Not far shy of 40 years ago, I entered college in Galway at what was then Galway RTC. College is an exciting time, as you throw off the shackles of your life up to that point and set about reinventing yourself. You walk onto a new stage, with a different supporting cast. Whether you were a star actor in the drama of your life up until that point, or whether you were a backstage hand, all bets are off when you go to college. All roles are up for grabs.
For the next four years, the college became my second home. I worked for a year in the Student Services office after that and became entwined with the workings of academic institutions. I set up a college magazine, wrote a book about my time there (Kittyland ) and made lifelong friends. I still have a tremendous affection for the place and the people there who gave me a chance (Bernard O’Hara in particular ).
If I shut my eyes, I can still picture the walk through the winding aisles and the falls of the stairways, many of which are still in place although the drab layout of the early buildings has been replaced by groundbreaking contemporary external works. Added to this are the newer buildings and the-then RTC became GMIT and before the weekend is out, will become our share of the superbly-named Atlantic Technological University.
In group, there is strength and the collaboration with the other western Institutes of Technology, They will become the home to 22,000 versions of 1985 me. Young, eager, proud and energetic, the students who will inhabit this new structure will do so as part of a greater synergy than they would have had if the colleges were still standing alone.
The quality of teaching and the quality of learning will improve, as the University will go on to contribute to the perception of the region as a young, happening, educated place. They will promote the idea of education for all; of lifelong learning, and they will play a major role in attracting the sorts of jobs that will pay well and keep them living here for as long as they wish.
You will hear a lot about this university in the next few days. The Atlantic will be a rising tide that will lift all our boats. It will become the vessel in which our hopes will sail for the next century.
A report this week said the Atlantic TU will be key to unlocking the region’s potential in these areas, given the new university will enhance region’s skills base and innovation capacity, improve the ability of the region’s ecosystem to collaborate on product and service development and boost the region’s competitiveness and exports capabilities.
“Within this context, it is clear that the Atlantic TU will be crucial in delivering collaborative actions that will overcome the economic challenges facing the North & West of Ireland and improving the performance of the region’s economy in the coming years.”
To that end, I wish them well as they set off on their voyage of discovery and imparting knowledge.
