Dear alumni & friends We bring you the spring edition of Trinity Today at a time of trauma and heartbreak. In the immediate wake of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, Trinity issued an unequivocal statement of condemnation. In the weeks since we have been appalled, like the rest of the world, by the scale of the devastation and the reckless disregard for civilian lives. The lighting of Front Arch in the Ukrainian national colours of blue and yellow is the outward expression of our solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Trinity has the only centre of Russian and Slavonic Studies in Ireland and we are doing our best to support staff and students from Ukraine, and also from Russia, at this incredibly difficult time. We know that many Russians do not support the invasion and are greatly distressed by the actions of their government. And staff, students and alumni of all nationalities are deeply affected. The challenges are many – from bringing students studying in Russia home, to counselling those in distress – and we are therefore coordinating a whole-College approach involving multiple units across the university, including student services, College counselling, the Students’ Union and the Trinity Global team. We have also established a ‘Global Incident Response Unit’ within Trinity Global to coordinate our response to this and to future international crises. The Provost has detailed the full university response in an email sent out to staff, students and alumni. The spring issue of Trinity Today is, by custom, the international issue where we highlight achievements of our alumni round the world, as well as Trinity research with an especially international focus. The aim is to embody our vision to be ‘a globally connected community of learning, research and scholarship, inspiring generations to meet the challenges of the future’ – an aim that is particularly poignant and vital at this time of such threat to the European, and global, order. In these pages, we showcase brilliant academic research – from combatting bias against Muslim women in European courts to converting wastewater into water resources – and we proactively draw attention to some great CPD courses, such as developing intercultural competencies and learning languages, as well as tips to save the planet (and cut costs). And we introduce readers to a dizzying array of graduates, past and present, doing great things - from Adrian O’Neill, Irish ambassador to the UK, to Pamela Uba, current Miss Ireland and self-described ‘ambassador for my country’, to Kader Asmal, much-loved Trinity law lecturer and founder of the Irish Anti-Apartheid League, whom Seamus Heaney described as ‘a tireless ambassador for the republic of conscience’. There’s also a quiz to find out what kind of volunteering activity suits you best, and an invitation to join our Day of Climate Action on 21 May. I hope you enjoy reading. Kate Bond Director of Advancement