IRELAND

Four more Irish universities on the cards
Ireland could soon have four more universities if plans by institutes of technology get the go-ahead. The political battle is now up and running among the colleges to get the badge ‘technological university’, Kim Bielenberg reports for the Irish Independent.All the institutes of technology except IADT in Dun Laoghaire have come together in clusters and are seeking the new title. From Letterkenny down to Tralee, there are hopes for university status and the economic benefits that this could bring.
Supporters of these revamped colleges say that they will improve the quality of technological education and hope to attract international students. On the other hand, opponents believe that the change would be little more than a rebranding exercise that would lead to ‘dumbed-down’ degrees.
Full report on the Irish Independent site