New policy to deepen links between two city colleges

Date Published: {J}

By Dara Bradley

Co-operation between Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) could be further deepened and there could be far more collaboration between the city’s two third level institutes, according to new policy document published yesterday.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) examines the possibilities of creating ‘technological universities’ and creating ‘regional clusters of excellence’, in a new discussion paper on the future of higher education, which will have ramifications for Galway’s two third level institutes, GMIT and NUIG.

The HEA said a key objective of the discussion paper, Towards a Future, Higher Education Landscape, published yesterday, is the creation of “a more coherent system of higher education institutions”.

If implemented, it will lead to far greater co-operation between GMIT and NUIG; and alliances will be further forged between the two Galway third level institutes and other colleges in the west.

Yesterday, both Presidents of NUIG and GMIT warmly welcomed the publication of the documents.

NUIG President, Jim Browne, told the Sentinel that 90% of the policy document was “extremely positive”, and that he hoped now that the HEA and the Department of Education would follow through on the commitments made in the new policy direction, which he described as “fair” and a “very good document”.

He said the fact that Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn had ‘signed off’ on it, offered hope that it would be implemented.

He said the standards set with regard institutes’ desires to create Technological Universities were “fair and reasonable standards, and not too high”.

Mr Browne said that NUIG already had strong formal allegiances with GMIT, University of Limerick and other institutes but what would change as a result of this is clarity with regard the collaboration.

“When each institute has clarity about what it is they are trying to achieve, then it is very easy to collaborate,” he said.

He added that the requirement for institutes to spell out its mission, and its distinctiveness, was also positive.

GMIT President Michael Carmody, also welcomed the publication of the discussion papers.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.