Dublin Institute of Technology

Dublin Institute of Technology

Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Atha Cliath
Established	Original foundation 1887, under the auspices of Dublin City Council 1978, as an independent degree-awarding institution 1992
President	Professor Brian Norton
Academic staff	2,500[1]
Students	22,000
Location	Dublin, Ireland
Campus	Multiple locations in Dublin city centre
Affiliations	EUA IAU ELIA SEFI Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Website	http://www.dit.ie

Located in the centre of Dublin, Ireland's capital city, Dublin Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as DIT) (Irish: Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Atha Cliath) is one of the largest higher education institutions in Ireland. It has been ranked in top 100 universities globally under 50 years old.^[2] Though instated in its present form in 1992, the institution can trace an unbroken history back to the establishment in 1887 of the first technical education institution in Ireland. It is recognised particularly for degree and postgraduate programmes in Product Design, Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, Engineering, Science, Marketing, Hospitality, Music, Optometry, Pharmaceuticals, Construction, Digital Media and Journalism. Alumni of the Dublin Institute of Technology include many of Ireland's leading writers, artists and politicians.^[3]

About

DIT's Kevin St building; currently home to most science and health programmes, the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the DIT School of Computing.

Academics

Academically DIT comprises four colleges; Engineering and Built Environment, Business, Science and Health and Arts and Tourism and a Graduate Research School. There are twenty-seven academic schools, four major research institutes, many research centres and groups and various technology transfer and commercial units.

The Institute currently has around 22,000 undergraduate and both taught and research postgraduate students.

The institution awards Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees. Dublin Institute of Technology has autonomous authority to make its own academic awards. As its awards comply fully with the national qualifications framework of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, they are fully recognised internationally.

DIT also validates programmes provided by other institutions in Dublin such as the Digital Skills Academy and the Brighton Institute of Modern Music BA course.

DIT's Cathal Brugha St building; currently home to hospitality and culinary programmes, in the photograph can be seen the sculpture of "The Three Graces" by Gabriel Hayes

DIT's Mountjoy Square building which houses the International Office and international foundation programmes, shown during snowfall in 2010

Research

Dedicated research facilities include the Focas Research Institute with extensive spectroscopy, microscopy and holography facilities. It also houses "CREST"; an international centre supported by Enterprise Ireland for paint and surface coating development. Antennae research is associated with the multi-institution "CTVR"; The Centre for Telecommunications Value-added Research.^[4] Recently research supported by Science Foundation Ireland in the Dublin Energy Lab, water sciences, air quality, food preservation and environmental health and safety are being co-located in a major new building at the Grangegorman new city centre campus together with an additional "Hothouse" start-up business incubator for new DIT spin-off companies. Hothouse has nurtured, amongst other firms, Smart Wall Paint and Moletest.

New city centre campus

Dublin Institute of Technology is consolidating to a single campus in the centre of Dublin, the Grangegorman Campus ^[5] with the campus currently being home to students in Fine Art, Product Design, Visual Communications, Photography and Social Sciences.^[6] The development of the new consolidated city-centre campus is undertaken by the Grangegorman Development Agency.

Community outreach

Embedded in Dublin city centre, DIT has built very strong and diverse links with its neighbouring communities and schools. The Access and Civic Engagement service provides extensive programmes that enable those from traditionally under-represented groups to study at DIT. These include many highly successful access routes for children in secondary schools where there has been no tradition of continuing to third level education. It has also made even earlier interventions in schools, for example the 'Pathways through Education' supports students in making the transition into secondary school.

International partnerships

There are extensive student exchange and joint research programmes with leading universities in India, China, Brazil, Australia, the USA and across Europe. DIT are lead partners in the Mozambique Eyecare Project. As part of the project, an undergraduate course in Optometry has been established at Universidade Lurio, Nampula. The first of its kind in Mozambique. Other partners on the project are University of Ulster and International Centre for Eyecare Education. There are strong links with Columbia College Chicago in design and media and with Purdue University across many disciplines including a joint master's degree programme. There are strong student and staff exchanges with Grenoble School of Management. DIT accredits programmes at Middle East College in Oman.

Sport

DIT has over 40 different clubs for student to choose from ^[7] They include Gaelic Athletic Association, Football, Handball, rifle shooting, waterpolo, archery, basketball, kite surfing and many more.

In 2013 Dublin Institute of Technology won the Sigerson Cup, the premier Gaelic Football Championship among Irish Higher Education institutions. DIT's hurlers won the Kehoe Cup in 2007 and the Walsh Cup Shield in 2013.

Outdoor and indoor sports facilities are being developed at Grangegorman and at Broom Bridge. The latter is adjacent to Broombridge railway station and the canal bridge where Sir William Rowan Hamilton first wrote the fundamental formula for quaternions.

Ranking

Dublin Institute of Technology was named "Best Institute of Technology 2010" by the Sunday Times. It came 94th in the 2014^[8] and 2015 Times Higher Education 100 under 50 Ranking of universities worldwide. It came 157th in the UI Greenmetric Ranking of World Universities in 2013.^[9] The 2012 QS World University Rankings puts DIT in the 451–500 bracket worldwide and in the 350th position for Engineering & Technology; DIT's best result in the same ranking was when it came 326th in the worldwide ranking in 2009.^[10]

The yellow building is public clinic of the NOC

National Optometry Centre

The National Optometry Centre (NOC) located at the junction of Kevin Street and New Bride Street is a state-of-the-art facility and the only such centre in Ireland. The main function of the NOC is to facilitate clinical training for Optometry students. The Centre is developing specialised clinics in areas such as paediatrics, low vision and contact lenses. It will also offer eye examinations, spectacles and contact lenses to the general public. Free eye examinations are offered to DIT students.

Notable academics

Current

Current faculty include David Brophy, conductor, Gráinne Mulvey, composer, Bernie Sherlock, conductor, Jane O'Leary, pianist and composer, John Feeley, guitarist, Kieran Hanrahan, traditional Irish musician, Mike Nielsen, jazz guitarist and composer, Ciarán Cuffe, urban planner, Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire, culinary arts.

Past

Previous faculty members include Pat Kenny, Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ and Newstalk) news and current affairs presenter, Joan Burton, Teachta Dála (TD), Minister for Social Protection, Frank Harte, Irish traditional singer and architect, Hugh McFadden, poet, Seán Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus, politician, Brid Grant, Dean of Arts, University of Connecticut, Desmond Fennell, writer and cultural philosopher, Lelia Doolan, TV and film producer, Peter Sutherland, lawyer and politician. John T. Lewis, mathematician and physicist and Bernadette Greevy, mezzo-soprano.

Notable alumni

History

Foundation

Dublin Institute of Technology originated with the foundation under the leadership of Arnold Felix Graves in 1887 of the first of its predecessor colleges. The Institute existed from 1978 as a federation of colleges.^[11] These were, with their original year of foundation:

• College of Technology, Bolton Street (1911)
• College of Catering, Cathal Brugha Street (1941)
• College of Music, Chatham Row (1890)
• College of Technology, Kevin Street (1887)
• College of Marketing and Design, Mountjoy Square (1905)
• College of Commerce, Rathmines (1901)

Dublin Institute of Technology was established officially by legislation as a single institution in 1992 under the Dublin Institute of Technology Act.^[12]

Development

In 1992 Michael O'Donnell became the first interim President. He was succeeded as President in 1993 by Brendan Goldsmith. The predecessor colleges were recognised as centres of excellence in their areas of specialism and, following the establishment of Dublin Institute of Technology, their expertise formed the nucleus of a Faculty structure comprising, with their locations:

• Faculty of Applied Arts, Mountjoy Square, Rathmines, Clarendon Row, Portland Row, Temple Bar
• Faculty of the Built Environment, Bolton Street and Linenhall
• Faculty of Business, Mountjoy Square and Rathmines, latterly Aungier Street
• Faculty of Engineering, Bolton Street, Kevin Street, Beresford Street
• Faculty of Science, Kevin Street
• Faculty of Tourism and Food, Cathal Brugha Street, Sackville Place and Kevin Street

In 1975 the University of Dublin entered into an agreement whereby it conferred academic degrees at the colleges that formed Dublin Institute of Technology; this allowed these graduates a vote in the University of Dublin constituency for Seanad Éireann representatives. This continued until 1998, when Dublin Institute of Technology was granted its own autonomous degree-awarding powers. DIT has awarded Professorships since 2003.

An application for university designation in 1996 was declined but with the expert panel viewing the institution as on a trajectory for university designation. Dublin Institute of Technology now has a scope of activities and variety of powers identical to those of a university, and its degrees are recognised as such both in Ireland and internationally. The present internal structure of colleges and a graduate school has been in place since 2012. DIT has a Governing Body comprising distinguished representatives of public, including former Dublin Lord Mayors Maurice Ahern and Mary Freehill, social and industrial groups, faculty, staff and students, it is chaired by Professor Tom Collins.

Professor Tom Collins, chair of the DIT Governing Body and former president of RCSI-Bahrain

The institution Is now in a formal process^[13][14] leading to designation as a technological university ^[15]

See also

• DIT Students' Union
• DIT GAA
• Education in the Republic of Ireland
• List of higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland
• Grangegorman Development Agency

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dublin Institute of Technology.

• Official site – Dublin Institute of Technology

Coordinates: 53°20′19″N 6°15′59″W / 53.33861°N 6.26639°W / 53.33861; -6.26639