Professor Pat Dolan holds the prestigious UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, the first to be awarded in the Republic of Ireland. The UNESCO Chair delivers a comprehensive programme of work towards the objective of promoting civic engagement and leadership skills among children and youth. Professor Dolan is Director of the Institute for Lifecourse and Society at the University of Galway. Professor Dolan has completed an extensive body of research on children youth and family issues including longitudinal research on adolescents and has over 100 peer reviewed academic publications. His research interests include civic engagement, empathy, family support, youth mentoring models, and resilience and social support theory. Professor Dolan has extensive practice and policy experience, both nationally and internationally.