DCU wins €21.6m with Dublin Region Universities and Institutes as a lead partner in new Dublin Third Level Alliance
Tuesday 19 February 2008

DCU warmly welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, of the outcomes of bids under the Strategic Innovation Fund.

Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski President of DCU said: “The university is very pleased that, with its partners, it has been allocated €21.6m by the Minister as a lead partner of projects under the SIF programme, the largest award in this funding round.

DCU is pleased in particular that the Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance, of which it is a founding member, will be set up with this funding, including the three other universities, UCD, TCD and NUIM, DIT and the institutes of technology in the area.”

The Vice President for Teaching and Learning Maria Slowey said “A key element of the Alliance focuses on the Enhancement of Learning. Working with our partners we will establish the Dublin Centre for Academic Development that will bring together new and existing academic expertise from all the institutions. This will be an influential and innovative network of academic leaders based in the individual departments and schools, but linked through the Alliance to achieve a step change in the quality and nature of higher education, focussing on innovation for the benefit of students both undergraduate and postgraduate.”

This will also ensure that there will continue to be strong collaboration between DCU and its strategic partners in Dublin, and that the university will continue to lead in its drive to be pioneering and strongly innovative.

The Centre will also guide the implementation of four major projects relating to Transforming the Curriculum, Teaching for Engagement and Retention, E-learning, and Learner Support.