

Mary Immaculate College (MIC) marked its fifth annual Africa Day symposium on Thursday, 28 May, with an event exploring lived experiences by African diaspora professionals, while also recognising the 20th anniversary of Africa Day celebrations in Ireland.

Centred on the theme of status loss through migration, the event brought together staff, students and members of the wider community for a day of discussion, reflection and cultural exchange. Visiting academic and equity expert Dr Sharod Tomlinson, Assistant Vice-President for Equity and Inclusion/Student Belonging at St John’s University, New York, delivered the keynote address.

The programme featured a diaspora panel of eight professionals from sectors including medicine, education and media, who reflected on their lived experiences and professional journeys. Workshops exploring themes of migration, identity and belonging, a screening of Better or Worse: The Killarney Experience, and plenary discussions formed part of the day’s programme.


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Mary Immaculate College Africa Day event celebrates culture, dialogue and belonging
Dr Lylian Fotabong said, “Africa Day at MIC is evolving as a critical framework for recognising African scholarship and expertise in Irish society.”

The event also marked the fifth year of MIC’s Africa Day scholarship framework and forms part of the College’s wider commitment to inclusion, sanctuary and intercultural dialogue.

Dr Lylian Fotabong, Race Equality and Sanctuary Manager in MIC’s Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Intercultural Office and organiser of the event, said, “Africa Day at MIC is evolving as a critical framework for recognising African scholarship and expertise in Irish society. This five-year milestone, elevated by a powerful transatlantic perspective, demonstrates the global potential of our work. Hearing directly from our panel of eight African professionals working in Ireland made one reality undeniable. When our systems allow people to flourish, they flow. When systems are built against them, they freeze.”

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