A National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) ( ga, Foras Náisiúnta um Ard-Oideachas) was a category of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

institution established in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

to provide higher level technical education above the standard of the then established

Regional Technical College An Institute of Technology (IT) is a type of higher education college found in Ireland. There are a total of fourteen colleges that use the title of Institute of Technology, which were created from the late 1960s and were formerly known as Region ...

system, at

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

level. Higher level technical

education in Ireland The term Education in Ireland may refer to either of two education systems in Ireland: *Education in the Republic of Ireland *Education in Northern Ireland Education in Northern Ireland differs from education systems elsewhere in the United ...

was seen to be an area that was poorly served until the advent of these institutions. The plan was to see

degree Degree may refer to: As a unit of measurement * Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement ** Degree of geographical latitude ** Degree of geographical longitude * Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics ...

level education mainly. The first institution was set up in Limerick, where there had been long-standing demand for a university, in fact a "University of Limerick" was proposed ''inter alia'' in the late 1960s by the ''Lichfield Report''. The institution at Dublin was to be the unified campus of what later became

Dublin Institute of Technology Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT, ga, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Cliath) was a major third-level institution in Dublin, Ireland. On 1 January 2019 DIT was dissolved and its functions were transferred to the Technological Un ...

, but instead a new institution was developed similar to Limerick. In the 1970s it was expected that the institutions would be ''recognised colleges'' of the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...

, in time this status been raised to ''constituent college'' status. Initially this did occur for a short time (1976–1977), however the institutions had all degrees conferred by the

National Council for Educational Awards The Higher Education and Training Awards Council ( ga, Comhairle na nDámhachtainí Ardoideachais agus Oiliúna) (HETAC), the legal successor to the ''National Council for Educational Awards'' (NCEA), granted higher education awards in Ireland b ...

after 1977, this continued until university status was achieved.

International Study Group on Technological Education

In November 1986 the International Study Group on Technological Education was established by the Minister for Education. The chair was T.P. Hardiman, chairman of the

Investment Bank of Ireland Investment is the dedication of money to purchase of an asset to attain an increase in value over a period of time. Investment requires a sacrifice of some present asset, such as time, money, or effort. In finance, the purpose of investing is ...

, whilst the deputy chair was

Emeritus Professor ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of Business Administration at

University College, Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

. The other three members were: *Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University and Vice President of the Royal Society *President of the University of Waterloo *Vice-President of the German Research Foundation at Hamburg University of Technology The institutions were de facto universities from the start, and were elevated to the level of university in 1989 after the ''International Study Group on Technological Education'' presented its recommendations to the

Irish Government The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...

on their status. The original brief of this report was to investigate the creation of a single ''National Technological University'': :''...to examine third-level technological education outside the universities and to consider the case of a new Technological University...'' However the study group found that this title would not be appropriate considering that non-technical disciplines were offered and that one university might limit the innovation which had become the trademark of the two separate institutions:Report of the International Study Group on Technological Education (1987) :''...the NIHE Limerick having the title University of Limerick and the NIHE Dublin having the title Dublin City University or the University of Leinster.'' :''The title 'technological university" should not be used.''

References

{{reflist

International Study Group on Technological Education

References

See also