Michael D. Higgins is presented with 2026 Mike Cooley Award at SETU's Waterford campus
South East Technological University (SETU) has formally bestowed the 2026 Michael Cooley Award on former President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins.
Michael D. Higgins, accompanied by his wife Sabina, accepted the accolade from President of SETU, Professor Veronica Campbell yesterday in the presence of special guests, dignitaries, and political representatives.
The ceremony, held at SETU’s Cork Road Campus in Waterford, celebrated the legacy of Mike Cooley, an internationally respected engineer, philosopher, shop steward, trade unionist and author.
Michael D. Higgins has long championed many of the principles that defined Mike Cooley’s work, including social inclusion, cultural enrichment, ecological responsibility, democratic participation, and the need for economic systems that place human wellbeing at their centre.
Commenting on receiving the award, Michael D. Higgins said: “Mike Cooley offered a profoundly important vision of society in which technology, work, creativity and human dignity existed in harmony rather than conflict. His ideas remain not only relevant, but essential, as we confront the challenges of artificial intelligence, ecological transition and the future of work. It is a great honour to receive an award bearing his name, and to celebrate the enduring influence of his intellectual and ethical legacy.”
Professor Veronica Campbell, President of SETU, said: “SETU is proud to be the home of the Michael Cooley Archive and to support the continued exploration of ideas that are increasingly important in our rapidly changing world. Michael D. Higgins embodies the values that Mike Cooley championed throughout his life, including intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, ethical leadership and a deep belief in the creative potential of humanity."
Mike Cooley’s son, Dr Graham Cooley noted: “My father believed that technology should empower people, strengthen society and serve the common good. Michael D. Higgins has spent decades articulating those same values with extraordinary integrity, humanity and intellectual leadership. There could be no more fitting recipient of the Michael Cooley Award.”
On a personal level, Higgins and Cooley were friends. Their intellectual relationship spanned decades and reflected a common concern for ensuring that technological progress remained rooted in human dignity and social purpose.
In June 2021, Michael D. Higgins delivered the landmark address “The Legacy of Mike Cooley: The Future of Work and the Just Transition”, in which he described Cooley’s ideas as being “more relevant than ever” in the context of automation, artificial intelligence, ecological transition and the changing nature of work.
Mr D. Higgins also wrote the foreword to Mike Cooley’s acclaimed book Delinquent Genius, reflecting on Cooley’s enduring influence as a thinker who challenged conventional assumptions about economics, work, technology and human creativity.
