The British Council in Ireland cares about the voices and views of young people and works to amplify these across government and society, sharing its perspectives on vital topics such as trust, values and global influence. As part of our Global Perceptions international research project, we are holding a live action-based research focus group in Dublin to support the survey, which included the opinions of just over 1,000 young people living in Ireland in the Global Perceptions 2025 survey. We are also inviting young people from Northern Ireland to share their views and perspectives on Ireland and on soft power topics.
We are inviting people living in Ireland and Northern Ireland aged 18–34 who would like to take part in the focus group to register their interest via our online form by Tuesday 17 March 2026 (23.59). Places will be confirmed by Friday 20 March 2026 at the latest.
About the research
The British Council’s Global Perceptions 2025 survey provides trend data on the G20 countries that young people find attractive and trustworthy, and surfaces their attitudes, experiences and intentions to engage with education, arts and culture, business and trade, language and tourism across the G20 nations.
About the event
This live action research event, hosted by the British Council in Ireland and ARINS, will be facilitated by our partners Co-operation Ireland, builds on data from the 2025 survey and brings richness and narrative to the numbers and real peoples’ voices and perspectives, which we really value. We’d love you to take part and value your input and participation in this initiative.
The event will take place on Monday 30 March 2026 at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 and will run from 10.00 to 16.30. Travel and refreshments will be provided.
The day will begin with facilitated discussion on subjects such as trust, institutions, education, arts and culture, values, government and more. After a light lunch, we will be joined by stakeholders from government, bilateral, media and cultural organisations to hear reflections from the morning and explore the themes of the Global Perceptions 2025 report. This event is invitation only and will be held under the Chatham House Rule.
We will also host a pre-session dinner in central Dublin on the evening of Sunday 29 March 2026 to enable participants to get to know each other, network and ask any questions about the research.
Expenses
Hotel accommodation and travel costs for attendees travelling from beyond Dublin City will be covered by the British Council.
How to register
If you are interested in attending, please complete our online form no later than 23.59 on Tuesday 17 March 2026.
Please note that completing this form does not guarantee participation. Places will be confirmed by Friday 20 March 2026.
Further information
If you have questions about the focus group that require a direct response before you can complete the form, please email us at info@ie.britishcouncil.org and reference Ireland Global Perceptions Focus Group in the subject line.
About our partners
Our session will be facilitated by our valued partners, Co-operation Ireland, an all-island peace-building organisation who primarily work with young people. They work to build a shared and cohesive society by facilitating contact and collaboration between people from different backgrounds. We have worked with Co-operation Ireland on a number of projects focussing on young people. These have included climate change, the Belfast Good Friday Agreement 25th Anniversary and previous Global Perceptions research.
We are delighted to also collaborate with the ARINS project (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South) for this event. ARINS is a research partnership between the Royal Irish Academy and the University of Notre Dame. Their independent and non-partisan analysis and research explores constitutional, institutional and policy options for Ireland, north and south. If you would like to know more about ARINS you can read more here.
ARINS is a joint partnership between the University of Notre Dame and the Royal Irish Academy.