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What will a university actually do for Waterford?

Amazotheamazing

On a few of the waterford threads I've browsed, the theme that Waterford urgently needs a university seems to be recurring. Why? What will having a university do that the IT can't? Will it really attract that much more people to Waterford? Will it add that much to the local economy?

To my mind, the only place in Ireland that hugely benefits from having a university is Galway, with roughly 1 in 6 people in the city being a student in NUIG, and it does have a big collegiate vibe going. I suppose UL makes it easy for certain industries to set up near Limerick, but surely that's not their sole reason for basing themselves there? Cork and Dublin both seem too large to note any particular benefit UCC, or UCD, DCU or Trinity give them.

So anyhow, in what way would a University of Waterford benefit Waterford more than Waterford Institute of Technology?

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Bards

Back on Topic - Article from This week's Munster Express
===========================================
O'Donoghue goes national to press for SE university

Waterford Institute of Technology chairman Redmond O'Donoghue has delivered a strong New Year's message to the Government, seeking university designation for the Institute as a “weapon of competitiveness” for the region.

Writing in the Irish Times this week, O'Donoghue - former CEO of Waterford Wedgwood - claimed: “To deny to the southeast the engine of future competitiveness - so called fourth-level education which heavily promotes research and innovation - would be unfair and unjust.

“In recent weeks, several questions have been asked in the Oireachtas about Waterford Institute of Technology's submission to be designated as a university,” the Institute chairman continued.

“Furthermore, the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin TD, announced the appointment of independent expert Dr Jim Port to conduct an assessment of WIT's submission and provide advice on its merits to the Government.

“The intention is that this process will inform the Government's thinking and will start a process which, I expect, will culminate in the completion of the requirements under section 9 of the Universities Act 1997. Because of these developments, it is timely to outline the key issues surrounding WIT's submission.

“The arguments for a university in and of the southeast are compelling. They revolve around economic, academic, social, competitiveness and national policy issues.

“Economically, the southeast has underperformed in recent times. There is little chance of this changing in the foreseeable future unless there is a paradigm shift in higher education in the region. The current higher education structure attracts far too little investment in research activities - education's all-important fourth level.

“Only 19.7 per cent of the workforce in the southeast has a third-level qualification compared with 26 per cent nationally, while per cent of full-time third-level students from within the region leave to study elsewhere. Graduates cannot find appropriate high-level jobs in the region to bring them back,” the article continued.

Brain drain

Mr O'Donoghue added: “The degree to which this brain drain is already happening can be seen from figures which compare the region in which graduates are employed in their region of origin.

“In the east, 90.5 per cent of graduates are in jobs in their own region, in the west the figure is 74 per cent, while in the southeast the number is only 55.8 per cent. That Waterford is the only gateway city without a university unquestionably contributes to this malaise.

“Everyone knows a university is a major driver of economic activity in its region. We repeatedly hear from local industrialists of investment, research, innovation and employment opportunities which can be realised. This was made clear at a recent series of meetings across the region organised by IBEC, the southeast Chambers of Commerce and the Irish-American Chamber of Commerce. At five meetings there was a collective outcry for a university, which would be good for the region and for Ireland.

“Ireland's development strategy is that of a knowledge-based economy. Furthermore, the National Spatial Strategy calls for regional development. Because it crosses provincial borders, the southeast is arguably a less natural region than, say, the west or the southwest.

“However, if we are serious about the National Spatial Strategy, the creation of a region has to be about more than drawing a line on a map. There is a need to create a regional identity and regional institutions.

“What better way to start this process than by creating the best regional institution of all - the University of the Southeast?” Mr O'Donoghue asked.

“The model envisaged in the WIT submission operates successfully all over the world. The proposed university would have its headquarters in Waterford but would have vital hubs in Wexford, Kilkenny and other parts of the region.

“We need also to look at branding and competitiveness. The university “brand” matters and, without competitiveness, no business, no product, no region can prosper. The engine of competitiveness is going to be fourth-level education - research and innovation - and this is the unique proposition of the university sector. To deny this weapon of competitiveness to the southeast would, my judgment, be unfair, unjust and unacceptable.

“Our Carriganore campus, a 150-acre greenfield site just a mile from our Cork Road campus, is sandwiched between Waterford's new ring road the River Suir. It is the ideal site for research and innovation: in fact, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern recently opened the ArcLab operation there - our first major entry into research and innovation.”

merlante

Sounds positive.

I can just imagine all the Irish Times readers reaching for their maps and almanacs trying to figure out where Waterford is.

The name, "University of the South East", is a sickener though, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers.

I think it is interesting that the various people involved with the university submission are very keen to 'depoliticise' the whole process. They must be reasonably confident that all these reports and committees will find for Waterford.

Bards

merlante wrote:

Sounds positive.

I can just imagine all the Irish Times readers reaching for their maps and almanacs trying to figure out where Waterford is.

The name, "University of the South East", is a sickener though, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers.

I think it is interesting that the various people involved with the university submission are very keen to 'depoliticise' the whole process. They must be reasonably confident that all these reports and committees will find for Waterford.

The new NDP will support the NSS and regional development... If we take it that Dublin has 4 Universities for say 1,000,000 population which works out at around one Universioty per 250,000.

The South East Region has a population of 450,000 and no University so we are over due one based on the NSS which Dr. Port must take into account when making his recomendation

rogue-entity

Waterford IT badly needs University status. It needs the funding and it needs the freedom that other Us have. The other thing is that most businesses will have a preference for a University degree over an IT degree, even if the IT graduate is better thought. WIT has the best computing courses outside Dublin, but chances are, someone who goes to UCC will be more likly to get a job then a WIT graduate.

We also need more places to teach medicine, I would love to be a Doctor, but I could never get the points, yet I would have the subjects. Why are the points inthe 590 range if not because of limited places.

AdMMM

I was just thinking about over the past few days and I think that while a university is needed, if WIT were to be granted University status then Waterford would need further PLC facilities. Many people are enrolled in WITs Level 6 and Level 7 courses which presumably would be phased out shortly afterwards and replaced with comparable Level 8 courses. There would be considerably more demand for the Level 8 courses which would push the points up and possibly out of reach of many students. Potentially this could hinder Waterford as we currently only have the one facility offering PLC courses in the city!

lilmissprincess

Is there not the Tech? I thought they did the PLC courses, just like they do in Wexford...

merlante

I would have thought the tech, now Waterford College of Further Education, would do them as well.

Anyway, those courses will go somewhere, I wouldn't worry about that.

BIG-SLICK-POKER

Prob put an extension on Bob tweedys House i reckon

AdMMM

That's what I mean. Waterford only has one location where people can do PLC courses and judging by the amount of prefabs they have on their grounds, they're already struggling to meet demand!

Bards

If it's good enough for Wexford it Certaintly will help Waterford

from today's Irish Examiner
====================

January 2007

University key to revamping region, says PD candidate

A UNIVERSITY for the south east is a key component to the revitalisation of the region, a Dáil hopeful said yesterday.

PDs general election candidate Colm O’Gorman said he believed the upgrading of Waterford Institute of Technology was vital for his constituency of Wexford.

He pledged to work towards the establishment of a university in the south east.

“I am working to ensure the PDs election manifesto includes a proposal for a university for the region by upgrading Waterford Institute of Technology with sister campuses in Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow.

“It is time that those living in our county were able to work and study in Wexford, rather than being forced to leave for a job or university place elsewhere. Wexford and its people deserve no less.”

Speaking today as his party’s deputy leader Liz O’Donnell launched a constituency-wide billboard campaign in Wexford Town, the PD Dáil candidate said he believed the upgrading of the Waterford Institute of Technology to the University of the South East was a vital component to the revitalisation of County Wexford.

He claimed: “Co Wexford has one of the lowest levels of uptake of third level education in Ireland. I believe that the absence of a university in the region is a significant impediment to the economic and social development of Wexford. I would be very hopeful that our party manifesto could include my university plan. I pledge to pursue it vigorously.

“Apart from the immediate benefit of allowing our young people to study close to home, it is also clear that this development would also attract investment and generate jobs. I believe that it would, in time, enable the south east to act as a counterbalance to the ever-expanding greater Dublin region.

“It is time that politics began to focus on the difficulties our county faces. It is time that action replaced promises and ideas replaced complacency. Wexford has been let down by politics over the past 30 years. The county has fallen behind other regions which benefited from stronger representation.”

Wexford has one of the lowest levels of disposal incomes in the country as well as one of the lowest levels of job creation through direct inward investment.

“Politics in Wexford must change,” he declared.

road_high

He could have replaced the name Wexford with any of the other s eastern counties too. A university at WIT is essential now for the regions future prosperity, nothing less will do now in my opinion. We need to be able retan graduates in the region here, unlike at present where onlt about 50% are staying and attaining employment here.

Without a university I worry about the future for this region.

Bards

and his last line - "politics in Wexford must change". you could replace wexford therre with any other county in the S.E too

the S.E must unite as a region and stop all the political infighting. This is the first time I have heard a politican from another county in the S.E get behind Waterford

road_high

Bards wrote:

and his last line - "politics in Wexford must change". you could replace wexford therre with any other county in the S.E too

the S.E must unite as a region and stop all the political infighting. This is the first time I have heard a politican from another county in the S.E get behind Waterford

Not quite the first one!;) Have a read of this;
http://www.johnpaulphelan.com/read_press.php?PressID=101

I agree there is absolutely no point in politicians here in KK going on about getting a uni to KK; that is fantasy stuff. Our best hope is Waterford and perhaps years down the road (a big) maybe a faculty of Design or such like here in Kilkenny. For the moment WIT is the only game in town....

Bards

Interesting Read... if only Fine Gael would make it as part of their election Manifesto might speed up the process