2009 Press Releases
Statement by Dr Michael Murphy, President, UCC to the Academic Council, UCC
06.03.2009
Reports in today’s (March 6th 2009) newspapers are carrying accounts that potentially threaten the integrity of the Irish university community and are described as possibly elaborating a two-tier university system.
06.03.2009
Reports in today’s (March 6th 2009) newspapers are carrying accounts that potentially threaten the integrity of the Irish university community and are described as possibly elaborating a two-tier university system.
I draw your attention to expressed Government policy set out in the Taoiseach’s statement on the “Smart Economy” before Christmas calling for rationalisation of the higher education sector resulting in a more effective and cohesive use of resources.
The seven universities under the aegis of the Irish Universities Association wrote collectively to the Taoiseach in February 2009 setting out their support for these objectives and the means by which the universities could collectively work to implement this Government policy. The Government spatial strategy and the social and economic needs of the regions must be given prominence in whatever construct emerges in the University sector.
UCC welcomes indications of the greater cooperation between UCD and Trinity set out in today’s newspapers which will presumably include the other Dublin institutions in furtherance of Government policy. UCC has similarly been engaged in cooperation within the University sector and additionally has embraced this agenda regionally through developments with CIT for example.
UCC is extremely concerned by the press reports of possible Government diversion of funding earmarked for national research investment, for the selective benefit of individual universities. Over the past ten years through competitive programmes such as PRTLI, SIF and HRB, methodologies have been put in place to ensure expert international review of all proposals for investments in the Irish university sector. These policies have been very successful in promoting collaboration among all the Irish universities and have allowed the development of international quality capacity in various disciplines distributed throughout the Irish university system.
Examination of the performance of all universities over the past eight to ten years will show that there has been high performance across the university sector with each university collaborating well and contributing complementary strengths. It would be astonishing were Government to adopt a new funding approach for Irish universities outside of these well tested programmes.
Many of the staff in our university are working closely with colleagues in all Irish institutions to develop competitive bids for PRTLI5. We should continue to engage with this opportunity on the assumption that the integrity of the PRTLI5 competition will be maintained and that it will be adjudicated according to the documentation which has been circulated.
Each of the seven institutions must continue to be proactive in pursuing collaborative projects across the sector, in line with the Government’s stated policy, and the objective must be to ensure that arrangements are in place that will provide opportunities for all in the pursuit of this goal.
UCC is of the view that the HEA’s Strategic Review of Higher Education launched earlier this week under the sponsorship of the Minister for Education and Science, was established as an objective review and should not be sidetracked or influenced by processes outside of the established review, as reported in the media.
Michael B. Murphy,
President
The seven universities under the aegis of the Irish Universities Association wrote collectively to the Taoiseach in February 2009 setting out their support for these objectives and the means by which the universities could collectively work to implement this Government policy. The Government spatial strategy and the social and economic needs of the regions must be given prominence in whatever construct emerges in the University sector.
UCC welcomes indications of the greater cooperation between UCD and Trinity set out in today’s newspapers which will presumably include the other Dublin institutions in furtherance of Government policy. UCC has similarly been engaged in cooperation within the University sector and additionally has embraced this agenda regionally through developments with CIT for example.
UCC is extremely concerned by the press reports of possible Government diversion of funding earmarked for national research investment, for the selective benefit of individual universities. Over the past ten years through competitive programmes such as PRTLI, SIF and HRB, methodologies have been put in place to ensure expert international review of all proposals for investments in the Irish university sector. These policies have been very successful in promoting collaboration among all the Irish universities and have allowed the development of international quality capacity in various disciplines distributed throughout the Irish university system.
Examination of the performance of all universities over the past eight to ten years will show that there has been high performance across the university sector with each university collaborating well and contributing complementary strengths. It would be astonishing were Government to adopt a new funding approach for Irish universities outside of these well tested programmes.
Many of the staff in our university are working closely with colleagues in all Irish institutions to develop competitive bids for PRTLI5. We should continue to engage with this opportunity on the assumption that the integrity of the PRTLI5 competition will be maintained and that it will be adjudicated according to the documentation which has been circulated.
Each of the seven institutions must continue to be proactive in pursuing collaborative projects across the sector, in line with the Government’s stated policy, and the objective must be to ensure that arrangements are in place that will provide opportunities for all in the pursuit of this goal.
UCC is of the view that the HEA’s Strategic Review of Higher Education launched earlier this week under the sponsorship of the Minister for Education and Science, was established as an objective review and should not be sidetracked or influenced by processes outside of the established review, as reported in the media.
Michael B. Murphy,
President