Sir, – The proposal to merge UCD with TCD (Front page, September 25th), is the first cost-cutting concept in higher education that makes sense!
UCD has 15 academic staff in civil engineering, the minimum necessary to provide the full range of specialist lectures; TCD has 17. Together we would have 32 lecturers/professors which would provide scope both for downsizing and an improved service to students. The bottom line is that fewer lecturers would be needed as it is only moderately more time- consuming to manage and lecture a large class than it is to deal with a small class.
UCD civil engineering is currently ranked 112th in the world (QS world subject rankings); TCD is ranked 178th. Together, we could easily break into the top 100 civil engineering schools of the world. – Yours, etc,