Dundalk Institute of Technology
Encyclopedia
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) formerly Regional Technical College, Dundalk is a 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) campus situated in Dundalk
, County Louth
, Ireland
, halfway between Dublin and Belfast
(each approximately 80 kilometres away). The campus is 800 metres from the main Dublin Belfast road and 3 minutes drive from the M1 motorway to Dublin. Dublin Airport is a 35-minute drive by car. Dundalk is served by the Dublin Belfast Train corridor and Dundalk's Clarke Station is approximately a 20-minute walk (or 6 euro taxi ride) from the campus.
In 2002 DkIT took possession of the adjoining PJ Carroll Tobacco Factory. By 2005 partial development took place in the Carroll's site with Plumbing and Electrical Trades Workshops relocated there and the opening of a "Bright Room" digital media editing suite. Refurbishment of 11,500 square metres of the PJ Carroll Building was completed by 2010, and the School of Informatics and Creative Arts took up full-time residence there. The Building was officially opened on 11 February 2011 by the then An Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen TD who stated that "the completion of a €38m capital investment at the Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) campus represents a vote of confidence in the Institute’s future and will help further strengthen its capacity to drive economic regeneration in the northeast".
In 2005 a building for the newly introduced Nursing and Health studies was opened. In 2005 also, DkIT became one of the first urban locations to have an industrial standard wind turbine (850 kW) installed. It is the first large wind turbine in the world to be constructed on the campus of a third level institution.
The institution was one of the original network of Regional Technical Colleges set up in the 1970s with an emphasis on business
, engineering
and science
. Over the past decade and a half, the Institute has expanded its range of programmes to include hospitality, humanities, music, creative arts and nursing
. Apprenticeship
courses have long been a feature of the Institute, there has been continual expansion in the Apprenticeship provisioning the electrical and plumbing fields.
DkIT awaits with great interest the implementation of the recent Hunt Report as the Institute determines the optimum pathway towards its future redesignation as a Technological University.
The Institute has four Schools, with each one consisting of a number of departments with a wide range of programmes on offer. Additionally, the Lifelong Learning Centre offers many part-time study options and there are also many apprenticeship options on offer, through the School of Engineering.
The four schools at DkIT are:
Mr Denis Cummins has been President of the Institute since 2006. The previous presidents/directors/principals have been Dr Seán McDonagh, Mr Denis Murphy (acting), Mr Gerry Carroll (acting) and Dr Tom Collins.
There are 100 PCs for project and research work as well as wireless internet access on two floors. The Library’s collection is mainly academic to support DkIT’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. There is also an eclectic fiction collection as well as films on DVD and music CDs.
The Library building was named after Dr. Whitaker
in recognition of his contribution to the Irish economy. Books donated by him are available for consultation in the TK Whitaker collection.
With the recent economic climate, the Lifelong Learning Centre has had a huge increase in applications for night classes.
Through the Research and Developmental endeavours of its Academic Staff, DKIT has developed a strong applied R&D reputation in Software Development, Electronics and Engineering Design, Applied Humanities, Cultural Studies and Enterprise Development & Innovation with a new and emerging area in the field of Renewable Energy and Digital Media. The evolution of this range of Research expertise has a direct bearing on new course development, on staff development and on the relevance of graduate provision to the skills needs of the Regional and National economy.
The Centre achieves this through the following range of programmes and activities:
The DkIT Regional Development Centre has been awarded the ISO 9001-2000 Quality Standard.
Researchers within the Institute carry out internationally recognised research within several key thematic areas from across its four academic schools.
These thematic areas include Ageing and Health, Informatics and the Environment, Creative Media, Music and Entrepreneurship, with the emerging area of nanoscience being explored as a potential growth area. To this end several key research centres and groups have been established on campus which possess the required critical mass to impact upon the region, and the national and international stages.
The Institute has always recognised the need to sustain and develop this research base within its schools, of both the basic and applied nature, with a strong emphasis on research commercialisation and technology transfer.
DkIT is home to the Ion Channel Biotechnology Centrehttp://www.icbc.ie/ (ICBC). The ICBC is an Applied Research Enhancement Centre established by core funding from Enterprise Ireland
. It is one of three ARE Centres in the Bio Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical cluster. The other two ARE Centres in this cluster include the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre
based in the Institute of Technology, Tralee
and Limerick Institute of Technology
and the Pharmaceutical & Molecular Biotechnology Research Centrehttp://pmbrc.org/ (PMBRC), based in Waterford Institute of Technology
.
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
, County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, halfway between Dublin and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
(each approximately 80 kilometres away). The campus is 800 metres from the main Dublin Belfast road and 3 minutes drive from the M1 motorway to Dublin. Dublin Airport is a 35-minute drive by car. Dundalk is served by the Dublin Belfast Train corridor and Dundalk's Clarke Station is approximately a 20-minute walk (or 6 euro taxi ride) from the campus.
In 2002 DkIT took possession of the adjoining PJ Carroll Tobacco Factory. By 2005 partial development took place in the Carroll's site with Plumbing and Electrical Trades Workshops relocated there and the opening of a "Bright Room" digital media editing suite. Refurbishment of 11,500 square metres of the PJ Carroll Building was completed by 2010, and the School of Informatics and Creative Arts took up full-time residence there. The Building was officially opened on 11 February 2011 by the then An Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen TD who stated that "the completion of a €38m capital investment at the Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) campus represents a vote of confidence in the Institute’s future and will help further strengthen its capacity to drive economic regeneration in the northeast".
In 2005 a building for the newly introduced Nursing and Health studies was opened. In 2005 also, DkIT became one of the first urban locations to have an industrial standard wind turbine (850 kW) installed. It is the first large wind turbine in the world to be constructed on the campus of a third level institution.
The institution was one of the original network of Regional Technical Colleges set up in the 1970s with an emphasis on business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. Over the past decade and a half, the Institute has expanded its range of programmes to include hospitality, humanities, music, creative arts and nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
. Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
courses have long been a feature of the Institute, there has been continual expansion in the Apprenticeship provisioning the electrical and plumbing fields.
DkIT awaits with great interest the implementation of the recent Hunt Report as the Institute determines the optimum pathway towards its future redesignation as a Technological University.
The Institute has four Schools, with each one consisting of a number of departments with a wide range of programmes on offer. Additionally, the Lifelong Learning Centre offers many part-time study options and there are also many apprenticeship options on offer, through the School of Engineering.
The four schools at DkIT are:
- School of Business and Humanities
- School of Engineering
- School of Informatics and Creative Arts
- School of Health and Science
Mr Denis Cummins has been President of the Institute since 2006. The previous presidents/directors/principals have been Dr Seán McDonagh, Mr Denis Murphy (acting), Mr Gerry Carroll (acting) and Dr Tom Collins.
Library
The Library at DkIT Institute of Technology (DkIT) is located in the Dr T.K. Whitaker building. The facility provides learning and research support to 5,000 + students and staff with 400 study spaces, over 50,000 books and journals and access to a range of online databases.There are 100 PCs for project and research work as well as wireless internet access on two floors. The Library’s collection is mainly academic to support DkIT’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. There is also an eclectic fiction collection as well as films on DVD and music CDs.
The Library building was named after Dr. Whitaker
T. K. Whitaker
T.K. "Ken" Whitaker is an Irish economist and former public servant, credited with a pivotal role in the economic development of Ireland...
in recognition of his contribution to the Irish economy. Books donated by him are available for consultation in the TK Whitaker collection.
Lifelong Learning Centre
The Lifelong Learning Centre at Dundalk Institute of Technology is a resource for the whole community of the Northeast, offering a range of opportunities for people to help with their career development or their personal growth and developing skills, or to help the need for learning for its own sake. Their range of academic and other learning opportunities not only includes dozens of courses, which have proved their popularity over the years, but also introduces some new choices reflecting our requirement to adapt to the changing educational and training needs of a dynamic society.With the recent economic climate, the Lifelong Learning Centre has had a huge increase in applications for night classes.
Regional Development Centre
Established in 1989 by Dundalk Institute of Technology, the Regional Development Centre acts as the Institute’s Innovation Support and Technology Transfer organisation. The Centre acts as a commercially oriented interface between DKIT and the industrial, commercial and business life of the region, and makes available the expertise, facilities and resources of the Institute for the wider benefit of the regional economy.Through the Research and Developmental endeavours of its Academic Staff, DKIT has developed a strong applied R&D reputation in Software Development, Electronics and Engineering Design, Applied Humanities, Cultural Studies and Enterprise Development & Innovation with a new and emerging area in the field of Renewable Energy and Digital Media. The evolution of this range of Research expertise has a direct bearing on new course development, on staff development and on the relevance of graduate provision to the skills needs of the Regional and National economy.
The Centre achieves this through the following range of programmes and activities:
- Research & Development and Technology Transfer
- Entrepreneurial Development Programmes
- Incubation Facilities for Knowledge and Technology-Based Enterprises
- Applied Research
- Sectoral & Regional Development Initiatives
- Spearheading and Supporting EU and Cross Border Development Initiative
- Networking with Agencies and Organisations at Regional, National and International Level
The DkIT Regional Development Centre has been awarded the ISO 9001-2000 Quality Standard.
Research at DkIT
The Sunday Times Higher Education analysis places the Institute as the top research income performer in the IoT sector and is a measure of the calibre of research activity being undertaken and the success of the Institute's Research Strategy over the last number of years.Researchers within the Institute carry out internationally recognised research within several key thematic areas from across its four academic schools.
These thematic areas include Ageing and Health, Informatics and the Environment, Creative Media, Music and Entrepreneurship, with the emerging area of nanoscience being explored as a potential growth area. To this end several key research centres and groups have been established on campus which possess the required critical mass to impact upon the region, and the national and international stages.
The Institute has always recognised the need to sustain and develop this research base within its schools, of both the basic and applied nature, with a strong emphasis on research commercialisation and technology transfer.
DkIT is home to the Ion Channel Biotechnology Centrehttp://www.icbc.ie/ (ICBC). The ICBC is an Applied Research Enhancement Centre established by core funding from Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland is the Irish leading state economic development agency focused on helping Irish-owned business deliver new export sales. The core mission of Enterprise Ireland is to accelerate the development of Irish enterprises capable of achieving strong positions in global markets resulting...
. It is one of three ARE Centres in the Bio Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical cluster. The other two ARE Centres in this cluster include the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre
Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre
The Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre is a partnership between the Institute of Technology, Tralee and Limerick Institute of Technology and is co-located between these research institutes in Ireland. The SABC applies bioprocessing to a variety of different source materials to derive added...
based in the Institute of Technology, Tralee
Institute of Technology, Tralee
Institute of Technology, Tralee is a third-level educational institution located in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It was established in 1977 as the Regional Technical College, Tralee.-General information:...
and Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland . The Institute has four campuses in Limerick City, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional...
and the Pharmaceutical & Molecular Biotechnology Research Centrehttp://pmbrc.org/ (PMBRC), based in Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology is a state funded third-level educational institution situated in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The Institute has six Schools and 16 Departments....
.
Gaeilge at DkIT
The Institute's Language Scheme, the first of a series of three-year schemes under An Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (The Official Languages Act) 2003, came into effect on 18 October 2010. The Institute has established Oifig na Gaeilge to aid in the implementation of the scheme and to coordinate a range of activities promoting the use of Irish within the Institute. This office opened on a part-time basis at the start of 2011 and is based in the PJ Carroll Building (Limistéar Oifigí 1, Oifig P1167).Alumni Association
In October 2010 the Institute decided to "reboot" the Alumni Association ahead of the 40th Anniversary of the college (2011). The new site at http://alumni.dkit.ie invites former students to register with the site and be able to connect with other graduates much in the way Facebook "friends" operates. In this instance, connections are known as "classmates". The site will also be used to notify alumni of upcoming events and reunions.External links
- Official site of Dundalk Institute of Technology
- DkIT Research Office
- Lifelong Learning at DkIT
- Regional Development Centre at DkIT
- Centre for Renewable Energy at DkIT (CREDIT)
- DkIT Alumni Association
- DkIT Careers Service
- DkIT Podcast Services
- DkIT RSS News Feed
- DkIT RSS Newsletter Feed
- Official site of DkIT Student Union
- Official site of the DkIT Ravens Ice Hockey Team
- Architectural Information on the DkIT Carrolls Building