EDUCATION:THE SEVEN university presidents yesterday expressed their support for a Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty, pointing to the key role of the EU in the development of higher education in Ireland.
In a joint statement issued yesterday, the university presidents said a Yes vote is more vital than ever to secure the effective functioning of the union and Ireland’s place within it.
The statement was agreed jointly by the seven presidents this week, largely at the behest of UCC president Dr Michael Murphy. It says EU policy has been instrumental in driving and supporting the expansion and modernisation of the higher education system.
“The EU structural funds and the resources of the European Investment Bank were very important in supporting additional student intake and necessary infrastructure, at a time when Ireland could not have made those investments on its own,” they noted.
Irish universities have also benefited from the experience of other countries through the pan- European Bologna Process, in areas such as the modernisation of academic structures, the introduction of modularisation and the development of a National Framework of Qualifications, they say.
“These supports were part of a package which amounted to over €70 billion in total direct transfers to Ireland since accession in 1973. Schemes such as the Erasmus initiative continue to play a vital role in broadening student experience in the European context. “Over 35,000 Irish students have benefited from the Erasmus mobility scheme so far, and an additional 18,500 places are reserved for Irish students in the coming years.
“And over 50,000 students from other EU countries have come to study in Ireland and enrich our campuses and communities over the years, returning home afterwards to boost Ireland’s reputation across Europe.”
The presidents placed particular emphasis on the impact of EU policies on research, development and innovation. “EU research programmes were the springboard for many of our top researchers at a time when national policy was lagging behind in this area.”
Meanwhile, NUI Galway (NUIG) says no university funds were used to pay for an advertisement by 55 individuals on its staff supporting a Yes vote in the referendum.
The advertisements, headed “Staff at NUI, Galway will vote YES for Lisbon”, were placed in local newspapers in Galway on the eve of Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s visit to the campus today.
The advertisements outline the case in support of the treaty, and are signed by NUIG president Prof Jim Browne and a number of senior academic staff, over 30 of whom are professors.
The college rejected criticism of the advertisements, which was voiced anonymously by a member of staff on Galway Bay FM yesterday.
In a statement, NUIG said it believed “that those signing the document, beginning ‘We, the undersigned’, fully intended this piece to appear as representing their individual views only, and not to purport to represent the views of the institution”.
“The university values freedom of speech and academic freedom above all else, and that everybody is entitled to express their opinion on this and on any other issue within the university,” the statement said.