Athlone IT and Limerick IT have been given the green light to merge and form Ireland’s third technological university, after Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris granted technological university status to the two institutions.
The two ITs will merge to form a technological university which will be the third of its kind in Ireland.
Harris will now table a draft order establishing the inaugural date for official technological university formation. However, students graduating from either college in the 2021-2022 academic year will now do so with university qualifications.
In a press statement, Harris said: “”This is another hugely important day for higher education in Ireland and in particular for the Midlands and Mid-West regions.”
“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”, he added. “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.”
“The new higher education institution of increased scale and reach will benefit the students and communities of Westmeath, Limerick, Tipperary, Clare and Offaly to name but some of the counties which will be served by the new university.”
The creation of new technological universities is intended to assist in the delivery of national strategic objectives for regional socio-economic development.
Similar bids for technological university status are in the process of getting the green light with the latest application having been submitted by the consortium of Waterford IT and IT Carlow.
Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT are also expected to apply for technological university status soon. Dundalk IT and IADT Dun Laoghaire are working on similar TU submissions, although both are still in the early stages of tender formation.
Cork IT and IT Tralee officially merged earlier this year to form the Munster Technological University. The merger had been in development since 2013, and was accelerated last year after the passing of the Technological Universities Bill.
The amalgamation hit multiple roadblocks, however, with Cork IT unwilling to take on IT Tralee’s substantial debts, leaving the viability of the project under question for several months.
