UCD has won a competition to host a new centre honouring the former US president, Mr Bill Clinton, and his work on the peace process. UCD defeated four other universities in the competition, which was overseen by Mr Richard Riley, a former US education secretary. A formal announcement on the location of the centre is expected later this week.
The £2 million centre is seen as one of the most attractive in the third-level sector. While the money involved is small, the centre will raise the profile of the university in the US and among US corporate donors.
Speaking earlier this year the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said that the centre would further strengthen the bonds between Ireland and the United States.
The decision to award the William Jefferson Clinton Centre for American Studies to UCD represents a major coup for the college. It approached the Taoiseach about the centre last November, before other colleges entered the race.
When the Higher Education Authority heard this, it advised Mr Ahern and his officials that other universities should be allowed to compete.
The chief executive of the HEA, Mr John Hayden, wrote to the Department of the Taoiseach on May 17th pointing out that universities which required State funding had to go through the HEA, and making a hasty decision about the project made the HEA "uneasy". He said other colleges would like to tender for it.
Following these representations, Mr Ahern announced that a panel consisting of Mr Riley and two experts would decide on a winner, with some assistance from the HEA and the Department of Education.
It is understood that DCU and the University of Limerick were among the colleges which entered the race. UL believed that the centre would find a "natural home" in Limerick and pointed out that Mr Clinton was familiar with the Munster area.
The Irish Times understands that the report from Mr Riley favours UCD because it already has infrastructure in place for the centre. UCD's financial plans and its intention to involve other universities in the centre were also praised. Sources said that UCD was the unanimous choice of the members of the panel.