Trinity College Dublin and University College have announced the opening of their educational centerpiece, The Innovation Academy, today.
Part of the national drive towards making Ireland a smart economy, the Innovation Alliance has been formed to “transform the PhD experience by imbuing graduate research and education with creative thinking and innovation”.
Progressive co-operation
Dr John Hegart, Provost of TCD, welcomed the opening of the academy, saying that today was a practical demonstration of the progressive co-operation between both universities.
“Together, through the realisation of the Innovation Academy, we have demonstrated the capacity and drive to deliver this new approach to graduate education in Ireland.
“The academy is about people. In partnership with industry expertise, it is a powerful model for equipping the future thought leaders of this country with the capacity to combine cutting-edge research with the entrepreneurial and innovative abilities so needed for Ireland’s sustainability and revival.”
A new breed of graduate
The academy says it will develop “a new breed of graduate”, where a disciplinary and technical expertise is fused with an ambition to create new enterprises, enhance public service and further harness Ireland’s cultural heritage.
Prof Suzi Jarvis (UCD), course co-director, said: “I have no doubt that this is the right time to bring this new dimension into our educational programmes. Ireland has created first-class research programmes over the past 10 years and built a PhD education that attracts students from all over the world.
“We are ideally placed in this country to engender innovation in our graduates, given our strong history of invention, culture and entrepreneurship.”
