World Class Universities or a World Class System?

DIT Colloquium

12 June 2009

 

In a time of economic crises, increasing attention is being focused on how higher education can contribute to Ireland's Smart State strategy. Successful global cities and mega-regions depend upon specialised clusters of higher education institutions (HEIs) and research institutes interacting with their cities and regions, exchanging ideas and personnel.  Different HEIs have different strengths which are complementary and working together can be magnets for international students, researchers and investment.

The purpose of this colloquium was to explore ways in which a diverse and coherent portfolio of Irish differentiated high performing, globally-focused institutions and student experiences can successfully maximise their collective capability beyond their individual capacity.

Presentations given at the colloquium included the following:

 

Tom Boland Chief Executive, Higher Education Authority

 Directed diversity - a strategy for Irish higher education system for the 21st century

John Goddard Professor Emeritus, University of Newcastle

 Towards world class national systems of civic universities

Josep Vilalta University of Catalonia ACUP

 Catalonia as a European Region of Knowledge - building a higher education and research system

Jaana Puukka Analyst, OECD/IMHE

 Mobilising higher education for cities and regions: OECD reviews of HE in Regional and City Development

Jim Walsh Deputy President, NUI Maynooth

 The Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance (DRHEA)

Ellen Hazelkorn Dublin Institute of Technology

 Characteristics of a World Class System

 

For further information, please contact: Prof. Ellen Hazelkorn or Therese Davey