2009 Press Releases
UCC's MPlan course awarded professional international accreditation
24.02.2009
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD paid a visit to the UCC Programme in Planning and Sustainable Development on February 20th 2009 to mark the achievement of professional recognition for its masters MPlan course.
24.02.2009
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD paid a visit to the UCC Programme in Planning and Sustainable Development on February 20th 2009 to mark the achievement of professional recognition for its masters MPlan course.
The MPlan course was established at UCC in 2006 to train professional planners. With accreditation from both the Irish Planning Institute (IPI) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) the two-year Masters in Planning and Sustainable Development is now an internationally recognised professional qualification - the only one of its kind outside Dublin or Belfast. The two accreditation processes were completed in time for the foundation MPlan class to graduate in December 2008. They are now employed in the public, private and academic sectors in Ireland and abroad.
Minister Gormley, in his address to students and staff, drew attention to some of the political shortcomings of the planning system during the recent period of rapid growth in this country which often led to misguided zoning practices and other unsustainable decisions. He stressed the importance reforming local government structures, of strengthening the powers of national and regional planning guidance, and of focussing on planning policy that is more evidence-based and sustainable.
The UCC programme in Planning and Sustainable Development is now in a position to contribute to this effort by developing a centre of excellence for applied planning research, by expanding doctoral and international education in the planning field, by strengthening its partnership networks with the profession, government departments, planning authorities, NGOs, and stakeholders of all kinds. According to its Director, Mr Brendan O'Sullivan, it can also provide training, CPD and outreach and to act as a focal point for the research expertise of the university to make independent and meaningful inputs to planning policy making and best practice at all levels.
Based around a team of planning specialists and academics in UCC's College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, elements of the MPlan course are also delivered by the College of Business and Law, the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science and by a range of visiting lecturers from Ireland and abroad. Through this Programme, UCC is also a full member of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP).
The new planning school is able to build on the long history of planning achievement in the Munster region where initiatives such as the LUTS and CASP strategies of the Cork sub-region are seen as important national examples of best practice. With strong links to Europe and to other parts of Ireland, it allows a home grown, real-world appreciation of planning for rural and coastal areas to be developed and for the particular challenges facing second tier cities to be given special consideration.
The MPlan course recruits 30 students each year and the closing date for 2009 is April 1st. Applications are welcomed from honours graduates of Arts, Engineering, Commerce, Law, Social Science, Health, Architecture, Science and other relevant subjects. Further information about the programme is on http://mplan.ucc.ie
Picture shows: Karen McDonnell, Auditor, Planning Society, UCC, Professor Fred Powell (Chair, MPlan Board of Studies) and Mr Brendan O'Sullivan, Programme Director, Programme in Planning & Sustainable Development, UCC. Seated: Dr Michael Murphy, President, UCC and John Gormley, TD, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, .
994MMcS
Minister Gormley, in his address to students and staff, drew attention to some of the political shortcomings of the planning system during the recent period of rapid growth in this country which often led to misguided zoning practices and other unsustainable decisions. He stressed the importance reforming local government structures, of strengthening the powers of national and regional planning guidance, and of focussing on planning policy that is more evidence-based and sustainable.
The UCC programme in Planning and Sustainable Development is now in a position to contribute to this effort by developing a centre of excellence for applied planning research, by expanding doctoral and international education in the planning field, by strengthening its partnership networks with the profession, government departments, planning authorities, NGOs, and stakeholders of all kinds. According to its Director, Mr Brendan O'Sullivan, it can also provide training, CPD and outreach and to act as a focal point for the research expertise of the university to make independent and meaningful inputs to planning policy making and best practice at all levels.
Based around a team of planning specialists and academics in UCC's College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, elements of the MPlan course are also delivered by the College of Business and Law, the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science and by a range of visiting lecturers from Ireland and abroad. Through this Programme, UCC is also a full member of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP).
The new planning school is able to build on the long history of planning achievement in the Munster region where initiatives such as the LUTS and CASP strategies of the Cork sub-region are seen as important national examples of best practice. With strong links to Europe and to other parts of Ireland, it allows a home grown, real-world appreciation of planning for rural and coastal areas to be developed and for the particular challenges facing second tier cities to be given special consideration.
The MPlan course recruits 30 students each year and the closing date for 2009 is April 1st. Applications are welcomed from honours graduates of Arts, Engineering, Commerce, Law, Social Science, Health, Architecture, Science and other relevant subjects. Further information about the programme is on http://mplan.ucc.ie
Picture shows: Karen McDonnell, Auditor, Planning Society, UCC, Professor Fred Powell (Chair, MPlan Board of Studies) and Mr Brendan O'Sullivan, Programme Director, Programme in Planning & Sustainable Development, UCC. Seated: Dr Michael Murphy, President, UCC and John Gormley, TD, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, .
994MMcS