The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), which is based in Trinity, celebrated ten years in existence this week. On Monday, the Trinity Biomedical Science Institute (TBSI), which opened at the height of the recession, marked its fifth-year anniversary. Commenting on the unfortunate context of TBSI’s opening, the Provost, Patrick Prendergast, said that it had “created national pride and excitement at a time it was much needed”.
It is this excitement that the very best research in Trinity can generate. From the world-leading research in TBSI to the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) which opened in November, Trinity has certainly not stood still since the recession in 2011. This is praiseworthy. As research funding steadily declined, it would have been easy for Trinity to lower its ambitions and weather the storm.
Yet with no end in sight to the higher education funding crisis, Trinity really had no option but to keep expanding. It is a paradox Trinity is well aware of -– to win funding it must keep spending. At a time when politicians are still dithering about how much funding higher education deserves, Trinity has to play a part in proving the worth of the sector. The success of the TBSI and TILDA isn’t just a source of “national pride” either. Instead, with tangible research that is pushing medical treatment forward globally, they both act as strong arguments for the public good of higher education.
Investment in new projects is vital too in remaining afloat in world rankings. A significant proportion of the Times Higher Education rankings, due to be published in the coming weeks, focus on research reputation. Putting a brake on new developments then, whether in infrastructure or research, is no longer an option. As the number of students attending college rises and European universities face increased global competition in rankings, Trinity needs to keep arguing for its own relevance, not just in Ireland but across the world.
Trinity needs to maintain the same ambition that allowed TBSI to thrive in 2011. People have short memories about the value of higher education. It shouldn’t need to, and from a financial perspective it seems like it can’t afford to, but only further investment in ambitious projects will allow Trinity to prove its worth.
