South East Technological University has launched its first strategic plan, setting out the university’s five-year aim to become a leading global technological university.
The plan, titled Connecting for Impact, sets out SETU’s ambitions over the coming years to establish itself as the anchor institution for the ongoing development of the South East.
In so doing, SETU aims to have a long-term transformative impact on the South East region.
SETU President Veronica Campbell told WLR, what the plan entails.
"We called our strategic plan connecting for impact, which will take us over the next five years. Our roadmap sets out our priorities as a university from 2023 to 2028.
"We now have three campuses. Wexford, Waterford, and Carlow. That means that we have a university of scale in the South East, a university that is accessible in terms of easy access to the people of the South East.
"It's a university as we outlined in our strategic plan, that will drive regional innovation through our research and innovation activities. Providing training, opportunities, upskilling, and access to higher education. We know that that overall improves the quality of life for individuals, and raises the innovation environment and success. Having a university in the South East is a game-changer."
Strategic Plan
"We look forward to continuing dialogue with our internal and external stakeholders, on how best to enhance this educational ecosystem and develop its capacity to impact the South East to be known as a world-class innovation destination.
"I firmly believe that we could be leading the way in these such as offshore renewables, the pharma, health, agri sectors, sustainable business, and AI through collaboration and disciplinary thinking and through the deep expertise that exists in our university."
Approach
"Our students are of course at the heart of our university. We have three broad objectives when it comes to our learners and the learning system within SETU.
"We aim to expand and develop our program portfolio, especially with the goal of arresting our regional brain drain. As you would be aware, many students leave this region for higher education elsewhere. Many do so because we simply do not currently offer certain courses.
"In our plan, we name a few of the new discipline areas that we wish to develop within SETU. Teacher education for example. We are currently in a competitive national process for veterinary medicine and pharmacy. The outcome of which we hope to know shortly."
Former Waterford Crystal Site
"Our focus is leading the Southeast as a forerunner in innovation. This means building our capacity and capability in terms of research performance to be on par with a strong global university. We need to expand our research base including doubling our Ph.D. student numbers. We plan to develop a university enterprise quarter here on the former Waterford Crystal site, as a landing ground for that powerful combination of research, education, enterprise, and business development expertise. This represents an initial step of what is a very bold and transformational project for this region and it is exciting."
Brain drain
"Addressing the regional brain drain is a core mission of SETU and the retention and development of talent is vital for the region. Through this plan, we will expand the range of access and progression routes and levels of learning opportunities for students.
"We will ensure that our curriculum equips our students with the skills to navigate the green and digital transitions. Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, and supporting them to be active contributors to an ever-evolving workplace region and world.
"We also aim to improve the student experience. This will include providing student accommodation to ensure that students will be given affordable places to live, as well as investing in expanding the student support infrastructure on our campus with a focus on ensuring our students achieve their potential. Student success will be the success our this region.
"Our aim is to be recognised as the regional anchor institution, and certainly from the conversations we have had around the dialogue of the strategic plan, that is the direction we are going."
To find out more about the strategic plan, click here.
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