In an ‘vital milestone’ for the south-west, CIT and IT Tralee will now turn into Munster Technological College.
A brand new technological college has been formally established within the south-west of Eire.
Munster Expertise College was inaugurated on 1 January, after a consortium of Cork Institute of Expertise and Institute of Expertise Tralee acquired technological college standing in May of final 12 months.
Minister for Additional and Increased Training, Analysis, Innovation and Science Simon Harris, TD, mentioned the brand new establishment would ship “important extra advantages” to the area.
Hope you want our new MTU emblem which is at present being up to date on signage throughout our college campuses 😀 pic.twitter.com/gVNPpg7eYQ
— MTU Cork (@MTU_Cork) January 1, 2021
“The institution of solely the second technological college within the State – the primary outdoors the capital – is one other vital milestone for greater schooling in Eire and, specifically, for the south-west,” Harris added.
“The brand new TU will construct on what’s greatest in each of those institutes of know-how, significantly in strengthened hyperlinks between apprenticeships, business and employers.”
MTU will comprise six campuses in Cork and Kerry, with round 18,000 college students in complete. It’s the first college to be established in Cork since College Faculty Cork in 1845, and it’s the first college to ever be established in Kerry.
Educational focus at MTU will embody artistic and performing arts and media, enterprise, engineering, well being and social sciences, and science and informatics.
Prof Maggie Cusack, previously of the College of Stirling, has been appointed as president of MTU. She is the second ever lady to tackle the function of president at an Irish college. Prof Kerstin Mey grew to become the primary when she was appointed as president of the College of Limerick final 12 months.
Bob Savage, chair of MTU’s governing physique, described the institution of a brand new technological college as “historic”.
“MTU has the potential to be groundbreaking for the south-west area by offering a brand new, versatile instructing and studying framework to college students that’s knowledgeable by analysis and provides alternatives for college students to pursue numerous programmes throughout the vary of ranges.”
Eire’s first technological college, TU Dublin, was announced in 2018 and launched the next 12 months. A 3rd know-how college might quickly be on the playing cards, as a consortium of Athlone IT and Limerick IT submitted an application to the Authorities late final 12 months.
Harris mentioned final week that the Authorities will probably be progressing the event of technological universities across the nation.
“Increased schooling is altering in Eire and our technological college agenda is among the most fun elements of the reform and modernising of the third-level sector,” he mentioned.
