FOUNDED BY Sean Rowland in Dublin in 2000, Hibernia College is Ireland's online college, with postgraduate programmes in pharmaceutical medicine, primary teacher education and financial management.
Rowland describes the company as an international, third-level, online college offering accredited, educational programmes designed to address the growing demand for flexible, cost-effective, lifelong learning that is not restricted by location or time.
He has developed a learning vehicle that has attracted students from more that 20 countries.
Hibernia's success has been facilitated by achieving accreditation from Ireland's Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC), in addition to recognition from the Department of Education in Ireland, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) in England, and the International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians (IFAPP) in Brussels.
Combined with strategic collaborations and partnerships with global leaders in technology development and curriculum design, this formal accreditation and recognition has placed Hibernia College at the forefront of innovative online education for those wishing to pursue formal qualifications while continuing to work.
Hibernia College has offices in Dublin and Rowland's hometown of Westport, Co Mayo, employing more than 50 full-time staff members, and has more than 300 adjunct faculties worldwide.
Products/Services:
These include a higher diploma in arts in primary education, which now provides more qualified primary teachers than any other programme in Ireland. Hibernia College also offer a suite of 19 Department of Education-approved online summer courses for primary school teachers.
In England, it offers a training programme known as iTeach, training secondary teachers in the shortage subjects of maths, physics and chemistry.
In collaboration with Pfizer Corporation, it also offers an IFAPP and HETAC accredited Master's of Science in pharmaceutical medicine.
In the forthcoming academic year, Hibernia College will be offering an innovative online Master's degree in financial management and control.
Customers:
There are more than 6,000 students from more than 20 countries currently studying online with Hibernia College, completing Master's degrees, higher diplomas and short-term CPD courses.
Hibernia College is a significant presence in both the Irish and English education arenas and is now ready to exploit its fast-developing internationally focused programmes.
What vision prompted you to start up in business?
Historically, Ireland has had very strong resources in education.
Today, these resources are even stronger, with more universities and postgraduate education.
We have a wealth of qualified professionals. New technologies can now offer the expertise of these professionals to the teaching and learning communities across the world.
My vision for Ireland has always been the development and delivery of top-quality third-level education out of Ireland, meeting professional needs worldwide.
Express the biggest challenge you see your industry facing?
I believe the e-learning environment must be evaluated and accredited rigorously to ensure top-quality programmes. I have grave concerns for what some institutions call e-learning and I would like to see an international consortium that would only admit top-quality providers and eliminate some of the substandard providers.
How do you recharge your batteries?
I go home to the west of Ireland every couple of weeks. I always find that I am totally relaxed in Co Mayo, where I spend time with my family and friends, except of course when Mayo is playing in Croke Park!
