Ireland’s newest technological university is to open next year, following a merger of Galway-Mayo IT, Letterkenny IT and Sligo IT.
A technological university for the west and north west will be the fourth of its kind in Ireland.
In a press statement, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that the multi-campus university will encompass eight locations in Castlebar, Galway City, Killybegs, Letterfrack, Letterkenny, Mountbellew and Sligo.
Harris said: “This new technological university will increase higher education access, drive enhanced regional development and increase opportunities for students, staff, business and enterprise, and local communities.”
He added that the new university was located in “a very important strategic part of the country” bordering as it will both the Atlantic and Northern Ireland”, he added. “Its establishment will allow people in the furthest flung corner of the island through digital connectivity to obtain a university degree in their home places. I am delighted to see this milestone being reached and I want to congratulate all involved.”
“The final piece in the national TU jigsaw”, he continued, “is a university for the South East and I will be making my decision on the TUSEI consortium application in the next few days.”
The creation of technological universities to replace institutes of technology has been a priority of Harris and his predecessor Mary Mitchell O’Connor.
Two or more institutes of technology may jointly seek technological university status through a prescribed legislative process. The first such university, TU Dublin, was formed in 2019 following a merger of Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown.
Munster TU, an amalgamation of Tralee IT and Cork IT, formally opened in January this year, while TU Shannon, a merger of Athlone IT and Limerick IT, was launched earlier this month.
