Research & Innovation

President of Letterkenny Institute of Technology Paul Hannigan is the new chairperson of Institutes of Technology Ireland for 2014.

A native of Donegal, he has served as president of Letterkenny Institute of Technology since 1998.



“I expect that 2014 will be another year of significant challenge, and opportunity, for the institutes of technology,” he said.

“At national level, we have embraced the National Higher Education Strategy and we are active in the implementation of a range of measures, including the national employer and student surveys, and proposals for technological universities. In recognising institutional ambition and autonomy, it is vital that the end result should be a high quality, coherent higher education system focused on the needs of students, the economy and wider society.



“At institutional level, we are faced with a continuous increase in student demand whilst, at the same time, staffing and budgets are reducing. It is a significant challenge to maintain and enhance quality against this backdrop. All of the institutes have a specific statutory regional remit and their contribution to their regions is immense. As the country emerges from recession, we are determined to continue our engagement with regional stakeholders to enhance employment creation opportunities across the country. In this regard, the institutes will be seeking to reinforce their roles with regard to research, innovation and enterprise.”