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Minister Simon Harris said 12 Irish universities are part of an initiative that aims to help more EU students obtain their degrees by combining their studies in several EU countries.
Ireland’s Government has allocated €2.7m to support Irish universities as they participate in European University Alliance partnerships.
This alliance aims to develop a European education area and boost the levels of innovation and inclusion in higher education across Europe by creating 60 ‘European universities’ by 2025. These will consist of alliances of bottom-up networks of universities across the EU.
It is hoped that these alliances will help EU students obtain a degree by combining studies in several EU countries and contribute to the international competitiveness of European universities.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris, TD, said 12 Irish universities are involved in this “ambitious programme” and that the success of the EU is built on “education and common purpose”.
“Through seamless mobility – be it physical or virtual – students, staff and researchers from the EU are able to study, train, teach, do research, work and share services in partner institutions across different countries,” Harris said.
“The impact of that access and opportunity to explore and share our education systems and research communities cannot be understated.”
Some of the Irish universities that are involved in the European University Alliance are Maynooth University, South East Technological University, University College Cork, Atlantic Technological University, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University.
Harris said the fresh funding will enhance the participation of Irish universities in European partnerships and strengthen international relationships for the benefit of “thousands of Irish students”.
“I will be launching Global Citizens 2030 – Ireland’s international talent and innovation strategy – later today, and our universities’ collaborations with their European peers will play a key part in delivering on its objective,” Harris said. “I know this allocation of €2.7m will assist institutions to meet resource costs arising for their involvement in these strategic partnerships.”
At the end of 2023, the Irish Government revealed a €50m boost for the country’s technological universities, to further embed them in the regions they serve. In the same month, a four-year funding programme worth €33.4m was launched to improve the commercialisation of research projects and improve Ireland’s knowledge transfer sector.
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