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CORK INSTITUTE OF Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee are to join together to become the Munster Technological University (MTU).
Education Minister Joe McHugh described the move as a “landmark development for the South West” and said that a resolution would be passed by the Oireachtas to give effect to to the technological university status of the new institution.
Munster Technological University will be formally established on 1 January 2021 and students graduating the 2020/2021 academic year will therefore do so with university qualifications.
CIT currently has 17,000 full and part-time students while ITT has almost 4,000.
The move comes following 2018’s Technological Universities Act which made it possible for two or more ITs to come together to seek technological university status.
The new law provides for this to happen subject to eligibility criteria and an assessment by an international advisory panel.
These assessment has now been completed in the case of CIT and IIT and they will now become MTU, with a new president and governing body.
“Both institutes have worked hard and overcome challenges to meet the conditions stipulated so that it is possible to announce this decision, and subject to the relevant Oireachtas process, proceed to award TU status,” McHugh said.
President of IT Tralee, Dr Brendan O’Donnell said that MTU could become “a strong driver of economic growth for the region”.
“This is a time of unprecedented challenge for the region, Ireland and the world. MTU will play a leadership role in the strategic development of the South-West region as we work towards national and global recovery,” he said.
“The availability of a skilled professional workforce is essential to the creation of Irish companies and in attracting new companies to locate in Ireland. ”
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Yet again the SE ignored, what about Waterford?
@Ger Dwyer: Hard to name one decent TD that has ever done anything of value for Waterford.
@Fred the Muss…: is Waterford not joining with Carlow
@Ger Dwyer: when you consider Cork and Kerry combined population is approximately 700,000 you might understand why
@Tommy C: or the SE with a population of about 420,000 with a higher population density and without a university. Cork and Kerry have ready access to both UCC and UL depending upon which part you live in
@Ger Dwyer: what about Waterford more about what about Wexford yes we have Carlow IT campus but we’ve been promised much more only Carlow IT are dragging there asses in the mud. Yes there should be a university in Waterford maybe swap WIT to Wexford then have south east university encompassing carlow Wexford Waterford Kilkenny.
@D Mems: And the south east has ready access to UCC and CIT as well as the Dublin colleges depending on what part you come from. Don’t get me wrong here, I believe the south east should have this but it really is supply and demand.
@D Mems: there’s over half a million in Cork alone. The population of any region isn’t a factor in qualification. The individual institutions need to be able to provide a certain level of education. Hopefully Waterford IT will be able to match whatever standards are needed to achieve University status before hell freezes.
@Ger Dwyer: Get your affairs in order first.
@Ger Dwyer: Get accounts correct first.
What about the SE? Waterford forgotten again!
South East? Try the North West?
South east region 500k population and no university,it’s a complete drain on youth in the region with little prospect of high level jobs,it’s a disgrace how no university has been over looked for about 49 years now due to politics as usual ruining it
Waterford ignored again.
@Fred the Muss…: no one fighting for it is the problem. Last decent td was martin cullen….he worked wonders for Waterford. Every td since has be an embarrassment.
Great news for Tralee, decades of hard work by many eventually rewarded.
Very Happy with this announcement, exactly what Tralee needs, it’s been left behind on the jobs front since the 80′s, there’s way too much emphasis on Leinster and not nearly enough in places like Kerry and Donegal
Should just leave it as CIT…..
@Paul O’Sullivan: They had to change JIF to CIF as it was offensive in another language? God knows what CIT means……
Still waiting for the Cork events center! I remember Enda turning the sod on it in 2011. promises promises…
@xor: it was 2016
Waterford, Cork, Tralee? Bull..this is a small country with more than enough universities. What we need is better connectivity and virtual classroom hubs all over the country. No student should have to live near a university to attend it, especially if they have to rent. Btw, housing problem solved overnight too.
@roberto Mankini: You still need Universities located in each of the main regions if you want attractive quality investment. Wales has 8 universities located in each part of their country with a population of 3 million, we have 5 million and only had 9 universities prior to this announcement, 6 of which are in Greater Dublin. The South East has deliberately ignored for decades, despite having a population of 440,000 and the closest region to key trading partners in the UK and Europe. The midlands and north west also have been denied. Project Ireland 2040? Binned.
What about the South East, 500K population with no university in the region, absolute brain drain from the area, time for this government to step up and support WIT and make it a university and stop this neglect of the region!
As far as I recall Waterford and Carlow were pursuing the same path as the others who sought TU status but Waterford pulled out and decided they wanted to go on their own as voted on internally at the time
Promises promises… (roll-eyes)
The battle here throughout the country remember is about status. 1 president, reduced admin, rationalized courses, losing control!
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