2006 Press Releases
University Co-operation Accord
The Heads of the seven Irish universities have agreed a Co-operation
Accord. The Accord sets out the agreed grounds for a step change in the
already high level of collaboration across the sector necessary for the
universities to deliver on the Government's objectives set out in the
Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation. The Accord has been
sent to the Higher Education Authority.
IUA Co-operation Accord
The seven Irish universities have a long track record of
collaboration across key areas including - admission [CAO], quality
[IUQB], research, access, international activities and administrative
systems.
The Irish Government have set a challenging objective in its 2006
Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation namely "to build up a
sustainable system of world class research teams in terms of people and
supporting infrastructure". The IUA in a proposal to the Government of
October 2005-Reform of 3rd Level and Creation of 4th Level Ireland:
Securing Competitive Advantage in the 21st Century- had set forth an
equally challenging vision for Irish Education and had underlined the
requirement for "high activity collaborations across the Irish
university sector" in implementing that vision.
We the Chief Officers of the seven Irish universities that form the
IUA, commit to continue to work together in support of the Government's
objective, fully accepted by all of us, to have a world-class higher
education and research system in Ireland.
The development of an international class higher education and research
sector as a whole will benefit from greatly enhanced collaboration
between us. Individual universities will identify where they are
internationally recognised in their own right and will seek strategic,
collaborative alliances with other Irish and non Irish universities so
as to build the critical mass which will enable our universities to
compete successfully on a global scale.
We recognise the value of the European Charter for Researchers and the
Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers and support and
endorse the principles set down in them and wish to build on them.
Against that background we have now agreed to initiate a formal process
of discussions between us to identify the areas of strategic importance
to each of our Universities and to Ireland, which we believe to be the
essential foundation for effective cooperation in the development of
the universities and of the higher education and research sector as a
whole. In that context we agree and undertake that:
- recruitment of academic staff shall be open and transparent and on the basis of international best practice;
- universities shall undertake to safeguard public investment in strategic research programmes through robust contractual arrangements with the senior researcher recruited to lead or drive those programmes, including where relevant minimum periods of appointment;
- universities shall be mindful of the areas of strategic importance of each university and of the need to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of public investment in individual institutions and across the sector with a view to building up the critical mass necessary to compete at the global level; universities in seeking to develop new or existing research areas, shall, in the first instance, critically examine the potential for collaboration with other institutions currently active in these areas and Collaborate where there is distinct added value to be achieved.
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