MTU: ‘Excellence in research, innovation, and scholarly activity’

Name: Munster Technological University (MTU)

Location: Cork and Kerry

Established: January 1st, 2021

Students: 18,000

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Overview: MTU was the first new university to be established in the southwest since 1845. It offers more than 140 courses and programmes and employs over 2,000 staff. It has about 120 links with other colleges worldwide.

It counts six research centres of excellence across its campuses and has supported more than 500 start-up businesses to date. Its annual expenditure is about €220 million. It is expanding its research and innovation portfolio in line with the needs of its stakeholders.

“Excellence in research, innovation, scholarly activity, knowledge transfer and engagement that have measurable impact are the hallmarks of MTU,” said a spokesman for the university.

“Our activities are founded on collaboration and expertise across science, health, computer science, engineering, business, social sciences, humanities, maritime studies, architecture, the creative and performing arts, and media.

“Our activities are linked to issues of global relevance which MTU addresses through the UN Sustainable Development Goals whilst aligning to, and advancing, national and European research priorities and strategies.

“MTU is strongly focused on increasing the depth and scale of our impact and ensuring that our research is competitive and sustainable.”

The university said entrepreneurship is in its “DNA”, within it curriculum and informed by research. “MTU continues to focus on ensuring that entrepreneurship is a key graduate attribute for all our learners,” said the spokesman.

MTU achieved European University status as a member of the 10-university INGENIUM European University Alliance in 2023.

Looking ahead, MTU’s strategy out to 2027 is to build a “globally connected region that is an exemplar for sustainable, healthy and responsible living”.

“We scale up research and innovation to further inform our teaching,” said the spokesman. “We transfer knowledge that impacts the community and enables competitive enterprise and entrepreneurship in our region and globally.

“We are a responsible, international university with world-class ambition and provide a global hub of knowledge exchange in which staff, students and stakeholders are enabled to engage in an open-minded, positive, collaborative, sustainable and respectful way.”

Campus: MTU is located across six locations at Bishopstown Campus; Kerry North Campus; Cork School of Music; Crawford College of Art and Design; Kerry South Campus; and the National Maritime College of Ireland.

It is currently undertaking significant infrastructural developments, including the construction of new facilities and modernisation of existing ones, representing an investment of about €180 million.

It recently opened its multi-purpose arena on its Bishopstown campus. The university said the “state-of-the-art facility” will cater for the needs of MTU students and the local community for many years to come.

MTU is well advanced in relation to completing two new developments: the Learning Resource Centre in Bishopstown and the STEM Building in Tralee.

It is also engaged in extensive upgrading of a number of its existing buildings to ensure that students, staff and external stakeholders are provided with the facilities needed in a modern and progressive technological university environment.

Currently, MTU does not provide university-owned accommodation for its students. In this context, it relies on private-sector provision of accommodation for its students, the bulk of which is located in close proximity to its campuses.

Over the coming years, MTU said it will explore all available options to increase the supply of accommodation across the southwest for all of its students. MTU has more than 100 clubs and societies.

Sample course: The BSc (Hons) in General Nursing, hosted in the purpose-built Sólás building at the MTU Kerry North Campus, continues to expand and now has significantly increased capacity to accept more students.

This course provides learners with the skills required to provide nursing care in a wide variety of settings.

Contact details: mtu.ie

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