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The Conference of University
Rectors in Ireland (CRI) was formed by the heads of the nine
universities in Ireland in 1992 to encourage and facilitate greater
North/South university collaboration. At the time it was felt
that collaboration between the universities was inadequate, especially
given their proximity to each other. The universities tended
to look outside the island for partners. As Osborne noted in
1996 in his book, Higher Education in Ireland, "the most
striking characteristic of the collaboration that was being undertaken
is that it is not a great deal greater than a decade before".
In the intervening years, CRI has worked to increase substantially
the number of North/South contacts, and this directory records
the high level of university collaboration that has been reached.
Knowledge is widely recognised as the key to future social development
and economic prosperity. Because the creation of new knowledge
increasingly requires interinstitutional and interdisciplinary
cooperation, collaboration between researchers from different
universities has become a prerequisite for success in many areas.
Common sense dictates that universities in Ireland should exploit
the opportunities for collaboration and thus maximise the potential
for developing a critical mass of worldclass research excellence
in a number of important areas.The directory was put together
from surveys forms submitted from the universities. These were
sent only to the universities in the South in order to avoid
duplication. For the purpose of the directory, each project to
be included had to demonstrate some tangible output. There is
a good deal of collaboration which has and is taking place which
does not meet this requirement. For example, external examining
and the normal meeting of academics at conferences and the informal
sharing of information and the reading of papers. The directory
is confined to linkages between universities and does not cover
linkages with organisations other than universities.
I hope that this directory will demonstrate the contribution
that the universities are making to increased North/South cooperation
and understanding. Impressive progress has been achieved despite
the difficult political climate and in the absence of specific
financial support. We are now in a new era with huge possibilities.
The universities are a resource which is available to policy
makers in both parts of Ireland. It is in the best interest of
all the peoples on the island of Ireland that the potential for
North/South university collaboration is realised.
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