Education a 'social equaliser', says new university president

Prof Eeva Leinonen: 'One of the great things that has attracted me to Maynooth University is that there is this very authentic commitment to social justice, equity, and inclusion.'

Professor Eeva Leinonen sees education as a "social equaliser". Born and raised in Finland, she and her two older brothers were the first in their family to go to university.

“My parents didn't have the opportunity to do that,” she tells the Irish Examiner. “I come from a working-class family in Finland, and I benefited greatly from the great education system, which enabled us all to progress.”