Galway-Mayo IT (GMIT), Letterkenny IT and IT Sligo have submitted a joint application to become a technological university, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris announced on Twitter today.
“This is a milestone day for the region,” he said, “It’s a real chance now to bring access to higher education”.
“It’s also a real opportunity to create a powerhouse for foreign direct investment, for investment in general, and for regional development in the North-West of our country.”
“I’m really looking forward to the application progressing and going through all of the various stages that it has to in order to deliver a technological university for the North-West.
The new technological university will be one of the largest multi-campus universities in Ireland and will offer programmes all the way from pre-degree to postgraduate.
According to the Donegal Daily, Donegal TD and former minister for education, Joe McHugh, said about the announncement: “This is a huge day for Donegal and for the West and North West.”
“I worked with Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell-O Connor and more recently with Minister Simon Harris to try and ensure that this becomes a reality.”
“I am hopeful that this new TU could be established in January 2022,” he added, “which would allow students graduating in the 2021/2022 academic year to do so with university qualifications.
Echoing Minister Harris, he said: “This will undoubtedly have massive benefits for this whole region and will create a stronger regional growth in the North-West, and will further encourage the development of our close cross-border links here in Donegal.”
Earlier this month, Harris announced that Athlone IT and Limerick IT had become the third such institution to be given technological university status.
The two universities will similarly merge to form a new technological university for the Midwest and Midlands.
At the time, Harris said: “The higher education landscape is rapidly evolving and the people of the Midlands and Mid-West will be at the heart both geographically and practically of that evolution”.
“This new technological university designate will increase higher education access, drive enhanced regional development and increase opportunities for students, staff, business and enterprise, and local communities.”
