2005 Press Releases
Launch of Irish Universities Association, 19 October
At a reception on 19 October 2005, the Conference of Heads of Irish
Universities (CHIU), the representative body of the seven Irish
Universities, announced the change of its name to the Irish
Universities Association (IUA). Also unveiled was the organisation's
new website http://www.iua.ie
The new name better represents the objectives of the organisation and
its work on behalf of the seven universities. The IUA provides a
forum for the Presidents and senior officers of the universities to
identify the strategic challenges facing the university system and to
agree on the policies and plans for tackling them and developing the
sector.
As well as representing the universities, the IUA has undertaken
substantive work on behalf of the universities in areas such as the
following:
- Establishing expertiseireland.com with the financial assistance of InterTradeIreland which now has online profiles of over 3,700 experts from the nine universities north and south, and a growing number from the Institutes of Technology.
- Operating the National Office for the Marie Curie Scheme - the most successful programme for Irish Research under the EU6th Framework Programme with funding of €42m already secured.
- Setting up the Irish Researchers' Mobility Office & Portal with financial support from the European Commission and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Professor von Prondzynski used this opportunity to call on action by the government to deal with the critical issue of university funding as recommended by the OECD Report published over a year ago. He stated: "The present financial position of the sector is totally unsustainable. It's a problem that can be solved, but it needs to be solved right now, not next year, not some time in the future". He said that the IUA will continue to work in partnership with the government, its departments and agencies, the European Commission and other stakeholders. He said: "The objective is to make Ireland a leading knowledge society. It cannot be done without us. We are here to help."
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