AIT President: "As a new university we will be bold and ambitious"

Presidents of both AIT and LIT have this morning hailed the announcement of the designation of the institutes as a technological university.

Welcoming the news, LIT’s Professor Vincent Cunnane and AIT’s Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin, described the designation of the new TU as the conclusion of a strong and dedicated collaboration process between two institutions with a shared vision and ethos.

AIT President Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin said: “This is a historic day for the Midlands and Mid West of Ireland, as we see our ambition of achieving technological university status realised. Today’s designation will see AIT and LIT come together to form a new educational powerhouse, linked by the River Shannon. Unique in its geography, the new university will border almost half of Ireland’s 26 counties, providing unprecedented levels of access to higher education. This will be a transformative change in accessibility and one that we are proud to lead. As a new university, we will be bold and ambitious. We will drive future development and technological innovation across Ireland and on an international stage through cross-cutting, high-TRL research and knowledge transfer to stakeholders in industry. Today marks the start of an exciting future for all.”

See Professor Ó Catháin's reaction here:

LIT President Professor Vincent Cunnane said: “Today is a Red-Letter Day for the Midlands and Mid West, and a significant day in the educational history of the regions and indeed Ireland. Receiving TU designation is a huge achievement – an achievement based on a strong, comparable strategic direction in both organisations over a number of years, and a real concerted effort for the last 18 months. The new TU promises to be a university with a strengthened regional focus and a national and international outlook, that will benefit our staff, our students and the communities we serve. It will take its place as an economic driver for the regions in a post pandemic Ireland, rebuilding our economy and our society, researching new ideas, providing solutions, supporting business and industry, while ensuring a first-class education for its students.”

HERE'S THE FULL STORY ON TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT

Chair of Governing Body AIT Liam Rattigan added: “I am delighted to see the progress that has been made over the last 18 months, which has now culminated in the creation of Ireland’s third technological university. The new TU will be a powerful educational entity that will serve with dedication and distinction, futureproofing higher education across the Midlands and Mid West through practical learning, applied research and strong industry engagement. The future is indeed bright, and we can now look forward to opening our doors and starting a new chapter in our story.”

Chair of Governing Body LIT Tony Brazil said: “This new university points to a strong future serving a region that stretches along the River Shannon, making this area even more attractive to indigenous SMEs and foreign direct investment, by linking knowledge, research, education and innovation. The new TU will require significant public investment and support to reach its full potential, as it opens up educational opportunities to areas previously underserved. This new university will carry with it the student-centred ethos of its predecessors ensuring access to education for the communities it serves.”