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Creation of new Munster Technological University an 'important milestone' for south west

Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee have joined together to become the Munster Technological University (MTU).

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF Ireland’s newest university, Munster Technology University (MTU), has been described by Minister Simon Harris as an “important milestone”.

Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee have joined together to become the Munster Technological University (MTU). 

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.

Higher Education Minister Harris said the creation of Ireland’s second technology university – after Technological University Dublin opened in 2019 – was a landmark event.

“The establishment of only the second technological university in the State, the first outside the capital, is another important milestone for higher education in Ireland and, in particular, for the south west,” he said.

“From today MTU will start its journey and drive access, excellence, and regional development. It will strengthen the links with businesses, all of which will greatly enrich and enhance the south-west region,” he added.

Chair of MTU’s Governing Body Bob Savage said: “MTU has the potential to be ground-breaking for the South-West region by providing a new, flexible teaching and learning framework to students that is informed by research and offers opportunities for students to pursue diverse programmes across the range of levels.”

President of MTU Professor Maggie Cusack described it as an “auspicious day” for the region and said the formation of MTU “will benefit students, staff, and stakeholders for generations.”

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    Mute Andy Heffernan
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    Jan 1st 2021, 2:01 PM

    Do we really need more universities? Would have thought alternative training and education options would be more appropriate.

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    Mute Gerry McGuinness
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    Jan 1st 2021, 2:05 PM

    @Andy Heffernan: as it’s an amalgamation of two already existing IT into a technological university ( only 2nd one in the country ) this isn’t creating anything but offering synergy and an ability to offer a much broader campus for the south and south west.

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    Mute Declan O'Neill
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    Jan 1st 2021, 2:15 PM

    @Andy Heffernan: Did you read past the headline at all?

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    Mute Andy Heffernan
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    Jan 1st 2021, 2:16 PM

    @Gerry McGuinness: appreciate that and am a supporter of university education, however its not for everyone and should we not be looking at alternatives given the serious drop out rates in the IT sector. We run the risk of setting students up to fail by not providing non University options.

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    Mute Ignorant Carbon
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    Jan 1st 2021, 5:50 PM

    @Andy Heffernan: define non-university options.. If you mean options like apprenticeships? the TU’s will continue to offer level 6-10 education (apprenticeship to PhD) and as with the IoTs they will still have a different teaching approach to the mainstream universities which is important for upskilling and lifelong education as much as different learning styles of those coming via CAO from leaving cert. The northern European TU model is what we should be looking at.

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    Mute KSham
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    Jan 1st 2021, 1:55 PM

    Long time coming. There was talk of this happening when I started in Tralee in 2008. Great news though

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    Mute reginald
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    Jan 1st 2021, 2:34 PM

    Still no university in the south east region and Waterford I.T are asked to pair up with Carlow.what a farce after decades of campaigning for a Waterford University

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    Mute Robert Woodward
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    Jan 1st 2021, 3:15 PM

    For people who don’t know this is a complete joke and a political stroke that has nothing to do with education.The international panel who were sent in to review the application decided MTU was a shambles with no vision or plan but the minister rubber stamped it anyway after 6 months of token changes .They also never invited the panel back to check if they had improved and never engaged with the staff unions which is why they will be in the labour court next year. Staff in both Institue are completely disenfranchised by the enforced and rushed merger but its all ok because they have the magical university name over the door which is the solution to all problems.I fully expect PAC enquirys into these mergers and the millions spent on them in years to come as the shambles that they are come to light.

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    Mute KSham
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    Jan 1st 2021, 4:03 PM

    @Robert Woodward: that’s terrible if what you say is true. Not disputing what you say, I don’t know the ins and outs of this, but where did you get this information? It’s always good to be informed

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    Mute Robert Woodward
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    Jan 1st 2021, 5:05 PM

    @KSham: I have close ties to CIT and know the staff situation well.Thecinternational panel report from last year is available on the dept of education website.If you read it you see they had major misgiving about the merger plan , financial vibility of this ITtralee and vision for the organisation. They also pointed out the lack of engagement with staff on the ground was troubling.This was all glossed over and the minister rubber stamped the TU application 6 months later with it coming into existence yesterday. There are major difficultys ahead for MTU with the unions in both organisations very unhappy with the rammed through merger.How this new organisation will actually operate in the real world where you have two of every dept and faculty. There will be massive fudges and inefficiencys as unlike in a private sector merger there will be no lay off or changes to work practices.

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    Mute KSham
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    Jan 1st 2021, 5:09 PM

    @Robert Woodward: that sounds like a right clusterf#*k. It’s a shame

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    Mute Robert Woodward
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    Jan 1st 2021, 5:15 PM

    @Robert Woodward: Also you may not know this but the TU idea isn’t a carefully thought through idea for the future of the ITs in Ireland . The genesis of the TU/merger plan came from Phil Hogan who didn’t want to see any move to upgrade WIT to a full university as waterford people had been pushing for years.He wanted ITcarlow in on this and so the merger plans came about. And the amount of skullduggery that has gone on in that merger process is well known with ITcarlow pushing for the HQ and the senior partner of the merger ( with government backing ) even though they are the smaller organisation.

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    Mute eamonn farrell
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    Jan 1st 2021, 8:16 PM

    @Robert Woodward: carlow is a much better run organisation. Waterford couldnt manage two fivers in a wallet !

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    Mute reginald
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    Jan 2nd 2021, 12:07 AM

    @eamonn farrell: thats total bull and you know it.carlow are trying to pull a fast one on waterford.its 3 times the size of carlow and it has a lot more courses.but phil hogan and Brendan howling made sure waterford would never get university status alone.complete master strokes by two numpty politicians at the time

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    Mute Shane De Paor
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    Jan 1st 2021, 2:56 PM

    Waterford has been campaigning for decades for the IT upgrade to university status and now its being forced into a merger with Carlow IT that will benefit neither institutions. Time to have equal access to third level education across the country. These Technoligical universities are just a name change over the door!

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    Mute Eddie Michael
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    Jan 1st 2021, 2:50 PM

    Last year has proven that massive universities are not needed with all the content being able to stream on line. Surely the money could go into the hospital for nursing training…

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    Mute Rochelle
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    Jan 1st 2021, 3:19 PM

    @Eddie Michael: The past year has shown very little is needed other than hospitals and supermarkets, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for something better and the university experience is hugely beneficial for the growth and happiness of thousands.

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    Mute Virgil
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    Jan 1st 2021, 5:38 PM

    I hope we don’t end up like England where polytechnics were suddenly called ‘universities’ with an inevitable lowering of standards in a rush to recruit students. A country like Ireland doesn’t need more universities, it needs well functioning IT’s. Having worked part-time in Carlow IT, I can assure you it is far from a university

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    Mute Ignorant Carbon
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    Jan 1st 2021, 6:09 PM

    @Virgil: We don’t need more traditional Universities, but the northern European TU’s have a model I’d love to see utilised here. Project and Problem based learning with research closer to industry than traditional Unis.
    In my area of Engineering, I’d take an Institute of Technology or TU grad with an applied element to their education, it served me well in industry and research. I don’t think the TUs will be rushing to expand as they are mergers, if anything they will consolidate duplicate courses.
    There are lots of challenges to overcome, I’ve worked in both a UK Uni and an Irish IT, to be honest, the biggest differences I’ve found are funding and flexibility. Here I have very little flexibility to develop research and any attempts to introduce flexibility/change are resisted by older staff and unions.

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    Mute John Power
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    Jan 1st 2021, 9:17 PM

    Waterford institute has been waiting for an university status since the 90’s, it’s one of the top institutes in the country but has to amalgamate with Carlow which is a joke of a college, plus the 84km commute, I agree they shouldn’t be handing those statuses out Willy nilly to every institute but I think the south east deserves sumthin, can’t be just dublin, cork, limerick and Galway, i heard other universities budget amount could be diluted with more taken from the one pot,

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    Mute Graham Murphy Esq
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    Jan 1st 2021, 4:35 PM

    MTU is more like an Empty U these days.

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    Mute Graham Murphy Esq
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    Jan 1st 2021, 3:41 PM

    Are the graduates now eligible to vote in senead elections?

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    Mute Bryan Maguire
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    Jan 1st 2021, 4:15 PM

    @Graham Murphy Esq: Only graduates of TCD and NUI constituent universities have Seanad votes despite 7th amendment to constitution on 1979! No votes for graduates of UL or DCU or holders of degrees from NCEA/HETAC/QQI or technological universities. Senator Malcolm Byrne recently introduced bill to extend franchise to these graduates.

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    Mute Michéal Ó Tuama
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    Jan 1st 2021, 4:50 PM

    Rolls off the tongue

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