Charting new waters in higher education institutes: navigating the role of technological universities in Ireland and Europe

Abstract

The higher education sector in Ireland is described. Changes in that sector during the period from 1960 to the current time are outlined and discussed. Particular focus is given to the period between 2010 and 2020, during which Irish government policy was to follow a strategy of regionalised access and delivery of tertiary vocational education. This was manifested through establishment of a new form of university, namely that of the “Technological University” (TU). The establishment of TUs in Ireland and their legislative underpinning are examined. The authors present the ongoing TU process in Ireland as a case study of how a sustainable, regionalised approach to third-level educational reform can be undertaken. The authors finish by presenting a comparative analysis of the RUN-EU Network mission and the legislative functions of the Irish TUs, thereby highlighting how both can jointly contribute to shaping firms, economies, and society in the 2020 decade.