Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) is only likely to achieve university status through a merger with its sister ITs in Cork and Tralee. Despite the positive drum which both WIT President Kieran Byrne and Chairman Redmond O’Donoghue thumped at a press briefing on Monday morning, a standalone University of the South East appears dead in the water.
Their comments came in the wake of the publication of the ‘National Strategy for Higher Education for 2030’, authored by Dr Colin Hunt which ‘encourages the emergence of stronger institutes of technology’.
The report states: “Performance criteria for these amalgamated institutes should focus on their distinct mission, and, based on demonstrated strong performance against mission-relevant criteria, it is envisaged that some could apply for redesignation as technological universities.