Tuesday, January 31, 2012
A wider course choice and greater international recognition could be among the results of the creation of a Munster Technological University (MTU).
The plan, announced today by Cork Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Tralee, and Limerick Institute of Technology, comes as the outline of the requirements to become a technological university awaits government approval.
The expectation is that each of the three campuses might focus more on specialist areas of teaching or research expertise, but bring benefits to students at each of the existing colleges.
"A student could be studying at one campus but take modules only offered at another, but without even needing to move there because of what we can do with technology nowadays," said CIT president Dr Brendan Murphy.
He said there would also be benefits for graduates overseas, as employers and other colleges do not always understand that the institute of technology can award similar qualifications to universities.
LIT president Dr Maria Hinfelaar said that the technological university branding could also attract more overseas students. There could also be scope for students to undertake the final year of a course or progress to master’s level at a different campus to where they started studying.
"The details have yet to be worked out, but we envisage that a student would apply to the CAO to study at MTU and indicate where they are going to start that course. But in year three, for example, they could choose to complete their studies at another location, if one of the other colleges is specialising in their area of interest."
The technological university sector was proposed a year ago in the Government’s higher education strategy. The outline of what will be required to become such an institution has been finalised by the Higher Education Authority and is being sent to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn with a view to applications being invited soon.
However, earlier this month Mr Quinn said that the process of assessing applications and awarding technological university status could take years. He has rejected suggestions that political decisions have already been made to award the status to Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Carlow.
They are also in discussions about forming a technological university for the South-East, while prospective partnerships have been formed in Dublin (Dublin Institute of Technology and the colleges in Blanchardstown and Tallaght), and the Border, Midlands and West regions (Athlone, Dundalk, Galway-Mayo, Letterkenny and Sligo).
WIT president Dr Ruaidhrí Neavyn said the Technological University of the South-East planned with Carlow would tackle regional challenges by focusing on employability and flexibility of its graduates.
Dr Patricia Mulcahy, who has replaced him as president of IT Carlow, said the type of college involved was being designed to considerably enhance supports for indigenous enterprises, to create high-potential start-up companies, and to improve the region’s attractiveness for foreign direct investment.
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