LIT’s Professor Vincent Cunnane takes THEA chair 

THE president of Limerick Institute of Technology, Professor Vincent Cunnane, has assumed the chair of the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) for the 50th anniversary year of Technological Higher Education in Ireland.

"I am very much looking forward to my time in office as Chair of the THEA board for 2020", stated Professor Cunnane.

 "This year 2020 marks a significant and challenging milestone in the development of higher education in Ireland. It marks fifty years of technological higher education since the first Regional Technical Colleges came into being in 1970.

“The story of this sector’s evolution reflects the story of Ireland’s development. In 1970, there were about 12,000 third-level students in Ireland. Today, there are some 250,000, with the RTCs and Institutes of Technology being central in a dramatic rise in student numbers since their foundation. In fact, the socioeconomic profile of students in institutes of technology reflects that of Irish society as a whole,” Professor Cunnane added.

According to the LIT president, 2020 will see further evolution of this sector as Institutes of Technology progress towards Technological University designation, bringing with it all the challenges and opportunities that such a major change entail. 

“It is our hope that 2020 will see a resolution of the sustainable funding issue for our institutions.  We expect that the report prepared for Government by Peter Cassells will finally be addressed and that a model of sustainable funding for higher education be agreed and put in place during my term of office as Chair of THEA.”

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Joseph Ryan, CEO of THEA said: “I am delighted to welcome Prof Vincent Cunnane as Chairperson of the Board of THEA.”