UCC plans €350m investment to increase campus space by 20%

Cork university hopes to grow its student numbers to 23,000 over the next five years

University College Cork (UCC) hopes to expand its campus space by 20 per cent in the next five years as part of a €350 million investment programme.

The plan will create 500 new construction jobs, and is part of a wider strategy by the college to grow student numbers to 23,000 by 2022.

The university also hopes to increase the number of international students attending its courses, and to extend the income earned from philanthropy by €100 million.

UCC president Patrick O’Shea said the development would include a €110 million investment for the Cork University Business School, a new dental school worth €37 million, and a €64 million investment to support student accommodation projects.

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Research income

On the academic side, UCC hopes to sustain annual research income at more than €90 million, and to achieve a 26 per cent student intake through access admissions routes.

“We are committed to ensuring that UCC becomes the location of choice for Irish and international students,” Mr O’Shea said. “Like myself, many of us are first-generation university graduates, and we are passionate about ensuring access to higher education.”

Finance for the strategic plan has come through a €100 million European Investment Bank loan, commercial lending, philanthropy and the university's own resources.

Peter Hamilton

Peter Hamilton

Peter Hamilton is a contributor to The Irish Times specialising in business