Timeline from the Foundation of Regional Technical Colleges in Ireland to the Emergence of Technological Universities (original) (raw)
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Higher education in Ireland has been characterized for some time as having a distinct two-tier structure. The top tier is comprised of the university sector, which features a number of older and newer entrants. Firmly in second position based on research outputs, funding, status and societal esteem have been the Institutes of Technology (IoTs; Hazelkorn & Moynihan, 2010). However, the recent re-designation of DIT, ITB and ITT as Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), has challenged the status quo. Despite initial setbacks the success of TU Dublin will inevitably be followed by Munster Technological University and the Technological University of the South-East. The anticipated success of these alliances is acting as a catalyst throughout the entire IoT sector in Ireland. The emerging Technological Universities are forcing all of the remaining IoTs to redefine their roles and aspirations. In this new scenario the option of remaining an IoT in a sector that has re-cast itself to ...
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