THAT Professor Hugh Brady has refused to sign a declaration against poaching academics from rival universities would not have come as a surprise to the staff of UCD, the university in which he currently holds the title of president. Two and a half years into his tenure, Brady has developed a reputation as headstrong to the point of stubbornness when it comes to pushing his agenda.

When he took up the post of president of UCD in January 2004, Brady declared his aim to modernise what he saw as an institution that had become dusty and unable to embrace change.

Whereas Irish universities had compared themselves against each other for years, Brady's new mantra was internationalism. Competing with foreign universities became his stated aim, the long term plan being that UCD would enter into the top 30 universities of Europe.

Brady himself was educated at UCD, attending there after completing secondary school at Newbridge College. He earned an undergraduate degree in medicine (1982) and science (1984), and was subsequently awarded PhD and MD degrees for research in renal physiology and molecular medicine respectively.

Although his father was a bank official, his grandfather had worked for years as a GP in Co Wexford and Brady was always fascinated by medicine. Until he was 14 he wanted to be a vet, although his attention soon shifted towards curing humans.

He worked as a junior doctor for three years before deciding to pack his bags and head to North America. Toronto was to be his first port of call, although he would last just one year in Canada before moving to Harvard in Boston.

Although young in age, Brady was appointed to the post of associate professor of medicine at the prestigious college, a posting which showed both his ambition and also the regard in which he was held professionally. He worked in the veterans' VA Hospital in Boston and became close to one of the world's leading scientists specialising in therapies for inflammation, Dr Charles Serhan, earning a reputation among his peers as a real mover and shaker.

Those who remember his time in the US say he is very quiet but very motivated.

"The story goes that on one occasion, he carried a mobile phone with him on the soccer pitch, making calls while playing, " recalls a scientist who knew him in Boston.

"I liked him because he is quiet, but he's also savvy and very quick and focused as well as politically astute."

After nine years in Boston, he returned to UCD, at this stage with a wife and a set of triplets. He was appointed as professor of medicine upon his return in 1996.

However, his time at Harvard had been an eye opener . . . he could see all too clearly just how badly Irish universities lagged behind their counterparts internationally.

Brady continued his research but also helped to spearhead a number of developments within the university, such as the Conway Institute and the Catherine McAuley Centre. Colleagues describe him as being a very approachable person, if sometimes a little stubborn.

"He is a very personable person in oneon-one situations, " said one colleague.

"He's not so good in group situations; he tends to get nervous in groups. Mingling isn't his thing, but he will always listen to you if you have something to say."

Professor Art Cosgrove was the president of UCD at the time, but Brady moved further into the politics of the university.

When Cosgrove's tenure ended in 2003, he put his name forward for the position of president.

At the age of just 45, even applying for the position of president would have been seen as a bold move. In the highly political world of academia, there would have been people involved in UCD who would have considered it their right to assume the presidency simply by virtue of the fact that they had been around forever.

There were over 50 applicants for the top job, most of whom applied from abroad, but Brady managed to beat them all. The academic community in the university were slightly taken aback by Brady's appointment, not because they did not rate him but simply because of his age.

"There would be a circle of older academics with whom the appointment would not have gone down very well, " says one source within UCD. "They would have considered it their right to go into upper management and so when that generation was overlooked, there was suddenly nowhere for them to go."

Another major concern for the senior academics was that Brady was intent on shaking the system up. In order to compete internationally, he reasoned, the focus has to be on research. Research is now the key word of the Brady regime. Unless UCD can establish itself as a centre of excellence in terms of research, the university cannot hope to compete internationally.

"Maybe 10 or 15 years ago UCD could function well using traditional models because of the relative homogeneity of Irish society, as a relatively small island on the edge of Europe, " says a UCD insider.

"Now the rules of engagement have changed completely."

The focus at UCD has now shifted dramatically away from teaching and towards research. It is a balance that the university must get right, and some have expressed concern that teaching is paying too high a price as the shift towards research sharpens.

Hardest hit in the Brady era have been the social sciences. In the new world where research is king . . . and with research linked to business prepared to underwrite its cost with lucrative grants being regarded as even better . . . arts departments have found themselves overlooked slightly.

Departments were split up and merged with others to form 'schools'. The 89 departments that once operated in the university will, under Brady's rationalisation plan be cut to roughly 40.

A survey of academics uncovered by the College Tribune newspaper exposed major concerns. Anonymous answers from academics complain of a "highly authoritarian leadership" and a "rot" within the college. One senior academic, Professor Paul Engel, criticised the "stampede into ill-considered moves for short-term gain with a small inner circle of the executive rushing through change without proper time for consideration."

At the same time, another student newspaper, the University Observer, exposed a budgetary deficit in the university. According to figures obtained by the newspaper, the university had gone into the red by 3.5m. That claim led to Brady calling for an increase in government funding.

Speaking to UCD's in-house magazine, Brady warned of a "brain drain" unless funding levels were increased. It is Brady's determination to bring UCD to the top of the table in Ireland that has so upset other universities this week. Rival universities have accused Brady of trying to poach "superstar" academics from them. Brady counters that this is standard practice.

Speaking to UCD's in-house magazine recently, Brady said, "not a day goes by without one of our top academic staff being approached by leading international competitors offering attractive startup packages, attractive salaries and other benefits and career development opportunities."

Although Brady has managed to get into serious rows with both his own staff and rival universities during his relatively short spell in charge of UCD, it is not all negative for him. While certain academics have publicly criticised him, others maintain that a "silent majority" back his reforms.

Either way, with his term as president due to run until January 2014, Professor Hugh Brady's reforms have quite some time to run.

C.V.

Age: 47
Married to: Dr Yvonne O'Meara
Children: Triplets . . . Daire, Oisan and Tristan
In the news because: Brady has been criticised for allegedly poaching academics from rival universities