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IT Tralee has welcomed the enactment of the Technological Universities Bill into legislation last Thursday which will lead towards the establishment of a Munster Technological University.
Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Tralee have been working towards achieving Technological University designation and the creation of the Munster Technological University (MTU) since 2013.
Both Institutes are committed to achieving Technological University status and plan to register students in the new Munster Technological University in September 2019.
Lionel Alexander, Chair of the Governing Body at IT Tralee and Bob Savage, Chair of the Governing Body at CIT stated that; “MTU will bring considerable benefits to the staff and students, as well as delivering benefits for the citizens and economy of the region. The creation of the MTU will help to position Munster and the South West as the next major region outside of Dublin, significantly boosting and enabling regional growth and development. The MTU will build on the unique strengths of both founding Institutions and will be a catalyst for the development of the Irish Higher Education system”.
Welcoming the enactment of the legislation Dr Oliver Murphy, President of IT Tralee said: “This is a historic day for us. This legislation is a key enabler facilitating us to deliver on our commitment to transform Irish Higher Education. We believe Munster Technological University presents a once in a generation opportunity to bring about a change that will enrich and improve the social, academic, and economic vibrancy of the region and beyond”.
Resources and structures have been put in place to successfully deliver the programme of change required to make the MTU a reality and the project has received dedicated funding from the HEA to facilitate this work. The MTU Project Office has been established to oversee the successful delivery of the project.
Technological Universities = Technically not Universities……LOL