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Content uploaded by Lucía Morales
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All content in this area was uploaded by Lucía Morales on Jun 21, 2022
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TECHNOLOGICAL
UNIVERSITIES – A
CRITIQUE
Economic and Institutional Cultural
Challenges
DECEMBER 2021
LUCÍA MORALES
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Technological
Universities – A Critique
Economic and Institutional Cultural Challenges
A thesis submitted to Technological University Dublin in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of Masters (MSc.) in Education
By
Lucía Morales
December 2021
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Supervisor: Dr Kevin O’Rourke
Learning Teaching and Assessment Centre, Technological University Dublin
Declaration
Declaration of ownership: I declare that the attached work is entirely my own and that
all sources have been acknowledged.
Submitted to the Learning, Teaching & Assessment Centre, Technological University
Dublin, in partial fulfilment of the requirements leading to the award of MSc in
Education.
Technological University Dublin December 2021
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor – Dr Kevin O’Rourke, for his invaluable supervision,
insights, and interesting discussions during the process of completing this research
thesis. My gratitude extends to the teaching and learning team for all the work done
through the different modules that were an interesting and exciting source of learning
and inspiration. My appreciation also goes out to my family and friends for their
encouragement and support throughout my studies.
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Abstract
The Irish Higher Education sector has been immersed in a redesign process initiated as a
result of the effects of the 2007/08 Global Economic and Financial Crisis in the country.
The crisis led to years of economic hardship that materialised in significant restrictions on
public expenditure, leading to the need to reduce the number of higher education
institutions in Ireland. The proposed reform sought to materialise economic efficiencies
while enhancing the sector's productivity and competitiveness in precise alignment with the
tenets of the neoliberal paradigm. The neoliberal ideology has had profound knock-on
effects on the educational system globally, and unfortunately, Ireland has not been isolated
from the dogma. The Technological University Dublin is the first institution that emerged
from the process. Current developments seem to suggest that the newly formed institution
might be already falling through the cracks of the neoliberal ideology in its pursuit to
replicate “traditional universities” activities on its quest to enhance research activity. This
research thesis offers insights into the damaging effects of the neoliberal ideology in the
global Higher Education sector and reflects on its impact at the national level. Worldwide,
educational systems have been weakened due to the “student-customer” phenomenon.
University education has become a “product” that must be purchased, and that seems to
be designed to serve the interests of the political class, the big corporations, and the affluent
and privileged classes. The thesis’ methodological framework integrates the development
of a systematic literature review supported by document analysis through the lenses of
critical inquiry and reflections guided by the critical theory that helped to develop a
constructive critique of current trends in Irish Higher Education. Undoubtedly, we are facing
challenging times as the world is consolidating and accelerating the process of turning into
imbalanced socio-economic societies where the common good is not a priority, as individual
achievements are applauded and rewarded, justified by the idea of personal responsibility.
Irish technological universities face major challenges as they try to define their role as
“research-informed” technological universities, a concept, vision, or idea that remains
unclear to the researcher after completing the systematic literature review associated with
this thesis. To the researcher’s disappointment, it has not been possible to find a clear
answer to what it means to be a “research-informed” technological university. The closest
association that one could make is its connection to the Humboldtian ideal that universities
should become places where research and teaching activities converge. Therefore,
academics should devote their time to contributing to the knowledge generation process by
being active researchers and transmitting their knowledge through high-quality teaching
practices to current and future generations.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 01 - Introduction
1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9
1.2 Irish Higher Education Institutions ....................................................................................... 10
1.3 Irish Technological Universities ............................................................................................ 12
1.4 Research Aims, Objectives, and Questions ....................................................................... 14
1.5 Research Methodology Insights ........................................................................................... 15
1.6 Research Motivation and Justification ................................................................................ 15
1.7 Chapter Summary .................................................................................................................. 16
Chapter 02 - Research Design and Methodological Framework
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 17
2.2 Systematic Literature Review .................................................................................................... 18
2.3 Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method......................................................... 21
2.4 Critical Analysis in the Context of Critical Theory ................................................................... 22
2.5 Research Robustness and Validity ........................................................................................... 24
2.6 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................................ 24
2.7 Summary and Critical Reflections ............................................................................................. 25
Chapter 03 - Neoliberalism and the Crisis in Higher Education
3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 26
3.2 The Fundamentals of Neoliberalism .................................................................................... 27
3.3 Neoliberalism in Education ................................................................................................... 30
3.4 The Crisis in Higher Education ............................................................................................. 31
3.5 The Deterioration of Higher Education ................................................................................ 33
3.6 Summary and Critical Reflections ........................................................................................ 35
Chapter 04 -Ireland’s Economic Challenges and Implications for the
Educational System
4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 37
4.2 Historical Insights ................................................................................................................... 38
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4.3 Economic and Educational Challenges .............................................................................. 39
4.4.1 Imbalanced Research Schemes ............................................................................................ 40
4.4.2 The Impact of COVID-19 ......................................................................................................... 41
4.4 Summary and Critical Reflections ........................................................................................ 42
Chapter 05 - Universities Educational Models
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 44
5.2 Educational Models that Encourage Partnerships ................................................................. 45
5.3 Student-Centred Learning Approaches.................................................................................... 47
5.4 Integrating Research in the Educational Model ...................................................................... 48
5.5 Summary and Critical Reflections ............................................................................................. 50
Chapter 06 - A Research Informed University
6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 52
6.2 Transition to a Research-Informed University ......................................................................... 53
6.3 Understanding the Value of Research ..................................................................................... 54
6.4 TU Dublin Historical Context ...................................................................................................... 55
6.6 TU Dublin Cultural Challenges .................................................................................................. 57
6.7 Summary and Critical Reflections ............................................................................................. 58
Chapter 07 - A Modern University
7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 60
7.2 The Origins of Teaching and Research in the Modern University ....................................... 61
7.3 The Role of Research in the University.................................................................................... 63
7.4 Technological Universities Core Functions ............................................................................. 64
7.5 Research-Informed Teaching .................................................................................................... 65
7.6 TU Dublin a Research-Informed University ............................................................................. 67
7.7 Summary and Critical Reflections ............................................................................................. 68
Chapter 08 - Conclusions
7.1 Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 48
References .................................................................................................................... 50
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List of Abbreviations
DIT – Dublin Institute of Technology
ECC – European Economic Community
EMU – European Monetary Union
EOI – Early Organisation Involvement
EU – European Union
GEFC – Global Economic and Financial Crisis
GDP – Gross Domestic Product
HE – Higher Education
HEA – Higher Education Authority
HEIs – Higher Education Institutions
IF – Inclusive Framework
IoTs – Institutes of Technology
IRC – Irish Research Council
ITB – Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
ITNs – Innovative Training Networks
ITT – Institute of Technology Tallaght
LIT – Limerick Institute of Technology
MRLP – Multidisciplinary Real-Life Problem Solving
NCSS – National Council for the Social Studies
OECD – Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
PBL – Problem Based Learning
SCA – Structural Critical Analysis
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RPL – Recognition of Previous Learning
SFI – Science Foundation Ireland
STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
TU – Technological University
TUs – Technological Universities
TU Act – Technological University Act
TU Dublin – Technological University Dublin
UK – United Kingdom
US – United States
WIL – Work Integrated Learning
WRL – Work Related Learning
3Ps – People, Planet and Partnership
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Chapter 01
Introduction
1.1 Introduction
The Hunt Report (2011) represented the death sentence of the Irish Institutes of
Technology (IOTs). The legislation to support the redesign of the Irish Higher Education
(HE) sector was introduced, and the outcome is that Irish IoTs have mostly been decimated.
IoTs have been forced to engage in a series of mergers to survive and align with
government guidelines and recommendations. The effect has been several forced mergers
that have led to the current landscape where Dundalk Institute of Technology is the only
one remaining. The first Irish Technological University was formally established on the 1st
of January 2019. The Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) arose from the merger
process between the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), the Institute of Technology
Blanchardstown (ITB), and the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT). The process marked
an educational transformation in the Republic of Ireland fuelled by economic and financial
reasons and inspired by the neoliberal ideology that has affected global higher education
systems rather than being justified by genuine academic and vocational motivations.
Undoubtedly, the worldwide mayhem derived from the Global Economic and Financial
Crisis (GEFC) in 2007/08 was a driving force of required changes that significantly impacted
the Irish HE sector. The government sought economic efficiencies in education due to
waned public resources. The government struggled with austerity measures imposed into
the country’s economic system due to the financial sector bailout programme, leading to
the imperative need to reconsider its Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to enable
monetary savings and the aspiration of materialising economic efficiencies.
Third-level education in Ireland has previously been portrayed as a binary system that
differentiates between the seven universities and the fourteen institutes of technology
(IoTs) and several affiliated providers associated with the universities (Clancy, 1989; Kyvic,
2004; Hinfelaar, 2011). In line with Houghton's (2020) thoughts, there are serious concerns
related to the HE reform process, as Irish IoTs have been forced to re-examine their roles
in an educational landscape that seems to impose the creation of Technological
Universities (TUs). Hence, IoTs' fate was now dependent on their ability to find a partner
that enabled a merger process that led to the formation of new TUs. Accordingly, important
questions arise about the mission and goals of the newly formed entities and how they will
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differentiate from the activities commonly linked to the “traditional” universities. Extra
worries come to light as we consider the transition process and to which extent it might lead
to a dim imitation of the university model that reinforces apprehensions regarding a lack of
a coherent vision, philosophy, and purpose for the newly formed TUs.
Global trends indicate that the HE sector has been subject to significant changes seeking
to serve political and economic interests that jeopardise a robust and vibrant university
structure (Smyth, 2018). Within the outlined context, this thesis aims to examine and offer
critical insights into the cultural and economic challenges faced by the newly formed Irish
TUs, with particular attention to TU Dublin, which aspires to become a “research-informed
university.”
1.2 Irish Higher Education Institutions
The Irish HE sector started a process of reform triggered by severe austerity measures due
to the outburst of the GEFC. The global turmoil had critical implications for the Irish
economy. An economy forced into a bailout programme that culminated in 2010 with the
country's public finances overseen by the Troika (European Commission, the European
Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund). As a result of the intervention, the Irish
government surrendered its public finances to the Troika’s guidelines and supervision and
agreed to engage in a severe fiscal reform that gave it the key to open the door of bailout
funds. The bailout programme translated into stringent austerity measures that imposed
acute restrictions on the use of public funds. Within this context, the Irish educational sector
faced a significant blow as the intervention of the country’s public finances resulted in the
universities and IoTs being under-resourced and under-invested. The country’s HEIs
needed to achieve savings and become more efficient as directed by the political class.
The austerity process led to the completion of the National Strategy for Higher Education
2030, generally known as the Hunt Report (2011). The report sought to offer guidelines that
helped to achieve needed efficiencies and synergies in the context of economic hardship.
It provided insights on a potential framework that enabled an educational reform that
addressed the requirements of the dominant “knowledge-based economy” paradigm led by
the core principles of the neoliberal ideology. The process led to the political class general
understanding that mergers across the IoT sector were needed. As such, the country’s IoTs
were tasked with transforming themselves into a new type of university that outlined the
path towards creating its technological universities without much questioning or debate.
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The role and function of technological universities as part of the Republic of Ireland’s Higher
Educational offer is a matter that requires careful consideration. So far, it seems that the
newly created universities might be trying to replicate the work done in the “traditional”
universities. At the moment, TU Dublin, the newly formed institution, is trying to reinforce
the importance of research activity, the need to raise and compete for research funds, and
the reform of its educational model to align with the commodification of education that seeks
to offer more and flexible options to students. Through the commodification of higher
education, universities believe that their educational offer becomes more appealing as they
engage in the fierce competition to attract national and international students who are now
viewed as the university's “customers.” The technological university is developing its new
educational model, which seems to be following international trends that are characterised
by the commodification and marketisation of the educational offer without acknowledging
the damaging effects of such an approach. The proposed educational model is under
discussion, but it appears to be grounded in the transition towards a modularisation process
that aligns with the neoliberal rhetoric where students take the role of a “customer.”
Students will be able to pick and mix from a menu of modules in line with the menu approach
followed by the fast-food industry, seeking to simplify the course content and undoubtedly
damaging quality standards.
The outlined changes and trends have important implications regarding a potential lost
opportunity to design a type of university that brings a unique, distinctive, and richer
learning experience to students and contributes to the development of a different kind of
academic. The current process does not seem to differentiate from what has been done in
other countries worldwide, where the university sector has become the servant of
politicians, businesses, and the affluent and privileged classes (Kromydas, 2017). The
creation of technological universities is subject to significant controversy, as there is no
clarity about the mission and value-added of the new universities compared to the work
done by the IoTs, and there are worries that the potential transition ends up muddling with
the work done by the universities. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that TUs will add
value to the Irish educational sector with positive spillover effects onto the economy and
society by establishing a solid Higher Educational System. At the same time, the transition
process should avoid trying to mimic the work done in the so-called “traditional universities”
and falling through the cracks of economic and political interests. The task is quite daunting
as the core objective of the merging process seems to align with primary economic interests
that seek to reduce costs and develop employability skills instead of enforcing and
empowering the HE sector.
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In the context of merger processes, the notion of achieving high efficiencies is quite
questionable. The extant literature has offered significant evidence of the considerable
failure rate associated with mergers and acquisitions strategies (Sułkowski et al., 2019;
Ahmadvand et al., 2012; Giessner et al., 2011; Schneider, 2003). Mergers in the HE sector
are pinpointed as being very costly and inefficient processes that rarely achieve
efficiencies. They are characterised for being flawed processes dominated by managerial
reasons and interests that frequently fail to acknowledge cultural differences and lack an
appropriate strategy for employee integration and identification with the formed institution.
Sadly, the outlined failures are being reflected in the approach taken by TU Dublin, as no
efforts have been made regarding employee integration and the understanding of
institutional and cultural differences.
1.3 Irish Technological Universities
The formation of technological universities in Ireland was facilitated by the Technological
Universities Act (TU Act, 2018). The Act established the legal framework to create a third
type of Irish higher education institution. However, building an educational system that
integrates three different types of institutions does not seem to reflect the reality of what is
happening in the sector. The emerging technological universities are forcing Irish IoTs to
re-examine and redefine their roles and aspirations. Historically, IoTs have been a
fundamental part of the Irish educational offer as their activities were focused on teaching
and serving the educational needs of their local communities (Griffin, 2018). However, the
current educational landscape brings significant confusion and questioning about the
purpose of the newly formed institutions that seem to be encouraged to emulate and follow
the trail of the universities. In line with Cunnane's (2018) concerns, TUs might end up trying
to imitate and replicate the activities of the traditional universities. As a result, they might
drift towards a model that seeks to compete and make impressions on World Ranking
Tables instead of serving their more vocational-oriented provision that has performed well
in their regional communities over the years.
There is no doubt that the process ahead is not an easy one. As accepted by the HEA
(2013), “mergers in the higher education sector are ‘notoriously difficult” (p. 18). They are
time-consuming, convoluted, and very complex processes. There are significant challenges
ahead, as the newly formed universities are expected to meet specific metrics that involve
making substantial research contributions, engage in the competition for research funds,
and compete for national and international students. Moreover, universities are expected
to serve students’ needs by offering amenities and entertainment due to the “student-as-a-
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customer” phenomenon (Watson, 2019; Einstein, 2015). Required changes are critical as
the HE sector needs to move towards a self-funded educational model that heavily
resonates with the ideas posed by the neoliberal ideology. A crucial element for this thesis
relates to the research orientation and the idea that TUs should emerge as “research-
informed” institutions. The research requirement is quite problematic for IoTs. It is
accompanied by the need to develop a research strategy, an agenda, and appropriate
planning in a working environment defined by the lack of institutional research culture,
inadequate funding, and inappropriate career development guidelines and opportunities
that foster and nurture the development of a research community and academic collegiality.
Irish IoTs have been historically defined by workloads focused on teaching and learning
activities. As such, there is a harsh reality that needs to be acknowledged. IoTs research
activity and capabilities are significantly constrained, and there are no incentives for staff
to make efforts and take an active research role. IoTs academic contracts focused on
teaching and learning activities and research have not been part of the academics' work
schedule. As such, the idea of IoTs transforming into TUs guided by “research-informed”
practices is quite questionable.
Some initial facts to consider are the need for upskilling and reskilling a workforce loaded
with substantial teaching commitments and impacted by a working environment that does
not promote, encourage, or reward research activity or the knowledge sharing process. In
the IoTs, the transfer from Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer can be considered as an automatic
process with minimum research activity and outputs requirements. The progression beyond
the Lecturer level is not merit-based, and historically appointments are limited to Senior
Lecturing positions that are focused on teaching (HEA, 2013). In addition, the promotion
process is limited to a set quota of posts, with selection criteria focused on teaching
elements and left to the discretion of the managerial team so that they can accommodate
their own preferences, leading towards a very biased process. Unfortunately, there are no
real options for staff who wish to pursue and develop as academics and active researchers,
as promotions are confined to administrative roles that might not appeal to the genuine
academic. In addition, IoTs institutional culture is characterised by a more traditional and
hierarchical approach than the universities. There is a lack of meaningful staff consultation,
and micromanagement practices are standard. To overcomplicate things, IoTs working
environments are epitomised for being confrontational and quite conflictive. IoTs are
characterised by tense relationships between the management team and the academic staff
due to the lack of consultation and appreciation of staff professional experiences and
knowledge. Research findings are pretty worrying as they suggest the strong presence of
widespread bullying practices that translate into the lack of faith in management, the
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absence of clear leadership, and the lack of transparency (LIT Athena SWAN Self-
Assessment Data Team, 2019; Hodgins and Mannix McNamara, 2019; Kenny, 2015). The
research findings are not very encouraging as they are, in fact, quite an explosive cocktail
as the TU Dublin seeks to implement a changeover on the merged IoTs towards research
and teaching activities.
IoTs are also affected by a lack of staff progression and developmental opportunities due
to the absence of a career structure with no incentives that reward research activity.
Currently, there are no incentives that reward and foster internal collaboration to engage in
research activities. Those critical elements arise as significant barriers to the IoTs transition
process into the research domain. In addition, a managerial approach that does not
encourage staff contributions and engagement and seeks to micromanage and impose
procedures does not help much when trying to create an optimal working environment.
Without any doubt, the newly formed technological universities face significant challenges.
They will need to consider how to integrate strategies that support and nurture active
research and foster the exchange of knowledge in a cooperative and friendly manner. The
absence of a knowledge-sharing culture and inappropriate leadership are substantial
elements that can discourage the development of a research culture within the TUs, and
these areas are identified as critical aspects that will challenge the future of Ireland’s
technological universities.
1.4 Research Aims, Objectives, and Questions
The binary and highly regulated nature of higher education provision in Ireland have been
questioned as the country’s social, economic, and national priorities have changed.
Currently, the focus for Irish higher education policymakers is to develop a cost-effective
sector supported by inter-institutional partnerships that bring savings and extend
opportunities for learning and research (Stephens, 2013). Within the outlined context, this
research thesis seeks to understand the meaning and challenges faced by Ireland’s
technological universities as they aspire to become a “research-informed” university by
exploring and trying to address the research questions outlined below.
Research Questions
a) What are the main challenges faced by the newly formed technological universities?
b) What does it mean to be a “research-informed” university?
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1.5 Research Methodology Insights
The methodological framework is based on a systematic literature review that combines
documentary analysis supported by critical theory that guides the critical inquiry and
reflective process. At the same time, the researcher's experiences as part of the academic
staff of the first constituted technological university are integrated as part of the evaluation,
assessment, and analysis of research findings. The researcher emerges as an insider
researcher who can scrutinize and reflect on research findings according to her own
experiences and understanding of the challenges ahead as the Irish first technological
university transitions to a “research-informed” institution. The research idea emerged
because of the researcher's lack of knowledge and understanding of what is meant by a
"research-informed" university and based on her personal questioning on why the Irish
educational sector required a transition towards technological universities that seems to be
justified only by economic goals and not by educational ones.
1.6 Research Motivation and Justification
The newly formed technological universities are expected to provide teaching and facilitate
learning that is informed by research. This distinction raises questions concerning
“research-led” and “research-informed” institutions and their implications for research
capacity, staff qualifications, and the type of skills that will be nurtured across the
technological universities. There are increasing pressures on academics to transition
towards a “research-informed” practice that, combined with a lack of guidelines and settled
expectations, adds confusion when trying to understand how research and teaching
practices need to be integrated within the new institutions’ educational models. The current
situation is quite puzzling when trying to understand the role that researchers in the newly
formed university are expected to play and to which extent their efforts would be integrated
as part of the new university strategy. Currently, there is a lack of clear direction in terms
of research output and its contribution to student learning and development. In addition, the
meaning of becoming a “research-informed” institution, the changes needed, and the
strategic approach to be followed by the teaching and research staff are not clear either. It
seems that TU Dublin is trying to catch up with the work done by research-led universities
as research metrics are starting to put pressure on academics’ contributions. Worldwide,
research activity carries a higher status and has better recognition than teaching activities.
In this context, this study seeks to assess the implications of a “research-informed”
technological university where research activity is relatively marginal within the new and
historical university context. There is a significant lack of awareness of active researchers'
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challenges within a university structure dominated by its teaching-focused approach that
poses a worrying picture that could lead to considerable confusion among the university
academics.
1.7 Chapter Summary
The analysis conducted in this thesis integrates insights from the neoliberal ideology and
the need for an efficient, adaptive, agile, and flexible HE sector that does not neglect its
primary functions and avoid becoming a pointless exercise without actual purpose. The
study focuses on the analysis and assessment of the extant literature to offer some insights
into the challenges faced by the Irish newly created technological universities on their quest
to become “research-informed” universities. In order to position the research study, the
thesis is structured around a research methodology that seeks to develop a critical
assessment of the extant literature with details presented in chapter two. In addition, it is
essential to have some insights into the basic elements of the neoliberal ideology, aspects
that are discussed in chapter three. The country’s brief economic history and the
importance of the educational sector as a critical element to foster economic growth and
development are discussed, and the core points are presented in chapter four. Chapter five
offers critical insights on general educational models to understand better the role of
research and teaching activities in the university context and the effects of commodification
in the HE sector. The discussions are followed by chapter six, which offers insights on the
“research-informed” university and its importance for TU Dublin’s vision of becoming a
“research-informed” institution. Chapter seven elaborates on the principles that define the
modern university, and finally, chapter eight concludes the thesis.
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Chapter 02
Research Design and Methodological
Framework
2.1 Introduction
This research study seeks to offer insights and a constructive critique of the motives that
justify the constitution of Ireland's technological universities and the challenges ahead. The
flagship of the process can be found on the basic guidelines provided in the National
Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 (2011), commonly known as the Hunt Report. An
interesting outcome from the report is the vision that Irish technological universities should
be known for being "research-informed." However, after the researcher engaged with an
initial exploration of the term and attended some presentations from the university
leadership team followed by informal discussions with colleagues, it was unclear what it
means to be a "research-informed" university. The researcher's lack of understanding and
clarity with the term drove her to start her research journey to gain a better insight into the
changing landscape of the Irish educational sector. As the research progressed, an initial
area of interest emerged. It was essential to consider the economic and cultural challenges
behind the development of research-informed technological universities. Consequently, the
research process was designed and envisioned in the context of the two research questions
outlined below.
a) What does it mean to be a "research-informed" university?
b) What are the main challenges faced by the newly formed technological universities?
The thesis is supported by a systematic literature review combined with documentary
analysis that helped identify core research studies, policy documents, "gray literature," and
formal and informal discussions considering Ireland's needs to redesign its HE sector. The
combination of different research sources contributed to minimise a potential research bias
that excluded relevant pieces of work necessary to offer a critical overview of the current
debate. Critical inquiry supported by the guiding principles of critical theory and critical
reflection were also part of the research methodological framework. Another crucial element
of this study was the need to explore the existing body of knowledge from different
contemporary forms. This initial approach helped identify essential aspects of the research
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that required careful consideration and connected to the impact of the neoliberal ideology
in the public sector and the main implications for the Irish HE sector.
Economic and cultural factors emerged as critical elements regarding current and future
challenges faced by the Irish educational sector. They were critical to helping to delimit and
narrow down the proposed research questions. This point adds value to understanding TU
Dublin's strategic approach towards becoming "research-informed" and identifying the
merger process's core elements. In the business context, a merger process cannot be
considered a smooth process, as it is subject to many complexities and quite frequently
characterised by the neglect of the cultural dimension by the leadership team (Ahmadvand
et al., 2012 and Giessner, 2011). Unfortunately, these complexities and disregard of cultural
and employee integration have been evident in the approach followed by TU Dublin. Almost
two years after the formal constitution of the university, the three campuses seem to
function as they did before the merger. There has not been clarity regarding a strategy that
sought to integrate the human element of the organisation or any efforts to understand their
institutional and cultural differences. Most of the work done seems to focus on aligning
systems and identifying the implementation of efficient procedures within the context of a
vision that integrates the motto of People, Planet, and Partnership – the 3 Ps. Unfortunately,
cultural integration and strategies that seek to foster employees' identification and
embracement of the new institution and their understanding of the leadership team strategy
have been sadly overlooked. The impact of the university culture and its implications for the
transition towards a more research-applied type of university that is distinguished from
being a flexible and technology-driven institution without a doubt raises some concerns.
Therefore, investigating and better understanding TU Dublin's research vision combined
with economic and cultural challenges justify the importance of conducting this research
study.
2.2 Systematic Literature Review
The study starts with a careful selection of relevant literature that contributed to establishing
the foundation of the research inquiry (Xiao and Watson, 2017). The systematic literature
review is a critical aspect of the research process. It is vital as it impacts the researchers'
ability to offer an appropriate research context that supports the identified research
questions. Therefore, the literature review is considered an essential element of academic
research due to its contribution to the advancement and development of knowledge that
must be supported by prior existing work and knowledge and expertise that help develop a
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critical inquiry process. Figure 1 below presents the different stages that took place in the
development of this thesis literature review.
Figure 1. Process of Systematic Literature Review
*Source: Xiao and Watson (2017)
This study follows Xiao and Watson (2017) steps as they helped clarify the critical phases
associated with developing a systematic literature review and that are summarised as
follows.
a) Step 1 - Formulate the problem: the first task was to identify the research aims,
objectives, and the specific questions to be addressed.
b) Step 2 - Identify the literature review protocol: How did the study begin? As already
mentioned, the research study started with the review of the National Strategy for
Higher Education 2030, commonly known as the Hunt Report (2011). After careful
consideration of the report, there were significant concerns regarding
recommendations to ensure that the Irish HE sector became more efficient, with
serious connotations to the principles that guide the neoliberal ideology. The review
protocol was enhanced by developing the research proposal and receiving feedback
regarding required changes that contributed to narrowing the scope of the research
and offering a more focused and robust approach.
c) Step 3 - Search the literature: this was identified as one of the most time-consuming
aspects of the whole process. The main objective was to ensure that quality material
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was selected to support and guide the study. Three main channels were considered
in developing the literature review: the use of i) databases, ii) backward searching,
and iii) forward-searching. The first approach was to explore existing research using
Google search to identify policy documents that guided the study. Afterwards, the
research process transitioned to using Google Scholar and the TU Dublin Library to
search for peer review material. TU Dublin has seven specific DataBases for
Education: Australian Education Index, British Education Index, ERIC, HEDBIB,
OmniFile Full Text Mega, Times Higher Education, and the World Higher Education
Database. The Social Science Premium Collection and Scopus were also
considered as they integrate economic and financial journals that helped develop
the study's economic dimension. The research strategy required the consultation
of different databases to ensure that relevant material was gathered as no single
database included the complete set of published material. The research strategy
focused on identifying updated research to ensure that used research sources will
integrate updated resources in combination with relevant early studies in the area
that contributed to the development of the historical perspective. According to
Norris, Oppenheim, and Rowland (2008), Google Scholar is a compelling open-
access database that archives journal articles, as well as the "gray literature" such
as conference proceedings, thesis, and reports. Omitting this kind of research can
lead to publication bias and to neglecting significant research contributions;
therefore, their inclusion as part of the work done in this thesis was critical. The
Directorate of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) was also relevant to identifying open
access articles.
d) Step 4 – Screen for inclusion: Initially, the research process targeted around 100
articles to start exploring the existing body of knowledge. The target was narrowed
down to selected papers that helped identify 10 to 15 relevant documents that
guided the research, as selected research should be connected to the outlined
research questions. Any unrelated study was excluded. The process consisted of
scrutinising collected documents that included peer-reviewed material and
integrated the “gray” literature so that influential pieces of work would be part of the
study.
e) Step 5 – Assess quality: The main criteria were based on ensuring that retrieved
documents were peer-reviewed and that the "gray" literature was based on
publications from relevant organisations and that complied with academic and
scholarly practice.
f) Step 6 – Extract data: selected research articles were used based on their relevance
and alignment with the research questions. The research studies contributed to the
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identification of relevant research findings used to develop critical arguments and
discussions.
g) Step 7 – Analyse and synthesise data: The core research papers were examined in
detail. The information presented was analysed and used to support the
development of the inquiry process, and the list of references of core research
papers was used to guide the study as they helped to identify quality research
sources that aligned with the research issues presented in this thesis.
h) Step 8 – Report Findings: The final stage of the process was to organise and
structure the thesis to ensure that the consulted literature review supported the
discussions presented on each of the thesis relevant chapters.
In line with Kitchenham and Charters (2007), the proposed research questions were critical.
They have a significant role as the main drivers and the core guideline to support the entire
literature review process and ensure that the proposed research questions were adequately
addressed.
2.3 Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research
Method
Document analysis is a qualitative research method based on systematic procedures that
seek to evaluate, review, and access printed and electronically delivered documents.
According to Corbin and Strauss (2008) and Rapley (2007), document analysis requires
that data be examined and interpreted to elicit meaning, gain understanding and develop
empirical knowledge. Organisational and institutional documents are a critical part of the
research process and have been identified as relevant qualitative research for many years
(Bowen, 2009). The document analysis process shares essential features with the
procedure outlined in the systematic literature review. Researchers often review prior
literature as part of their studies, and they integrate research findings as part of their
experiments and reports. As such, the analytic procedure entails finding, selecting,
appraising (making sense of), and synthesising data contained in documents that are
critical steps to be considered as part of the systematic literature process. Document
analysis often acts to corroborate and validate research findings. It is frequently used as
part of a triangulation process that seeks to ensure that the researcher uses multiple
sources of evidence to enable convergence and confirmation of research findings that will
allow the validation and/or cross-validation of research findings, and as such, the
researcher is able to offer evidence that breeds credibility on the work done. In this study's
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context, documents helped develop a richer research context. They provided the necessary
background and critical historical insight to position the importance and relevance of
reviewing Ireland's vision of a HE sector that integrates TUs and where IoTs do not seem
to have a place anymore.
In addition, document analysis is considered an efficient method that is less time-
consuming as it requires data selection instead of data collection, as in the case of the
systematic literature review. An appealing characteristic is that many documents are in the
public domain. Since the advent of the Internet, they are straightforward to obtain, and they
are less costly as most of the documents are freely available. On the other hand, document
analysis is affected by limitations regarding potential insufficient details being offered.
There are instances of low retrievability as sometimes it is challenging to access some
documents. They might be affected by biased selectivity as they might be aligned with the
organisation's interests, procedures, and agendas (Yin, 1994). Overall, document analysis
is considered a low-cost way to obtain empirical data. It is identified as a discreet and
nonreactive process where the researcher should determine the authenticity and
usefulness of particular documents and ensure that the data is examined and interpreted
following processes and techniques that enhance the data analysis so that it is as rigorous
and transparent as possible.
2.4 Critical Analysis in the Context of Critical
Theory
Critical Theory is a Marxist-inspired movement grounded in social and political philosophy
initially associated with the work of the Frankfurt School (Britannica, 2021). According to
Crossman (2019), critical theory is a social theory oriented toward critiquing and changing
society as a whole. The theory can be traced to Marx's critiques of the economy and society
and ideological superstructure implications that seek to understand the idealistic and
romantic sides of power and domination to unveil the crude reality associated with them.
Critical theorists seek to understand and help overcome the social structures through which
people are dominated and oppressed. A significant element for this study is that critical
theory embeds the reflective assessment and critique of society and culture to reveal and
challenge power structures. Dominance and oppression emerge as essential aspects to be
considered in the thesis, as they helped to bring a different angle to the analysis and
evaluation of the reviewed literature. There was a need to engage in a critical reflection that
considered the role of education to foster inequalities and social imbalances and as a way
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to perpetuate oppression. According to Horkheimer (1937b), critical theory should focus on
the account for society within a historical context. It should seek to offer a robust and holistic
critique by incorporating insights from all social sciences and reflecting on change's social
implications.
The critical aspect of the thesis was enhanced by integrating Structural Critical Analysis
(SCA), which is considered a novel literature review design that minimises the problems
associated with systematic or traditional literature review processes (Solow, 2021). SCA
can be used as an alternative approach to traditional literature reviews, or it can be
integrated as part of it to offer structure and clarity to the discussion section. The SCA is
defined as a five-part structure: 1) what is established knowledge, 2) what is the supporting
and conflicting evidence for this; 3) what is the hypothesis; 4) what is the supporting
evidence for this; 5) definitive conclusion. Literature reviews are considered a form of
research, which might contribute to building knowledge. Consequently, they need to be
supported by a rigorous process that ensures research findings' validity and reliability when
developing the studies' conclusions. According to Bearman (2016), literature reviews add
significant insights to existing research when the authors are able to add value to existing
studies by providing new insights or by questioning research findings or using them for
inquiry about processes of an established line of thought, or by challenging the status quo.
Saunders and Rojon (2011) explained that "being critical in reviewing the literature is,
therefore, a combination of our knowledge and understanding of what has been written, our
evaluation and judgement skills and our ability to structure these clearly and logically in
writing" (p. 159).
Critical inquiry is understood as the process of gathering and evaluating information, ideas,
and assumptions from multiple perspectives to produce well-reasoned analysis and
understanding, and leading to new ideas, applications, and questions. Therefore, critical
inquiry is of paramount importance to this thesis. It contributed to the development of
necessary thinking skills and criticality and inquiry processes that helped to better
understand the challenges faced by HEIs in Ireland and to reconsider how to approach the
posed research questions. Through the critical analysis process, the researcher was able
to identify core research studies that led to a critical summary of research findings, enabling
the development of critical inquiry and reflections that add new perspectives to the identified
research questions.
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2.5 Research Robustness and Validity
Rigour has been defined by Callahan (2014) as requiring critical reflection and critical
analysis skills. Reflection refers to the positionality that authors should consider when
reviewing and analysing the literature while acknowledging the researcher's beliefs and
values that influence how they interpret the literature and subsequently craft insights. As
such, the analysis requires the assessment, the critique, and the reflection of the reviewed
literature. Research findings claim that the literature review is the most important process
in developing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research studies (Boote and Baile, 2005;
Combs, Bustamante and Onwuegbuzie, 2010). A thorough and sophisticated literature
review is critical to ensure that a quality research study is developed. However, contrary to
common belief, literature reviews are complex processes that represent much more than
the simple collection and summaries of the existing literature. According to Onwuegbuzie
et al. (2010), the process requires:
"An interpretation of a selection of published and/or unpublished documents available from
various sources on a specific topic that optimally involves summarisation, analysis,
evaluation, and synthesis of documents" (p.173).
Another definition for a literature review that highlights the complexities associated with the
process is proposed by Machi and McEvoy (2009).
"A literature review is a written document that presents a logically argued case founded on
a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge about a topic of study"
(p.4).
The credibility, trustworthiness, dependability, confirmability, and transferability elements
of the research process were addressed by using multiple research sources. Therefore, the
research study was strengthened by the combination of a systematic literature review and
document analysis that contributed to the legitimation of the research findings through the
integration of critical reflections (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005).
2.6 Ethical Considerations
All the material used to support this research study is publicly available. Policy documents
can be retrieved from the government websites, and the university library databases were
used to gain access to peer review research papers. Consequently, there was no need for
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ethics clearance as all the documents and research material used to support this study
were retrieved from records freely available in the public domain. The researcher
acknowledges that the study was affected by her own biases, her values, and
understanding of the educational system and by her professional background, and the
critical fact that she is an academic and researcher within the first Irish technological
university. Furthermore, the researcher is an economist and financial analyst, and
undoubtedly her background, reflections, and critical views will be impacted by economic
and financial insights and not only by pure educational perspectives.
2.7 Summary and Critical Reflections
This chapter presented the research design and methodological framework that helped
address the thesis’ research questions in the context of cultural and economic challenges
affecting the Irish HE sector. The study is supported by a combination of methods that
sought to ensure that the conducted literature review was examined through the lenses of
critical theory, justifying the need for critical insights and reflections. The research findings
showed the lack of a specific format or structure to engage with a critical literature review
and how to integrate critical theory as part of it. Critical theory offered significant
opportunities to engage with research studies that seek to expose, critique, and identify
areas associated with sources of oppression, power, and dominance, which are essential
aspects to consider through each one of the chapters presented in this document.
Therefore, the critical inquiry process was identified as a fundamental approach to help
understand the need for technological universities in Ireland. Critical reflections helped
explain social situations and phenomena that can contribute to deeper thinking and offer
insights that lead to change or raise awareness of areas of concern related to the Irish
government's transformation of the country's HE sector.
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Chapter 03
Neoliberalism and the Crisis in Higher
Education
3.1 Introduction
Worldwide, Higher Education Institutions have been immersed in a long-term
transformation process that has led to a generalised crisis in the sector. The makeover
process is driven by economic goals, as self-funding university activities have become a
critical element of universities financing models. At the global level, most governments
seem to be following the same trend of reducing public funds to support the functioning of
the HE sector. As a result, universities have been forced to embrace competitive models
that align education with the private sector dynamics, particularly with businesses'
leadership models and “modus operandi.” At the center of the changing process, we find
the neoliberal ideology that offers insights into how colleges and universities' political and
social commitments have transitioned to a model that embraces economic gains
(VerticalNews, 2021; Mintz, 2021). There is a growing view that education should be treated
as a “private good” rather than a “public good.” This idea of privatising education emerges
from the basic principles of the market economy. The “marketisation” of higher education
enables students to become customers. The “customer” needs and demands must be
served in exchange for a fee or using markets terms for a price. According to Mintz (2021)
and Cole (2011), the commodification of higher education has created the “student-as-
customer” phenomenon that has led to the increase of higher education costs and
contributed to enhancing the sector's crisis. The perverse assumption that students should
be treated as “customers with the global view of “the customer is always right” has led
universities to offer services not limited to athletics facilities, gymnasiums, fitness centres,
dining services, and dormitory rooms. In some universities, the quality and standards of
available facilities reach levels comparable to the specifications offered by the world’s most
expensive and luxury hotels (Lieber, 2021).
Furthermore, a significant proportion of universities' budgets are devoted to providing
services not directly linked to teaching and research activities. Services offered to students
include career and psychological counselling, summer job placements, social activities like
concerts, and a variety of shows for the entertainment of students that are just examples of
the type of amenities needed to ensure the happiness and satisfaction of the universities’
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“customers.” The provision of additional services and amenities has led to the need for
more administrators and managerial roles that are not directly associated with the essential
elements of what a university education should be about — compounded by rising student
debt levels and the need for a self-funding model. The outcome is the neglect of universities
and colleges' primary functions as institutions that should focus on research and teaching
activities instead of becoming a place for social recreation. Consequently, the phenomenon
of a “student-customer” has resulted in the increase of students' debts and administration
costs contributing to aggravating the higher education sector crisis and consolidating its
transformation towards a business and recreational model. A leadership vision inspired by
the business model has led to executive teams that emerge as the custodians of
productivity and efficiencies that control and direct the work of academics.
3.2 The Fundamentals of Neoliberalism
3.2.1 The Origins of Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism emerged in the United States of America in the mid-1970s due to economic
stagflation (i.e. a combination of raising levels of inflation and unemployment in a context
of slow or declining economic growth). The economic conditions at the time were relatively
problematic as an economic recession was combined with inflationary pressures that were
quite difficult to counteract. The economic hardship led to the emergence of a new dogma
that was coined as neoliberalism, and that it is understood as the return and extension of
the laissez-faire economic theory that dominated the country until the 1930s (Harman,
2008; O’Connor, 2002). The precepts of the neoliberal ideology can be summarised on
three general beliefs; a) the kindness and benevolence of the free market; b) the need to
limit and constrain state intervention; and c) the importance of market deregulation to
enforce economic efficiencies. The three beliefs are understood in the context of an
individual that acts as a rational economic actor (McCarthy, and Prudham, 2004; Harvey,
2005; Turner, 2008). The neoliberal ideology is a radical expansion of classical liberalism
that believes in individualism, liberty, and equal rights as foundation stones of the free-
market economy characterised by minimal and limited state intervention. Neoliberalism
deeply expands the classical liberal idea that the market is the central player, taking an
active and dominant role as the governing mechanism of the economy. As a result, the
market is the driven force with an overarching dominance that reaches every aspect of the
individual being (Baez, 2007).
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The expansion of the free-market economy has resulted in the commodification and
marketization of its activities. The reach of the ideology is not limited to only goods; it
expands to integrate services, labour, culture, relationships, and social institutions.
According to Lemke (2001), the dominance of the market economy no longer allows
differentiation between the economy and society; everything is measured and understood
in economic terms. A critical element of neoliberalism is the restriction of governments
intervention in the economy. Accordingly, the individual is responsible for their well-being.
Consequently, any state intervention that seeks to offer social programmes or enact
regulations that protect and support disadvantaged classes should be abolished or
privatised. Therefore, there is no space for social programmes that include support to the
social welfare state, incentives to the labour market, or social security or environmental
safeguards (McCarthy and Prudham, 2004).
Researchers argue that the neoliberal ideology has reached a dominant position due to the
lack of alternatives by emphasising the rhetoric that there is no possible alternative. As
such, the neoliberal paradigm emerges as the only possible social and economic system
(Harvey, 2005). Margaret Thatcher is considered one of the leading proponents of
neoliberalism, as the signature phrase: “There is no alternative – or TINA” is often attributed
to her (Apple, 2004; Munck, 2005). The economic difficulties of the 1970s provided an ideal
environment for neoliberal advocates to declare the death of Keynesian economic policies.
The neoliberals' core belief is that state intervention through the welfare state does not have
space in the market economy as it will always fail (O’Connor, 2002).
3.2.2 Neoliberalism and the Market Economy
The neoliberal ideology aligns with the dogma of efficiencies derived from a free-market
economy. The doctrine brings forward the necessity to deregulate and privatise the
economy, to ensure the reduction of government intervention and to limit public expenditure
on social services, and more importantly, the idea that “public goods” should be replaced
by individual responsibility (Mintz, 2021; Greenwood, 2009). In the specific context of this
thesis, individuals should take responsibility for their education, and achievements should
not be funded or supported by the state. However, unlike liberalism, the neoliberal ideology
is unconcerned with the ambiguity between the right for economic gains through the
materialisation of profits that define a capitalist system and the idea that a democratic
society should facilitate and enable equal opportunities. Therefore, governments are not
tasked with pursuing the social good, and their efforts should only be devoted to supporting,
nurturing, and fostering the economic system. The idea of equal opportunities sustained by
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public resources does not have space in governments’ political and economic agendas
(Brown, 2003). A neoliberal agenda does not have room for public expenditures targeting
the underprivileged classes. In a neoliberal economy, the welfare state is considered an
antithetical ethos to the notion of personal responsibility and accountability. Therefore,
governments should not be deemed responsible for the needs and demands of their
citizens, and the idea of individual responsibility and accountability become the central
paradigm.
On the other hand, the principle of economic freedom is critical to the traditional liberal
philosophy in parallel with the acknowledgment that uncontrolled property rights are at the
centre of social inequalities because privileged classes can profit at the expense of others.
The answer to conflicting elements between economic gains and social exploitation in the
liberal tradition lies in a strong government in charge of supervising the functioning of the
economic and social system. Consequently, public support should be available for those
that cannot compete or provide for themselves. At this point, it is essential to acknowledge
that several elements characterise the neoliberal ideology. They have become conventional
wisdom as they are critical to understanding some of the changes inflicted in the higher
education sector worldwide, and that has not left the Irish educational system unscathed.
a) There is a strong belief in the efficiency of the market,
b) The economy needs to be deregulated, and the role of the public sector should be
limited by privatising most of the public sector activities,
c) The tax burden should be limited, and as such, tax reductions are critical,
d) There is no space for the welfare state that should be abandoned, and
e) The “public good” concept should be replaced by personal responsibility; as such
every individual is deemed responsible for their own welfare.
The core elements associated with the neoliberal ideology have significantly shaped public
policy, government agendas, and individual actions. The precepts of the neoliberal ideology
have permeated the political class to the point that it has led to the belief that the HE system
should function as a private entity. Supporters of the neoliberal ideology believe that
universities and colleges should align with practices that characterise the market economy,
and as such, they should compete for students like customers in a marketplace. By enabling
competition, it would be possible to ensure the production of highly trained workers who will
enable the nation to compete successfully in the globalised economy while enabling
savings. There is no doubt that the ascendance of neoliberalism poses significant
challenges for democratic societies. Governments around the world have aligned their
agendas with the success of their economies, but they have forgotten the importance of
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balanced and equal societies (OECD, 2018). The obsession with achieving economic goals
has caused a significant shift in the concentration of wealth among few economic and
financial players, contributing to widening social and economic inequalities. In parallel, the
idea that every individual should take responsibility for their economic and social well-being
is casting out unprivileged classes that cannot provide for themselves as they simply cannot
compete. The idea that individuals should take responsibility for their own development and
achievements is quite naïve and illusory when acknowledging the reality of disadvantaged
classes. The fact is that restricting and minimising the welfare state's role contributes to
enhancing and exacerbating the vicious circle of poverty, inequality, social exclusion, and
illiteracy that consolidates and intensifies the problem of unequal and imbalanced societies
(OECD, 2019; OECD, 2018).
3.3 Neoliberalism in Education
Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, universities and colleges around the world
have faced a fierce assault led by neoliberalism and its hegemony. The neoliberal ideology
favours the commercial and profitable elements of economic activities over the cultural and
educational ones. Therefore, there are serious concerns regarding the role of the higher
education sector and its consistent transformation into profit and investment institutions
focused on the attainment of economic gains. As the economic dimension dominates,
scientific activity, academic and educational values development, and their transferability
to society through quality learning and teaching practices and experiences are overlooked
(al-Tukhi and Abd al-Ghani, 2019 cited in AlHaija and Mahmid, 2021). Universities must
adapt and become flexible and agile institutions that concentrate on the provision of
vocational education that meets the market's requirements and serves the needs of the
business sector instead of focusing on offering a richer holistic higher academic education.
As a result, a college or university education is losing its value as its role shifts towards
producing a qualified and inexpensive labour force with skills and credentials that meet the
need and requirements of “the knowledge economy.” The consequence is that academic
institutions have deserted their educational and societal role in the interest of the market
economy. As universities embrace the doctrines of the market economy, profit and financial
gains are identified as crucial elements, and scientific and cultural values are sacrificed for
the benefit of economic gains (Giroux, 2007; Giroux, 2015a; Raapers and Olsen, 2016;
Vicars, 2019). Giroux (2019; 2014) offers additional and worrying insights into the dramatic
situation of universities. The author compares universities’ educational offers to a fast-food
menu. The value and reach of the curriculum are diminished by offering a limited number
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of popular options; in this way, it is possible to limit the integration of human values as part
of the learning process while achieving cost and benefit efficiencies. Through a fast-food
menu approach, it is possible to control and reduce course content and restrict the number
of faculty members needed to respond to the needs of businesses as they adjust to market
conditions. Employability skills become the dominant element directly serving the business
sector and forgetting the holistic role of high-quality education.
Guided by the principles of the neoliberal paradigm, governments worldwide have
introduced changes in the educational sector that seek to serve globalised economic and
financial systems and satisfy the needs of the affluent classes. According to Al-Haija and
Mahmid (2021), introduced changes have negatively impacted the quality of education.
Colleges and universities have embraced the idea of commodification and marketisation of
education. The outcome has been quite damaging, as it has resulted in a decline of the
educational offer with adverse effects on the quality of the learning and teaching processes.
Academic efficiencies and scientific research in the service of economic gains have
disrupted the basic principles of education. The goal of education has been reduced and
simplified to the task of graduating generations that are employable, and the benefits of a
scientifically and intellectually qualified population are lost. As students take responsibility
for their learning and development, choices are made regarding required skills that will
allow them to be more competitive and have access to the best-paid jobs. Such an
approach towards education is helping to enhance inequalities and contributes to
exacerbating economic imbalances that subsequently foster discrimination and a myriad of
additional socio-economic problems.
3.4 The Crisis in Higher Education
“History confirms that education is an engine of economic success” (Mintz, 2021, pp.83).
Goldin and Katz (2008) noted that “the twentieth century was both the American century
and the Human Capital Century.” The authors' statement signals the importance of
investing in human capital and the benefits associated with universal education. However,
according to Harvey (2005), the neoliberal movement has increased social inequality and
economic imbalances. The idea that education can be defined as a “private good” opens
the door to severe economic and social imbalances. According to Giroux (2008), the
neoliberal ideology “produces, legitimates, and exacerbates poverty and disparity” (p.8).
The belief and emphasis on the individual personal responsibility for their well-being and
prosperity framed within the free-market economy have been a significant trigger to justify
the need to remove state support from higher education institutions contributing to the
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sector dysfunctionality. The shift towards an educational model where the individuals or
“customers” are responsible for their learning has essential connotations. In line with
Armstrong and Hamilton (2014), many universities and colleges have systematically
organised their educational models to the advantage of the affluent with adverse spillover
effects to less privileged classes due to rising educational costs. Recruitment efforts are
focused on targeting those who can pay the bills. As a result, individuals who cannot provide
for themselves are marginalised, and their access to education is curbed. The privatisation
of higher education translates into a structural problem as only the privileged classes
benefit as the institutions' survival now depends on their ability to attract those who can pay
the bills. What leads us to Havery’s (2005) point that neoliberalism and increasing inequality
go hand in hand, as the ideology has led to significant economic and social imbalances.
In the context of this research thesis, the primary goal of education should not be limited to
developing employable skills; it should be understood in a more holistic context. Education
should be guided by an educational philosophy where each person can define their
purpose, connections to society, identification of their values, and a better understanding
of their active role within our communities and societies that is not limited to an economic
contribution. Furthermore, the primary goal of education has been distorted as students can
easily discern that little effort is required to gain their credentials as they engage in a
process where they demand what they are paying for. Menand (2011) notes that students
will have little incentive to engage in broader intellectual activities. There is no space for
collaboration, cooperation, and knowledge-sharing practices, as we have transitioned
towards a society that only encourages young people to maximize their personal
advantages and gains. Furthermore, when individuals are given a choice within the outlined
context, the outcome is that they will be guided to learn and engage in training processes
needed for occupational purposes only. By acknowledging that the student is now a
“customer,” students are fully aware that their demands need to be serviced. Therefore, the
emphasis on education as a private good has contributed to consolidating the view that
students should be treated as customers. The outcome of a “customer” effect enables
justifying the need to transfer higher education costs towards the individual where
education is just part of the market dynamics. The higher education sector should not
benefit from public resources as individuals must take responsibility for their educational
aspirations. As a result, the ideological shift driven by the neoliberal paradigm has been
used to rationalise the massive underfunding of higher education and justify education
becoming a “product” that can be purchased (Lewis, 2008).
According to Saunders (2014), neoliberalism has evolved to such levels that it has become
the dominant hegemony in the US. But the ideology has crossed borders, and it has
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affected much of the world, leading to the redefinition of the individual as a rational
economic actor. As governments around the world embrace the idea of a free-market
economy, drastic cuts on social expenditure have been enacted with dramatic effects on
how the political class understands the role of the state and the importance of supporting
social programmes and services (Baez, 2007; Lemke, 2001; Turner, 2008). Despite
unparalleled economic inequality and the rise of domestic and international imbalances,
there is no real sense concerning the long-term implications of favouring affluent social
classes. The dramatic shift of economic activities and political power has taken place as
the state's role has diminished in favour of multinational corporations, global financial
institutions, the privileged, and the affluent classes (Dumenil and Levy, 2005; Harvey, 2005;
Palley, 2005; Przeworski, 1992). The neglect of the disadvantaged classes has led to the
creation of modern slaves, as they succumb to the will of a few driven by economic motives.
3.5 The Deterioration of Higher Education
The 1960s witnessed student protests challenging the status quo, as they demanded
greater access to education and changes in academic institutions with significant
implications for the academy and society at global levels. 1968 was a year of substantial
changes with important implications for understanding higher education systems and
political thought. Higher education was a site dominated by bourgeois values, social forms,
and a reform was demanded, resulting in the challenge and rejection of the status quo
(Charnell et al., 2019). As the market ideology started to kick in through the neoliberalisation
of higher education, areas of study devoted to understanding matters like race, diaspora,
and the damaging effects of the globalisation process were marginalised. Unless these
subjects are seen as enablers of the market logic linked to developing skills that enhance
employability. These developments have significantly impacted how universities design
their curriculums and identify relevant subjects and areas of research and study, with
implications for universities' critical learning and teaching approaches.
The crisis of universities and colleges goes beyond the domain of the educational sector
as it integrates the social and economic system with ramifications to society and the division
between different economic and social classes (Sharma, 2020; Gorz, 1970). According to
Olssen and Peters (2005), the globalisation of the economy has affected higher education,
as the sector has become increasingly integrated into transnational circuits of capitalism,
interwoven into growing levels of information and massive amounts of data. As a result,
modern universities should acknowledge the drastic changes of the global economy by
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integrating local, national, and transnational culture, the economic system, and political
dynamics as part of their functioning. The global shift has translated into undesirable effects
on the institutions' two core and dominant activities: teaching and research as
competitiveness became the norm fuelled by neoliberalism, with metrics that favour
financial profits over collective interests, cooperation, and community engagement.
Unfortunately, Irish universities have not remained unscathed by global trends. They have
been absorbed by the precepts of the market economy and the need to focus on economic
and financial metrics (Hodgins, 2021; O’Connor et al., 2019). The GEFC drastically
accelerated the public reform agenda that led to radical measures to curb public spending,
intensifying the challenges faced by an underinvested HE sector. The recruitment within
the educational sector was frozen, and politicians started to question the educational model
that is viewed as market-shy and inefficient, justifying the need for reform. The educational
reform sought to address the economic challenges posed by the global turmoil that needs
to be reflected upon in the context of the looming post-pandemic crisis. The Irish
educational sector has faced a reality of severely reduced state funding in light of the
austerity programme imposed in Ireland back in 2010, which lasted until 2016. While
universities have embraced market-based management models seeking to bring a more
commercial approach to education, the position of HEIs has continued to deteriorate.
Projections are not very optimistic, as it is expected that current conditions will worsen
(OECD, 2020). The deterioration process will intensify due to the global health crisis, with
critical challenges to face in the post-pandemic economic recovery process and are already
materiasing in many HEIs at the global level.
The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 guides the Higher Education reform in
Ireland. The reform seems to be focused on businesses interests that move away from the
work that should be done in the educational sector and bring new challenges as
learners/students take the market role of a “customer.” “Customers” demands are
translating into significant tensions on the functioning of the educational system, and
pressures on academics to serve the interests of the institution “customers” are mounting.
Lynch and Ivancheva (2015) argue that managerialism combined with the marketisation,
and commercialisation of university activities have undermined academic freedom. The
main idea behind managerialism in the context of higher education is that academics must
be “managed,” “controlled,” and “incentivised” to make them efficient. As a result, economic
and financial metrics should be integrated to help to monitor academic performance as
academics cannot be trusted (Hodgins and Mannix-McNamara, 2021; Smyth, 2017).
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The transformation of the student into a consumer has severe implications for the student-
academic relationship, as students have shifted towards a mindset where their customer
role means that they are seeking value for money. The commodification of education has
led to significant changes in how universities promote and design their research and
teaching activities. They need to react to business expectations that graduates would be
ready to enter the labour market. As such, “market-responsiveness” and the “work-
readiness” emerge as critical elements to be integrated into the educational offer. As such,
university educational offer needs to adjust accordingly. The result is the loss of curriculums
that foster social critique and critical analysis (Furedi, 2011). The commodification of
education transforms academic dynamics into something that has little to do with education
as the sector has become market-driven. The result is a lack of interest regarding the quality
of the learning and teaching process with an end product that is not anymore based on
high-quality teaching and learning standards. The relationship between the “student-
customer” and the lecturer becomes more of a negotiated process where customers lead
the relationship and have the power to undermine the role of academics by weakening the
possibility of a constructive and quality learning environment. Therefore, the whole process
leads to a dangerous situation where academics are disempowered, leading to poor
working conditions that turn into toxic and unproductive relationships between academics,
students, and the university managerial team.
Universities and colleges' educational models have dangerously shifted towards a process
of unhealthy competition led by individual gains where strategic choosers of curriculum
vitae enhancers are rewarded, and the institution's value as a whole is lost. The learning
and teaching process has severely been undermined, affecting the creation of a learning
environment that fosters collaboration, cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and creativity.
Education has become a business matter characterised by the intense competition that
annihilates the idea behind holistic education that encourages and nurtures the
development of more equal and balanced societies. As TU Dublin navigates the Irish
education system, serious doubts emerge regarding its ability to find an appropriate
balance. There are clear signs that the university is falling into the cracks of the neoliberal
ideology where the needs of the market economy are the newly formed university's main
driving forces.
3.6 Summary and Critical Reflections
Public education has been critically affected by the neoliberal dogma that seeks to curtail
the role of the welfare state, translating into drastic cuts on public funds deployed to support
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the HE sector. The privatisation and commercialisation of institutions that previously
benefited from public funds have extended to universities and colleges. Consequently,
universities and colleges have become increasingly dependent on private funds that
originate from applied research supported and owned by private corporations (Rhoades,
2004; Giroux and Giroux, 2004; Hill, 2003; Aronowitz, 2000; Clark, 1998; and Slaughter,
1998). As a result, a university or college education has become a product accessible to
those that can pay for it. Economic rationality has become the driving force on educational
sector decisions. The market-driven economy has made significant progress as universities
are increasingly treated and governed as business, academics are treated as conventional
workers, and students have become rational customers (Lohmann 2004; Winston, 1999).
Neoliberalism has impacted HE in Ireland, leading to solid criticisms regarding its damaging
effects. Education has been downgraded due to the continuous assault on the view that
education should be regarded as a human right. In the global context, education has
become a commodity to be purchased by those who can afford it or at willing to indebt
themselves to worrying levels in the pursuit of better economic opportunities that might not
materialise. Transforming education into a private commodity has led to growing
inequalities justified by the idea of personal responsibility. The neoliberal educational
system continues to disproportionately benefit those at the top end of the social ladders,
contributing to widening the gap between the rich and the poor cemented on the solid levels
of meritocratic ideology that marks the preservation and perpetuation of privilege (Power et
al., 2013). However, the irony is that the economic dimension of education and its
implications for countries' economic development and progress and its tights to the private
sector are aspects that cannot be forgotten, as they are critical for nations to prosper.
Undoubtedly there are significant misunderstandings about the role of education and its
purpose with dire consequences and damaging effects for the development of future
generations and the sustainability of the global socio-economic system (O’Connor, 2013;
Power et al., 2013).
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Chapter 04
Ireland’s Economic Challenges and
Implications for the Country’s Educational
System
4.1 Introduction
Since its independence in 1922, Ireland has faced significant challenges marked by
economic ups and downs and inadequate economic policies that impacted the development
and consolidation of its educational system (Bromhead, Adams, and Casey, 2021). For the
first fifty years of independence, the nation kept a conservative fiscal policy that enabled
authorities to control its fiscal deficit, combined with a substantial proportion of its national
debt written off in 1925. A change of direction was experienced in the early 1970s when
policymakers engaged in an expansionary fiscal policy that led to a trend of high-interest
rates, national debt, and high unemployment levels that accentuated the country’s
economic crisis. The economy started to experience some signs of relief in the late 1980s,
with its economic surge confirmed in the 1990s. Ireland began to benefit from international
capital flows through foreign direct investment that marked a period of outstanding
economic growth (OECD, 2021). By then, the Irish economy has shifted from being an
economic failure towards becoming an economic miracle to the perplexity of those living
through the experiences, witnessing the country’s rapid transformation and its reversal of
fortunes (Lee, 1989). Education and the country’s European Union membership are
considered critical landmarks to enable the Irish economic transformation, presumably
being education a crucial element for the country’s transformation.
The discussion requires a historical context that brings us back to the period that comprises
the fifty years after its independence. At the time, the country was immersed in a period of
isolation with significant implications for the country's economic and political development.
Ireland faced very challenging decades of isolation, economic and social adjustments.
During these years, the nation failed to implement an effective domestic policy that
supported the development of its educational system. This mistake was later corrected, and
it has been signed posted as one of the country’s substantial successes. Further milestones
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were achieved when the government decided to start opening up its economy in the 1960s
by reducing tariff barriers and consolidating its European Membership in 1973 when the UK
joined the EEC (European Economic Community). The economic opening up culminated
with Ireland becoming a member of the European Monetary Union (EMU) in January 1999
and embracing the Euro as its currency. During the 1990s, international investment started
to flow towards Ireland as foreign-owned businesses identified the country as a critical
bridge to access the EU market. The UK's decision to leave the European Union because
of the Brexit referendum on the 23rd of June 2016 brings new challenges and opportunities
as Ireland could take a central role as the gateway to Europe.
4.2 Historical Insights
The Irish population's educational attainment, combined with a change in domestic politics
that led to the country joining the EEC in 1973, had a broad impact on Irish society. The
decision to join the ECC has played a critical role in the economic boom experienced during
the 1990s, well-known as the “Celtic Tiger” period. Before the 1990s, Ireland was defined
as a homogeneous society regarding race, religion, and culture. However, the country’s
social dynamics changed in the 1990s. The decade brought new vitality and diversity to the
land that started to redefine its social and economic expectations, contributing to
introducing the foundations of a new economic model that led Ireland to settle the grounds
of its Small Open Economy Model. Yet, the 1980s were defined by a severe recessionary
period that replicated similar emigration trends to those exhibited in the 1960s. However,
the winds of change started to blow in the second half of the 1980s. The educational
achievements of the emigrants began to reflect patterns of a population that have
completed third-level education with very little emigration registering individuals who have
only completed their primary education. Another significant trend to consider is that in the
1990s, Ireland became a receptor of immigrants, with the vast bulk of them having third-
level education (Barrett and Trace, 1998).
By the early 1990s, Ireland was immersed in the process of economic change led by a
workforce defined by a high degree of mobility. A skilled labour market played a critical role
in the country’s economic transformation. It directly impacted the elasticity of labour supply
helping to create needed conditions to fuel fast economic growth. The combination of Irish
and non-Irish citizens' skills was critical in aiding the economy to grow faster (FitzGerald,
1999). Since then, the Irish economy has been sustained by its high-skilled workforce and
an economic and tax system that acted as a significant pillar to the attraction of multinational
corporations. Through a low tax regime, the Irish government was able to attract foreign
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direct investment (FDI), and it managed to reposition Ireland as a competitive economy at
the international level. The combination of a low corporation tax regime and the heavy
investment in education that led to the development of a high-skilled workforce created the
necessary ecosystem to ensure that Ireland emerged as a competitive economy in the early
1990s (FitzGerald, 1999). However, the country’s enterprise taxation system has been
subject to significant criticism over the years. The need for harmonising tax rules has
emerged from pressures from the European Union and the US, with tensions regarding tax
reform mounting.
4.3 Economic and Educational Challenges
In July 2021, around 130 countries and jurisdictions have joined a new two-pillar reform
that seeks to bring significant changes to international taxation rules, representing more
than 90 percent of global GDP (OECD; 2021). Nine countries did not sign the agreement,
and one of them was Ireland. However, only a few months later, on the 7th of October 2021,
the Irish Minister for Finance announced that the country entered the OECD International
Tax Agreement on Pillars One and Two (Deloitte, 2021). The international corporate tax
regime has established a minimum threshold of effective tax rates for big companies of at
least 15 percent, directly impacting the Irish corporation tax system (The Irish Times, 2021).
The incumbent Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, has reservations regarding the 15
percent minimum tax rate. There are worries about changing Ireland’s 12.5 percent
corporation tax, as the country’s tax regime is considered one of the main elements to
enable the country to remain competitive over many decades. Furthermore, the Department
of Finance has estimated a potential cost of over €2 billion in annual tax revenues due to
the agreement that will significantly impact and damage the Irish economy.
The main objective of the reform is to address issues related to tax evasion and ensure that
multinational enterprises pay a fair share of taxes independently of where they operate
(OECD, 2021). The OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting
(IF) acknowledges the need to reform enterprise activity tax collection. The reform is
cognisant of the significant challenges emerging as a result of the digitalisation of the
economy and the accentuation of multinational and transnational corporations' operations.
At the time of writing this chapter, the implementation plan is a work in progress, as the tax
scheme is under final review. It is estimated that countries will ratify and sign the multilateral
convention during 2022, with the expectation that the first pillar of the reform focusing on
the coordination of new international tax rules will come into effect in 2023 (OECD, 2021).
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The global movement towards needed tax reforms is based on the need to update essential
elements of a century-old international tax system that no longer works in the context of a
globalised and digitalised economy. The global tax harmonisation has significant
implications for Ireland and its economic model. As already explained, the country has
benefited from a comparative advantage of offering a low tax regime combined with a
talented workforce. The first element of the model will need to change in the foreseeable
future, as the Irish tax system has become obsolete and is being challenged by the
European Union and the US. The US is in the midst of an economic transformation focused
on protecting American interests by shifting towards a more inward-looking economic model
initiated by the Trump Administration in 2016. As a result, the US economy has moved
towards a protectionist economic model that seeks to protect the country’s interests, being
this a major concern of the Biden Administration. As such, the Irish economy, a small open
economy with significant exposure to the global economic system, needs to adjust rapidly
to external shocks and, in particular, to issues affecting major trading partners, as the case
of the US and the UK economy.
As already mentioned, on the 7th of October 2021, Ireland joined the OECD International
tax agreement (Department of Finance, 2021). The reform is going ahead, and Ireland will
need to implement changes to its tax system. Then, it is just a matter of time for the changes
to occur and for the country’s economic model to be impacted due to its substantial
dependency on corporation taxes. The second element of the economic model relates to
human capital and the need to keep investing in education to ensure that Ireland remains
a reference point for a highly qualified workforce. In a context of a market economy guided
by the neoliberal ideology, it is foreseeable that the educational sector might continue the
underinvestment trend of the past few years. The country’s economic model needs to
progress from the hardship derived from the austerity programme imposed by the GEFC,
address the impact of the Brexit referendum, the effects of the Global Health Crisis, and
engage in the economic recovery process in the post-pandemic era. There are indeed
significant challenges ahead that will test the government vision for the Irish workforce and
how it should be shaped to keep serving the interests of the market-driven educational
model.
4.4.1 Imbalanced Research Schemes
The designation of IoTs as TUs is affected by a significant delay in defining working
conditions and funding schemes that align the newly formed universities with the work and
activities done in the university sector. The lack of a teaching and research framework
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poses serious threats to the idea of TUs becoming “research-informed” institutions, as there
is a need to transition towards a different form of work that shifts from a focused approach
on teaching elements to combine teaching and research practices. Required changes are
critical to ensure that the current and future TUs comply with the requirements set by the
2018 TU Act. Further concerns arise in the development of the TUs as the institutions
should move towards practices that enable them to secure funds. The country’s core
funding model relies on the institutions' ability to attract students and increase their
numbers. Another challenging element relates to core research funding based on research
and innovations metrics that have not been part of the IoTs strategic approach due to their
lack of engagement with research activity. The research funding scheme for Ireland’s
technological HEIs was only introduced in 2019, and it was set at €5m with a marginal
representation of 1.3% of core funding. In contrast, the universities receive 10%, and their
scheme has been in place for many years, putting at a clear disadvantage the TUs
(EAUSolutions, 2021; Government of Ireland, 2018, p. 47-48).
In conjunction with the funding concern, there are significant imbalances in available
support to different disciplines. A substantial amount of funds is devoted to supporting
research activities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM
education), while the rest of the disciplines are severely underfunded. Significant concerns
emerge as there are very important differences across existing funding streams that reflect
different conditions for postgraduate research studies depending on their discipline. For
example, STEM studies receive significant support from the Science Foundation Ireland
(SFI), the state’s most prominent research funder. On the other hand, the Irish Research
Council (IRC) supporting the arts and humanities funding stagnated over the past fifteen
years, and it was raised only in January 2021 to match higher SFI funding; and in addition,
it has shifted to integrate STEM elements as part of its research guidelines contributing to
further marginalissation of the non-STEM disciplines (Government of Ireland, 2021).
4.4.2 The Impact of COVID-19
The impact of COVID-19 on the workforce has been massive; by April 2021, the COVID-19
adjusted unemployment rate was standing at 22.4 percent, experiencing a significant
reduction by November 2021 as the rate stands at 6.9%. Approximately one-third of the
labour force was in receivership of state income support during the initial stages of the
pandemic. However, the Irish economy has experienced a significant level of economic
growth that has contributed to lessen the impact of the economic lockdown. On the other
hand, it is essential to consider the implications and challenges for workers who will not
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return to their jobs due to changing working conditions, and that might enter into a situation
of structural unemployment. COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted specific collectives
with hardship on the elderly, younger, and lower-skilled workers. The Irish government has
taken an active approach through a 7.4 billion Jobs Stimulus programme targeting workers.
The scheme has allowed the implementation of training, and the development of skills that
seeks to activate the labour market. The government intervention has been crucial to
sustaining workers and businesses through the different economic lockdowns that have
taken place as a result of contention measures to deal with the spread of the virus and its
evolved variants (Government of Ireland, 2021).
The government fiscal expenditure is focused on economic reactivation targeting workers
to ensure that people are able to get back into work. Therefore, education through its
different elements will be critical to providing needed skills that target and support economic
sectors that are lagging and seek to enable reforms that will help the country foster its long-
term capacity for economic growth. Within this context, Ireland’s Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) face significant challenges. COVID-19 has brought changes that are here
to stay and paired with evolving market conditions. In addition, there is a need to
acknowledge the economic shift towards new skills as the global economy addresses the
challenges of climate change and the digital economy. At this point, it is important to
reconsider the importance and the need to develop and nurture employability skills and the
primary goal of higher education that brings us back to the ideals of the neoliberal ideology
and its overarching effects on the educational system.
Further economic challenges emerge from the pandemic, as the financial difficulties and
the weaknesses of the universities' funding models have been exposed worldwide. The
market-driven financial model does not seem to be working as expected, and universities
are struggling to secure resources that enable them to function (Adams, 2020a). Quite
concerning, the pandemic has brought an opportunistic approach to universities'
management teams that can push forward their agendas with little resistance or debate.
The movement towards the commodification of the learning process does not face any
opposition. It contributes to accentuating the problems derived from embracing an
educational model that is market-driven.
4.4 Summary and Critical Reflections
The Irish Higher Education sector has faced significant challenges over the past decades
as it seeks to increase its research capacity while weathering significant economic and
financial challenges. The global economy is in dire need of rethinking its global economic
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model. The challenges that emerge from climate change, the digitalisation of the global
economy, the global health crisis, and the shifts of economic power and political dynamics
pose severe hurdles to developing an educational system that does not surrender to
political and business interests. At the core of economic development and progress, it is
important to consider the role played by a talented and skilled workforce and its potential
connection to research activity. Transdisciplinary research and international cooperation
are critical attributes that need to be considered when developing educational strategies
that seek to equip students with specific but generic and transferable skills in demand in a
highly “knowledge-based” society (Irish Universities Association, 2021).
According to Hazelkorn, Gibson, and Harkin (2015, p. 235):
“Higher education has been one of Ireland’s success stories. From 3,200 students at the
beginning of the nineteenth century, today there are around 170,000 students which is
estimated to rise approximately 182,000 by 2020 and 211,000 by 2028. Through a
combination of planned investment and targeted policies, participation rates have increased
from twenty percent in 1980 to forty percent in 1998 to over fifty percent today (2015)
making it amongst the highest in Europe.”
The government recovery plan and its pathways to work are looking at the labour market,
particularly at growth opportunities that will emerge from a transition towards a greener and
more digital economy that is coined as the “twin transition” (Government of Ireland, 2021).
In order to achieve these goals, the government acknowledges the importance of investing
in human capital, meaning that direct investments in Irish people are a must so that their
talents and skills act as the linchpin to achieving its agenda. Education emerges as the
critical element to minimise the long-term effects of the pandemic and its economic impact
and deal with the challenges of a digitalised economy and the aggravated effects of climate
change. But the educational offer needs to match the country’s economic vision. At this
point, there is a need for reflection in terms of higher education becoming a training centre
to accommodate businesses and government needs.
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Chapter 05
Universities' Educational Models
5.1 Introduction
Educators face an essential task when developing and designing their course curriculum.
They face significant challenges that begin with understanding their educational role,
compounded by the need to identify their own learning and teaching philosophy that informs
their instruction and functions as part of the teaching and learning process. Educators are
responsible for curriculum development, implementation, and identification of assessment
methods to ensure that students meet required learning outcomes. Early research studies
indicate that neglecting the voice of educators when designing, updating, and reforming
course curriculums is one of the main reasons behind constant failures in educational
reform movements (McNeil, 1988; Thornton, 1991). A striking research finding is that
instructors’ views and teaching experiences are frequently neglected as part of educational
reforms processes. Their insights are neither valued nor incorporated into the reforms. This
is a critical finding in the context of the first Irish technological university that is currently
immersed in identifying the essential elements of its educational model.
A crucial point that emerges relates to the role of academics when defining and guiding the
core elements of the new technological universities' educational model. Academics are
central to the reform process. Consequently, their pedagogical expertise and experiences
engaging with students, understanding of the teaching, and learning process, and views
and insights on learning dynamics should be recognised and integrated as part of TUs
educational model development. Giving academic staff a voice will help determine the main
challenges they face and enable them to better understand the implications of the transition
towards an educational model that integrates research as part of the learning and teaching
process. Therefore, we are back to the idea of a “research-informed” technological
university that needs to be considered in a frame that helps academic staff understand what
is expected from them. It should articulate mechanisms that facilitate discussion, reflection,
and critical insights to enable the sense-making process and the academics identification
with the new educational model. As the newly formed TUs find and define their learning
and teaching ethos and clarify academics and students' roles, critical issues emerge with
regard to the challenges associated with the implementation of the vision of a “research-
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informed” university. To start with, it is not very clear, to what extent will the process be
able to acknowledge academic experiences, worries, and concerns. There is a need to re-
examine the workforce's skills, talents, and limitations and the role of TUs to foster research
activity that adds value to the economic system. As TUs seek to change over towards
“research-informed” institutions, their lack of research culture positions them at clear
disadvantage when compared to the traditional universities.
According to Yilmaz (2008), a fundamental goal of teaching is to help students become
active citizens who can make informed and reasoned decisions (NCSS, 1993). There is an
expectation that students should identify and analyse societal problems and act upon them
for the common and individual good. This is quite a controversial idea under the principles
of the neoliberal ideology that applauds and values personal accomplishments. In line with
Matthews (1998), educators need to develop a deeper understanding of their subject to be
able to make effective curricular decisions that enhance a greater student understanding
and engagement with the subject matter. At this point, it is essential to reflect upon the role
of research activity in helping instructors keep an updated approach and ensure that their
curriculum is up to date and in touch with reality and its dynamics. Educational models
based on a constructivist approach, with a vision of effective pedagogical methods, can
help to foster instructors' and researchers' collaboration. A collaboration process that could
lead to improvements in the curriculum and help enhance and develop students' skills
(Yilmaz, 2008).
5.2 Educational Models that Encourage Partnerships
Medina et al. (2020) explore the impact of an everchanging labour market characterised by
competitiveness and complex dynamics and the need for educational models that embed
practical elements that promote labour integration. As a result, Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) are challenged to redefine and reconsider their educational offer to help students
become an integral part of the labour market by shaping their competencies and building
their skills in alignment with the industrial network. The knowledge economy and the impact
of information and the digitalisation process have put significant pressures on HEIs.
Universities need to find ways to enable collaborative models with the industrial sector to
help to simplify the integration process between companies needing training and support
that can be gained from the educational sector.
Ireland's economic model has been built on the development of a highly-skilled workforce
that contributed to the country’s economic boom during the 1990s due to the Celtic Tiger
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economic boom. However, the country remerged from the damage inflicted by continuous
years of dramatic cuts to public expenditure as a result of the GEFC in 2008, with a severe
impact on the Irish educational system. Years of economic policies based on government
budget cuts have severely damaged the country’s educational sector. Consequently, a new
university model emerged from the hand of policies that enabled the creation of
technological universities. Within this context, the literature indicates that cooperation
between universities and corporations has taken place for more than a hundred years, with
significant changes experienced because of the emergence of a global “knowledge
economy” (Skute et al., 2017). According to Dima et al. (2017) and Edmondson et al.
(2012), the global economy requires a different relationship with the industrial sector.
Educational models based on individual research projects or summer internships are no
longer enough to promote employability. However, there are significant concerns regarding
the integration of corporations’ interests as part of the educational model. There are voices
raising serious concerns regarding the extent that new educational models might be
affected by businesses and government interests within the context of a student's lifelong
learning educational cycle and with connotations to the doctrines emerging from the
neoliberal ideology. For companies, the training aspect is revealed as a critical facet to be
considered. The vision of trainer providers leads towards the importance of Early
Organisation Involvement (EOI), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Work-Related
Learning (WRL), and collaboration schemes (Cord and Clements, 2010; NFQ, 2007;
Clayton et al., 2004). The EOI is a model that seeks to develop early connections between
HEIs and the industry so that students’ professional development is ingrained as part of
their academic experience, enabling them to experience a smooth transition from the
university to the workplace. The literature seems to support the idea that WRL contributes
to better preparing students because it offers a realistic working environment associated
with higher levels of students’ retention and success rates in completing their studies.
According to the Erasmus Multilateral Project (2013), students and companies benefit from
mutual cooperation as there is significant potential to become more aware of market
challenges and the students' work readiness. As such, there is a claim that the potential
from this type of cooperation is not sufficiently considered, and that university education
has not managed to unfold the real potential from this type of cooperation and partnership.
The primary purpose of a collaborative partnership is to enable companies and HEIs to
develop a relationship that encourages an entrepreneurial mindset and that once more align
with the basic tenets of the neoliberal ideology.
According to the International Baccalaureate (IB, 2008), the educational system should
support students in the learning process by developing inquiring skills and helping students
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to become more active and compassionate learners that engage with their environment and
contribute to creating a better world. In this context, lifelong learners should be supported
by a student-centred and constructivist learning approach that supports each student as
they progress and develop and that emerges as a conflicting position regarding the
business-oriented model.
5.3 Student-Centred Learning Approaches
Students' approaches to the learning process are diverse, and their individual requirements
need to be considered when defining different learning styles that coexist in the classroom
setting (Hudson, 2009). Within this context, the student-centred approach helps to
accommodate different learning styles. It should guide how curriculums, assessments, and
instruction elements should be defined within a classroom environment (Klein, 2003). A
diverse set of educational systems have tried to account for individual differences by
introducing changes to course curriculums, pedagogy, and the assessment strategy. The
main purpose has been to help to address students’ differences through their learning
process, as a result, different “approaches to learning” and how they should be
implemented in the educational context have been proposed as outlined below.
a) The inquiry-based learning approach is identified as a relevant constructivist
approach. This learning approach makes it possible to nurture and foster the
knowledge-development process by asking questions. The questioning process
should be properly structured and scaffolded to enable the integration of different
inquiry cycles that can be used in a multitude of learning settings and varying
degrees of curricular achievement.
b) The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methodology is based on learning
environments that encourage small groups of students to focus on solving authentic
problems. This learning methodology is supported by strategies that seek to
promote and nurture the development of inquiry skills.
c) Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is based on the importance of enabling cooperative
learning methods supported by residencies, internships, training, apprenticeships,
and field work that lead to the development of professional skills as part of the
curriculum. Making mandatory field experience and professional practice makes it
possible to develop skills closely connected to corporations' needs built on an HEI-
company collaboration.
d) Through Multidisciplinary Real-Life Problem Solving (MRLP), students from different
disciplines are exposed to real-life organisational problems. Students must work in
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a competitive environment that leads to innovative ideas and processes to address
the presented problem from different angles and perspectives. This type of approach
is developed in coordination with university and companies’ experts who coach and
guide the students through the problem-solving process. As a result, the integration
of academic and organisational skills is embedded in the learning process, helping
students understand the role they are expected to play in the workplace
environment. The experts oversee the process by promoting innovation and
knowledge transfer and coach students in developing work-life problem-solving
skills.
The outlined models resonate with TU Dublin's history, as merged institutions are closely
linked to industry and the need to develop students’ skills that match the industry's needs.
The outline modes of learning are clearly linked to the principles of neoliberalism as the
focus is the connection of education with businesses and the contribution to the generation
of economic gains. However, the research element does not seem to be a vital component
of any outlined learning methods. The view of a holistic type of education is clearly
overlooked. Through constructivist learning and teaching approaches, it is possible to
create an appropriate context for learning that aligns with businesses' interests and that
shows to which extent the principles of the neoliberal ideology are the driving force of the
educational offer.
5.4 Integrating Research in the Educational Model
Doctoral education in Ireland seeks to maximise doctoral graduates' employability. The
main concern is to ensure that students will acquire discipline-specific knowledge that
should be complemented with the development of transferable skills. The knowledge
economy is at the centre of the learning process, with an emphasis on employability skills
(HEA, 2021). At the beginning of the 21st century, the Irish government made significant
efforts to support its educational sector, with efforts materialising on national investment to
foster postgraduate research education. Considerable efforts were made to support the
development of a more structured and harmonised approach to doctoral education and its
degree provision aligned with European developments. Unfortunately, with the onset of the
2007/08 GEFC, the efforts to strengthening the higher education sector were truncated.
Doctoral programmes in Ireland have aligned with European trends seeking to deviate from
an educational approach based on the master-apprentice model of doctoral education
towards a model that is supported by institutional responsibility for delivering the doctorate.
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The introduction of thematically focused programs aligns with the trends that took place in
the UK Research Councils and the European Union. The Marie Sklodowska-Curie
Innovative Training Networks (ITNs) is identified as an essential programme that has acted
as a vehicle for increasingly structured doctoral provision. However, the structured funding
programmes are not that ideal as they have led to the neglect of self-funded postgraduate
students and their importance to the country. Self-funded students bring significant value
as they are part of the lifelong-learning process. However, there are doubts with regard to
the role of existing programmes and their ability to minimise existing concerns. At the same
time, there are growing inequalities regarding student experiences and associated
professional developmental opportunities that put non-STEM related disciplines at clear
disadvantage. Up to 40 percent of students in Ireland are self-funded, with self-funded
students being captured only in the survey Higher Education Research and Development
Survey 2018-2019 and with lack of information regarding this collective before the
mentioned survey (Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, 2020, p. 18). The
research findings are quite concerning and surprising within an environment that claims the
need for students to take responsibility for their education. Quite ironically, the system
seems to be punishing self-funded students on their quest for a life-long learning
experience. Furthermore, in the context of integrating research as part of the university
model, it seems that research activity might be understood as an element of doctoral
studies, with a lack of vision towards the development of undergraduate students and with
a clear alignment towards economic gains.
The educational landscape has changed, and a growing number of students seem to be
willing to further their education by engaging with research programmes. However, their
aspirations for research education are impeded by their inability to secure funding for their
doctoral years or an inappropriate response from universities towards self-funded research
students. Doctoral supervision emerges as another area of significant concern due to the
need for expert supervision and the workload commitments that will be a critical element in
the context of the IoTs and their legacy to the newly formed TUs. The reality is that public
institutions are not able to take on the bulk of required finance to support research and
innovation and that alternative ways of funding are needed. The Humanities and Social
Sciences (HaSS) are identified as an area affected by a significant lack of support. A
substantial proportion of self-funded postgraduate research students are identified in this
collective. A critical aspect of the value of doctoral education relates to its impact on
enhancing learners’ development and enriching the depth and breadth of knowledge of their
discipline. Through doctoral education, it is expected that students will be able to advance
areas of expertise that involve research methodologies within a specific context and identify
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attributes that can be applied to a broader context. As such, doctoral students are an
integral part of the research, innovation, and development process, and associated
synergies for economic development need to be acknowledged and nurtured without
discriminating and marginalising students depending on the source of funding.
Furthermore, an education model that integrates research should not be limited to doctoral
education and should take central stage and different stages of the student developmental
process and should integrate a variety of elements and not only the economic dimension
of education.
5.5 Summary and Critical Reflections
A critical element that emerged from the reviewed literature relates to universities' better
position regarding the research agenda and the work done at the doctoral level. In addition,
they benefit from a significant amount of funding allocated to research activity. In contrast,
research funding at TUs and IoTs is very limited compared to the universities, highlighting
the need to find an alternative model that acknowledges differences and the intense
competition to develop an educational model that is constructive and aligned with learners'
and industry educational needs. Investing in research development supported by
international students emerges as a relevant element for the doctoral student population in
Ireland. The attraction of research students is helping the country shift towards a “brain
gain” position that has significant and vital spillover effects in the national ambition to
become a leading economy that continues to attract a talented workforce that contributes
to the development of its sustainable economic model. Reputation emerges as a critical
element for Ireland, and it should be safeguarded. The country is defined as a small system
with a global dimension. As such, collective responsibility is needed to ensure that Irish
doctoral education continues to thrive and consolidate its international status as a location
for quality research. At the moment, the country is benefiting from the influx of talented
students, and those gains should be extrapolated to the rest of the educational system.
The research findings suggest that teaching and learning should align with constructive
learning models that enable the convergence to highly effective teaching and learning
models. A highly skilled workforce is critical to enhancing Irish attractiveness and
competitiveness at the international level. The country’s prestige is helping to position its
research achievements at the leading edge of innovation and development. The future of
the Irish economy depends on its ability to nurture and foster research and innovation in
collaboration with industry. It is apparent that the country’s HEIs need to deliver an
educational model that is heavily ingrained in the challenges faced by the Irish economy
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and that seek to strengthen the role of academia as a partnership that is capable of focusing
on the country’s economy and that bring to fruition an adaptive, agile and resilient economic
model that ensures that Ireland can thrive through the different challenges ahead. Self-
funded students are a collective that is neglected and affected by a lack of support to
develop and strengthen their research profiles. The growth of research and doctoral
education depends on public funds. There is a lack of discussion on the need to move
towards a self-sufficient model that develops the basis for a high-quality educational
experience that leads towards the attraction of national and international students who wish
to engage in research education as part of their own self-funded educational strategy.
Remarkably, there are no discussions around the implications for sustainability and the
efficiency of a system that depends on public resources. Postgraduate studies based on
research and innovation are left to the support of public resources that by no means can
be viewed or understood as the way forward, and there is no significant discussion with
regard to the need to promote research activity at the undergraduate level. Furthermore,
the reviewed literature shows the clear alignment of postgraduate research studies with
economic interests that once more align with the tenets of the neoliberal ideology.
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Chapter 06
A Research-Informed University
6.1 Introduction
Research activity and its role in defining Ireland’s first Technological University has been
positioned around a strategy that supports the “research-informed” practice. Still, this type
of approach's primary justification seems to emerge from suggestions and
recommendations given in the Hunt Report back in 2011. At the time, Ireland was facing
significant budget constraints due to the impact of the GEFC. The global turmoil led to the
implementation of economic austerity policies that resulted in serious national budget
constraints with a severe effect on the higher education sector. Introduced policies and
guidelines sought to slash the number of existing HEIs by enabling IoTs to merge. In
addition, the new policies and recommendations required to make a clear differentiation
between the activities of universities and IoTs and their research contributions. As such,
Ireland's first technological university – Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin)
research statement indicates:
“…the university is a globally engaged, comprehensive, research-informed university… with
a vision of becoming a leader in targeted research areas that make ground-breaking
contributions to the ever-changing needs of the world's society and the economy” (TU
Dublin website, 2021).
The Hunt Report (2011) introduced the concept of a “research-informed” university
intending to differentiate from "traditional" universities. To add further complexity to this
process, Ireland's first technological university results from a merger of three IoTs in the
Dublin region with limited research expertise (Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of
Technology Blanchardstown, and Institute of Technology Tallaght). Within the given
context, it is interesting to consider the literature examining organisational mergers and
integration processes that suggest that mergers generally tend to be poorly executed.
Planned mergers may destroy intrinsic value and create the loss of employees’ identity due
to the inability to foster post-merger identification during the integration phase (Riketta,
2005; Dukerich, Goldenm, and Shortell, 2002). There are many reasons to reflect and
examine how employees interpret, enact and identify themselves with the culture of the
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newly formed organisation as, ultimately, they are the ones responsible for shaping and
realising the goals and strategic plan of the intended merger (Guitte and Vandenbempt,
2013; Balogun and Johnson, 2005; 2004; Balogun, 2006).
Mergers are considered evolutionary processes with broad and multidimensional changes
for the new academic organisation and its workforce. The socio-cultural integration phase
appears to be a core element of the post-merger process (Ahmadvand et al., 2012;
Sulkowski et al., 2019). Research findings suggest that socio-cultural integration acts as an
important stage in the post-merger process, and in particular concerning academic staff
integration. It takes a long time for the newly merged institution to function as a unified and
integrated identity that can take over ten years. This chapter examines to which extent TU
Dublin's cultural shift towards a “research-informed” university is understood as the merged
IoTs were characterised by their historical focus on teaching and learning activities and lack
of research strategy and culture. In addition, a critical factor to consider relates to the nature
of enforced mergers that cannot be viewed as an evolutionary and well-planned process,
as in the Irish context, IoTs were forced to follow the government directives to ensure their
survival.
6.2 Transition to a Research-Informed University
The designation of Ireland's first technological university leads to important questions about
its research approach and its implications for academic staff that need to transition towards
a more research-active role. Simultaneously, the workforce needs to identify themselves
with their new organisation as they try to define and make sense of their workplace position
and how it functions. The literature examining merger processes identifies organisational
identity and culture as critical challenges that lead to high levels of failure in organisational
merger and integration processes (Guitte and Vandenbempt, 2013; Balogun and Johnson,
2005; 2004; Balogun, 2006). Once the merger is completed, the newly formed organisation
faces significant challenges, as it seeks to identify and align its unique culture to its strategic
plan. Existing research suggests that mergers are very complex and challenging processes
commonly associated with a range of adverse outcomes. A merger can result in employees'
detachment from the organisation due to lower levels of identification and satisfaction with
the new organisation. Employees face significant challenges as they cannot identify
themselves with the new organisation, which translates into fear and resistance to the
change process. Some critical indicators to be considered relate to employees’ lower levels
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of job satisfaction, collaboration, and interpersonal trust, combined with increases in levels
of internal conflict, discrimination, stress, and turnover (Riketta and van Dick, 2005; Terry,
2001; Ullrich and van Dick, 2007). High levels of anxiety, uncertainty, lack of connection
and identification with the newly created organisation, and the lack of association and
understanding of its new culture can threaten the merger process's success. Unfortunately,
research findings highlighting the importance of prioritising organisational, human, and
cultural elements and their significance to minimise conflict and enabling the process of
sense-making and sense-given of processes of change seem to be frequently forgotten and
neglected by the leadership team. Quite worryingly, most mergers, acquisitions, and
integration processes do not succeed as they fail to foster the identification and
engagement between merger partners (Giessner et al. 2011, Schneider, 2003; Gadiesh
and Omiston, 2002). Furthermore, mergers in the educational sector tend to be quite
complex. The idea of seeking universities that combine research and teaching activities
seems to be quite conflicting in parallel with an increasing probability of creating a “zombie”
type institution due to a lack of planning of the merger process.
6.3 Understanding the Value of Research
There seems to be a general understanding that research-led teaching can offer significant
competitive advantages and reputational gains because highly skilled students will be
attracted to the university to work and/or learn with internationally recognised researchers
(Schapper and Mayson, 2010). Furthermore, a viewpoint indicates that there is a link
between teaching and research that is a distinctive characteristic of university education
(Brown, 2005). There is a general belief that research-led teaching is the preferred
approach to teaching at many high-quality universities. Other types of connections towards
research are made by universities that do not have strong research reputations and that
seek to align themselves with the characteristics exhibited by elite institutions. Schapper
and Mayson (2010) argue the need to move beyond university rhetoric that fractures
teaching engagement with research as universities seek to replicate the models of the
world’s most reputable universities. Instead, they propose focusing on developing what is
necessary to bring these two core academic activities closer together and align them to the
development of the university mission.
The connection between research and teaching activities is complex, disciplinary-based,
and university-contextual, with some bias towards a research-led approach (Brew, 2006;
Healey, 2005). Alternatively, “research-informed” teaching is viewed and presented as a
practical and valuable approach that enables the creation of synergies between research,
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teaching, and the overall educational process with the ultimate goal of contributing to a
better quality of teaching and student learning experiences (Pan et al., 2012). Despite the
argued benefits and the potential of positive synergies, there are essential barriers and
concerns regarding the implementation among staff and students that complicate the
learning dynamics and highlight pressures that add confusion to the current debate on the
“research-teaching” nexus and the role played by academics within HEIs. The literature
shows a wide variety of research teaching links that do not help to clarify the importance of
connecting teaching and research practices, which inevitably leads to further puzzlement
when trying to identify models that are more efficient in bringing together both terms.
Griffiths (2004) proposed a model that connects teaching and research activities by
encompassing research-led, research-oriented, research-based, and “research-informed”
approaches. He argues that “research-informed” teaching "draws consciously on the
systematic inquiry into the teaching and learning process itself" (p.722) (i.e: pedagogic
research).
On the other hand, Healey (2005) proposed a slightly different model with four possible
teaching modes, i.e: research-led, research-oriented, research-based, and research-
tutored. Later, Healey and Jenkins (2008) advocated for a higher education model that
integrates research activity as part of the work done by undergraduate students. As such,
undergraduate research should be an essential part of the curriculum. The extant literature
suggests that the nexus between research and teaching is a complicated and multi-layered
one that intertwines with other factors like cultural, political, and social issues, which adds
significant complexities to the learning process. Overall, there is a lack of evidence proving
the existence of positive synergies between research-led or “research-informed” practices
that appear to be more connected to managerial aspirations instead of being founded on
empirical evidence. Additionally, there is a connection between “research-informed”
practices to enhance teaching, but it is not clear if this is the approach that TU Dublin is
considering, as the university statement only made a reference to becoming a “research-
informed” university that does not help much when trying to understand what this means in
the context of teaching and research activities.
6.4 TU Dublin Historical Context
Before the year 2000, Ireland had no national research policy, investment strategy, or
noteworthy international scientific research reputation. Within a decade (1997-2007), the
country's position changed, as significant levels of investment were made, leading to a
change in Ireland's international profile (Swinbanks, 2013). The years 2007/08 brought the
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GEFC that casts a long shadow over Ireland's higher education and research system that
became a victim of the global economic downturn (Hazelkorn, 2014). The global economic
recession led to nine years of austerity measures with negative spillover effects on the
higher education sector that was seriously affected by limited funding and lack of human
resources (Clarke et al., 2017). With significant pressures on public finances, the Hunt
Report (2011) pointed to the need to reduce the number of HEIs across the country. Within
this context, the Technological Universities Act (TU Act 2018) was introduced to enable a
legal framework that allows the third type of Irish HEI to align with international practices,
namely the Technological University (TU). The Act provides a needed framework for
institutes of technology to merge, but there are prohibitions for cross-sectoral mergers
between universities and institutes. An important aspect to consider relates to the
significant distinction made between universities and "other" types of higher education
institutions regarding teaching, learning, and the role of research activity. There seems to
be a general understanding that universities are the owners and stewards of research
activity. This point was strikingly evident in Ireland's National Strategy for Higher Education
2030 (Hunt Report, 2011). The "Hunt report" states:
"Technological-university status is distinct from that of a university and must remain so in
order to safeguard the mission and ethos of institutes of technology." (Hunt report, 2011,
pp.107).
Research activity seems to be a pivotal aspect to be studied when understanding what
differentiates universities from institutes of technology. It seems that being a “research-
informed” technological university is a crucial point on this distinction. Unfortunately, clarity
about the relationship between research and teaching remains fuzzy, "being much more
elusive than conventional wisdom would suggest" (Lubbe 2015, p. 1086). Scholars such as
Shapper and Mayson (2010) argue that there is poor empirical support for a mutually
beneficial relationship between research and teaching and the presence of questionable
assumptions that seek to bring together both of them. The authors indicate different reasons
in the current higher education environment, arguing for the importance of strengthening
the link between research and teaching. Some of the main concerns can be summarised
as issues related to retention of valued professional identity, enhanced learning experience
for students, or a pragmatic response to government funding models that demand high-
performing teaching and research academics.
Overall, there seems to be a strong desire at senior managerial positions at universities to
bring together research and teaching activity with viewpoints indicating that the research-
teaching link must be seen as inter-related, not fragmented, or isolated. But the main
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difficulties arise when trying to implement such a vision within academic institutions with
strong links to research or teaching cultural foundations.
6.6 TU Dublin Cultural Challenges
Academics at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) face a challenging situation as
they need to transition towards practices that integrate research activity. The new university
does not have a robust research background, which brings new problems and anxieties as
the TU Dublin leadership team emphasises the need to adopt “research-informed”
practices. The current situation can lead to different and worrying trajectories among staff
regarding their commitment, compliance, and potential disengagement with the university
guidelines. Confusion, fear, and uneasiness are emotional feelings on the rise as
academics try to understand better their teaching role and their relationship with their
students. In a highly complex and changing environment affected by high economic
instability, TU Dublin needs to define its educational model and its contribution to the Irish
economy and society. At the centre of the university strategic plan, research activity
emerges as a critical element as the technological university tries to align with research
requirements commonly associated with "traditional" universities. At the same time, the
newly formed university needs to settle the foundations and guidelines that will guide its
journey as it tries to find its place in the HE landscape. The current situation has
fundamental implications in institutional policymaking. Academic staff's role needs to be
redefined, and careful thought is required regarding a dual role that might be dominated by
a teaching approach - "teachers-researchers" or by a research approach - "researchers-
teachers." The new dual role is affected by complexities when considering a hybrid model
with severe implications regarding existing skills and the expectation that academics should
simultaneously engage in teaching and research activity. The new situation significantly
impact the design and implementation of new learning models and the design of academic
workload models associated with a change of direction on how academics define their role
and the major consequences of their contribution and changes in their practice. Academics
can face substantial challenges as they try to develop a “research-informed” mode of
practice and the current lack of guidance at TU Dublin is disturbing.
At the moment, there is a lack of guidelines and clear vision in terms of what “research-
informed” practice is and how it should be integrated as part of learning support for teachers
and students. The lack of clarity opens the door to misperception and misunderstanding,
and it has profound consequences regarding learning and teaching activities and research
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involvement. Academics that are not used to engage in research activity can start to feel
detached from the institution. Their work's relevance and impact will be affected, as the
quality of teaching material would not align with the required standards. Concurrently,
research-active staff might find themselves in conflict as they try to be more competitive
and shift towards a more focused research approach that contributes to the neglect of
teaching standards. Workload implications regarding “research-led” or “research-informed”
teaching approaches are another aspect that needs to be considered, as trying to engage
with research activity can be quite demanding and time-consuming. Significant pressures
are faced in terms of professional development and progression where academics are
forced to adopt “research-led” or “research-informed” practices to the detriment of teaching
standards (Hall, 2013; Bahrami, Hosseini and Atai, 2019). Research active staff can be
impacted, too, as there seems to be a mismatch between a strategy that encourages a
transition towards “research-informed” practice and the practical implications of such an
approach. The Irish first technological university cultural setting is defined by an
environment where teaching has been at the top of the agenda and where the transition
towards becoming “research-informed” and implications for teaching needs to be studied
carefully. TU Dublin needs to acknowledge that research activity has been considered a
marginal task without much recognition. The shift towards a “research-informed” institution
requires clear guidelines and appropriate support to avoid confusion and failure.
Therefore, the lack of clarity regarding teaching and research roles can lead to harmful
outcomes, as high-quality teaching practices might be undermined and neglected. In
addition, inadequate research contributions might emerge due to the lack of skills and
experience in this area. Historically, researchers' input has been neglected in the institutes
of technology that have been more focused on teaching activities than engaging with
research. This reality clearly impacts the definition and positioning of Ireland's first
technological university and its transition towards a “research-informed” institution that
brings significant cultural challenges to its research progression and has important
implications for redefining its teaching model.
6.7 Summary and Critical Reflections
The relationship between research and teaching has arisen as a controversial one due to
significant differences across disciplines and difficulties and barriers experienced to
enhance the student learning experience. In the Irish HE context, universities seem to enjoy
better recognition and status than IoTs. Over the years, this has led to IoTs aspiring to gain
university status. Differences seem to magnify when research activity is integrated as part
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of the dialogue. To start with, research activity is part of the university's mission, as it helps
support the broader process of intellectual development. Furthermore, research activity
plays a significant role in universities, and appropriate supports are in place to nurture,
foster, and engage with research, supports that are not available in IoTs or the newly
formed TUs. Research activity seems to be a marginal element in the context of Irish IoTs,
an issue that is critical for the development of the TUs as the lack of research culture brings
significant challenges to the transition process. Besides, universities are questioning the
value and contribution of TUs as they claim that the universities already cover all activities
that are supposed to be done by TUs. Moreover, TU Dublin academics face significant
pressures to increase research output, increase the number of PhD students, and attract
elite researchers and research funds. There are interesting discussions concerning the
importance of ensuring that TU Dublin becomes a more research-oriented institution, but
with a serious lack of support to those making an effort in these areas. It seems that the
vision aligns with the principles behind research-led institutions. Still, actions do not seem
to go hand in hand with what TU Dublin seeks to achieve and about the role that research
activity will play in the future, seriously questioning the idea of the TUs and their functions.
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Chapter 07
A Modern University
7.1 Introduction
Surprisingly, the idea of the university as a place where students and academics push
forward the boundaries of knowledge by conducting research appears to be a relatively
new one. Given the long history of universities in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, it is
quite perplexing that the idea to connect research and teaching activities is regarded as a
new approach to higher education models (Joseph-Richard and Jessop, 2020).
Paradoxically, while universities seem to be promoting the connection between research
and teaching activities, at the same time, both activities are treated separately, creating an
essential dilemma in the way that academic staff engages and identifies expected teaching,
learning, and research contributions.
Many reasons justify the development of closer links between research and teaching
activities in HEIs. For example, research activity is necessary to enable innovation, and the
knowledge sharing process and teachers play a critical role by enabling students to keep
engaged and informed (OECD, 2021). However, there is significant confusion about the
terminology used to refer to the research's role and how it should be embedded in teaching
and learning practices (Griffiths, 2004). New challenges are faced by the academics that
are the ones left to implement required changes (Giroux and Giroux, 2004; Harland, 2016).
There is no doubt that education and research activity are vital components of countries'
economic models as they play a crucial role in supporting economic growth, development,
wealth distribution, social cohesion, and integration (OECD, 2021; OECD; 2020).
Smyth et al. (2016) offer valuable insights on educators' responsibility when supporting
students and nurturing the advancement of research skills to help them make wise career
choices that align, support, and strengthen their contributions to economic growth and
developmental goals. Learning and teaching strategies need to progress to enable a link
between research output and teaching practices. Within this context, universities have a
privileged position that allows the transition towards learning curriculums that nurture
research skills across programmes and foster curiosity, creativity, and knowledge among
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students, researchers, and practitioners. Therefore, understanding the connection between
education and research activity in the development of Ireland's first TU is without a doubt a
matter of significant interest.
7.2 The Origins of Teaching and Research in the
Modern University
The relationship between research activity, teaching practice, and university learning
processes has been the subject of significant debate over the years (Harland, 2015). The
idea of bringing together research and teaching activities is not new. It has its foundations
back in the 1800s when Wilhelm von Humboldt portrayed his vision of the modern university
and the need to elevate the standards of research and teaching activities and their
connection. Humboldt’s vision was based on the need to integrate research and teaching
activities so that an academic will be engaged with both tasks that should be centralised
within the same institution. The idea of combining research and teaching activities was
supported by an idealistic vision that advocated the need for universities to become more
aware and closer to the modern world and its dynamics (von Humboldt, 1970). However,
Humboldt's hopes for universities to become drivers of change and be capable of renewing
themselves to align with his vision of the modern university did not materialise (cited in
Kloss, 1968). The task of bringing together the research and teaching skills set in the same
person and institution is quite complex. Since the conception of university models, the
separation of research and teaching activities has been an issue surrounded by important
controversies on how both activities should coexist (Harland, 2015). Humboldt’s ideas,
vision, and precepts were severely questioned, and they did not last long. The twentieth
century brought the expansion of the so-called pure or natural sciences, and the result was
that research and teaching activities started to drift apart as science took a prominent role.
The result was that science and research activities took a major role with damaging effects
on teaching that was perceived as a secondary task with an emphasis on “the knowledge
core of the research university” (Barnett, 2011, p.1; Schimank and Winnes, 2000).
According to Barnett (1990), there is a belief that no new teaching subject can gain proper
recognition and approval in the university domain without the appropriate support of well-
established research. However, significant changes took place in the 1960s. The decade
was defined by an increasing number of student protests demanding more access to
education, which led to the initial foundations of mass higher education. The changes took
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place within the neoliberal ideology realms leading to the reforms introduced in the 1980s.
Universities started to be restructured into a different type of institution where the research-
teaching divide started to consolidate, and their separation became a widespread concern.
As research and teaching activities drifted apart, there was a need to introduce different
measures to work done by academics, as governments started to worry about the
institutions' cost-effectiveness, and institutions were required to become responsible and
accountable for discrete aspects of academic work. In his seminal work on university life,
Clark (1987) asked a professor of biology and chemistry to describe an outstanding
academic, obtaining the reply below:
“An outstanding academic is someone who makes genuine contributions to his or her field
in an elegant way, while at the same time is teaching others, passing on that information or
the techniques or the approaches, so that it’s not just one individual in isolation doing some
elegant re-search but they [sic] are actually training other people as well.” (Clark, pp. 148)
The idea of an outstanding academic aligns with the Humboldtian epitome that requires the
harmonious and perfected combination of research and teaching activities. However, in the
context of a neoliberal university, concerns emerge about the combination and integration
of teaching and research activities. There are concerns regarding the purpose of research
and teaching, how these activities can be integrated into the universities without
undermining any of them. Moreover, there is a need to ensure that academics can move
forward with their career development without entering a process that leads to frustration,
stress, and potential self-destruction. These are important aspects that need to be
considered as the new technological universities define their metrics to guide their
workforce to the desired parameters of excellence that are balanced and that align with
educational and research quality standards. The idea of research requiring teaching or
teaching requiring research is barely recognised in today’s universities (Robertson, 2008;
Schimank and Winnes, 2000). Research findings show that there is a clear “divide” between
research and teaching, and consequently, new concepts have arisen aiming to explore and
shed some light on the “research-teaching nexus” and “research-lead teaching.” In the
context of TU Dublin, the concept of a “research-informed” university emerges as the
institutional vision that must be followed as it aligns with the guidelines of the Hunt Report
(2011), but the link towards teaching is not very clear.
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7.3 The Role of Research in the University
Scholars have noted that terminology to define the role of research in the educational
context matters due to its connotations at the institutional level and because it has
implications for researchers, teachers, and students. Research activity within HEIs has a
significant effect, leading to competing and conflicting philosophical positions concerning
pedagogy and epistemology (Brew, 2003, 2006; Jenkins & Healey, 2005). This initial
distinction brings some level of questioning to the language used in Ireland's first
technological university and its strategic approach to differentiate and find its place in the
Irish HE context.
Researchers have explored and have tried to assess the value of research activity and how
it can be used to enhance teaching and learning practices and models. The research
findings suggest the existence of a relationship between research and teaching that is
mutually enhancing and enriching. Those academics who engage with both of them are
more aware of the mutual enhancing benefits associated with their combination and proper
integration (Smith and Rust, 2011). According to Rowland (1996), the relationship between
teaching and research seems to achieve balance when teaching is viewed at the same
level of research activity. Alternatively, there are dissonant voices suggesting that research
can become detrimental to student learning, as the general norm and practice is to present
research and teaching as competing activities (Harland, 2016). Cultural, political, and
economic factors have played a critical role in shaping academic practices that ensure that
the separation of teaching and research is clear. The separation of research and teaching
is crucial when understanding the meaning of a “research-informed” university. It is unclear
how research and teaching are going to be blended so that research is informed, and
researchers become active contributors to the teaching process, or if this is even part of
the TU strategic plan.
The trade-off between the critical competing elements emerging from the neoliberal
approach to tertiary education put forward significant challenges on the way that academics
are expected to perform and meet all required metrics in terms of expected research
activity. The potential contribution to student learning processes linked to the type of
curricular approach and how teaching is embedded as part of the process brings significant
challenges. Somehow, it seems that researchers are not interested in teaching and those
focused on teaching find it too difficult to engage with research activities. With the move to
mass education, there has been a shift from public expenditure supporting educational
goals towards new market-oriented funding models, which has resulted in the unavoidable
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fragmentation of academic work. Academic tasks have been separated between those with
research elements and those linked to the teaching space, contributing to the broadening
gap between research and teaching (Brew, 2010). In the international context, the 1980s
witnessed the movement towards mass education translated into substantial rises in
student enrolments, and teaching became more challenging and demanding. At the same
time, universities started to endure pressures to improve their research productivity and
identify models for self-funding their work in an environment of deteriorating working
conditions. The educational expansion was fuelled by the ideals of the neoliberal ideology
that justified the introduction of reforms that enabled the achievement of a whole private
competitive university sector. However, the reforms have not achieved expected outcomes
seeking to privatise the higher education sector through a paradigm that promoted
competition, leading to a self-funded model in any country. On the contrary, university life
has been subject to a radical transformation derived from introducing a variety of
accountability measures designed to drive productivity and competitiveness and the need
to engage in fierce competition to secure private funding.
7.4 Technological Universities Core Functions
The Technological Universities Act (2018, p. 14) outlines the core functions of a TU in
Ireland as:
a) provide teaching and facilitate learning that -
i) is informed by research, and
ii) promotes excellence at all levels of higher education within the
framework.
The primary functions of the TU are identified as providing teaching and facilitating learning;
the concept of a process informed by research is introduced. But only later in point (e) of
the given guidelines research activity is mentioned,
e) support a body of research that includes research relevant at regional, national, and
international levels and pursue excellence in the conduct of that research.
The Act does not identify research as the core element and puts upfront teaching and
facilitating learning that is informed by research. In this regard, the expectations regarding
academics and the skills required to develop as their core task seem to focus on teaching
and learning activities, and research should emerge as a supporting task.
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To some extent, university teaching and learning models seem to be detached from the
reality of an evolving society. The connection between teaching and research activity
seems to be surrounded by insurmountable barriers. The importance of students taking
responsibility and devoting time and attention to planning the course of their studies as they
embrace their “customer” role emerges as a challenging task. It is not clear in which way
students will be able to merge the research and teaching experience, as it is not clear how
teachers would be able to do it either. In addition, the inseparability of teaching and
research is not reflected in how universities function and emerge as an aspirational goal
when looking at how university models are considered and how they are presented to
students. The role of academics who engage in research activities and how they should
integrate students in the whole process remains an elusive goal.
Educators are responsible for classroom dynamics that deal with the complexity of learning
and teaching activities that help learners/students to develop and retain knowledge that
contributes to a deeper understanding of the subject matter (Taylor, 2018). However, the
learning process is characterised by significant complexities (Healey, 2015; Cord and
Clements, 2010; Healey and Jenkins: 2008). A broad range of literature acknowledges that
the learning process is not a simple task, and those essential elements need to be
considered. Learning is a social and relational activity defined by the relationship between
the student, the teacher, and its environment. The learning environment needs to promote,
nurture and foster discussion, collaboration, debate, critical thinking, problem-solving skills,
reflection, self-assessment, motivation, readiness, and many more factors (Jenkins and
Healey, 2005; Li, 2012). Educators oversee supporting students so that they can reach their
learning potential (OECD, 2018). However, the task is quite difficult as learners are very
different, and they bring a wide range of skills, abilities, linguistic and cultural backgrounds
to the classrooms. Designing curriculums that integrate learners' diverse attributes in a
context of challenges posed by the global economy within a global, regional, and national
context seems to be the desired goal. However, the difficulties of achieving a balanced
approach do not seem to be considered, and the “research-informed” dimension adds
further challenges.
7.5 Research-Informed Teaching
“Research-informed” teaching seems to be understood as students' exposure and
involvement with research activity during their time at university (University of Plymouth,
2021). The connection between research and teaching helps to develop a deep and richer
learning experience. It becomes more meaningful to students due to the connection of real-
66 | Page
world issues with the development of critical thinking skills that enhance students'
confidence and lead to the creation of employability skills. Subsequently, the learning
process is augmented by the integration of digital and networking skills that are highly
demanded by industry and critical to undergraduate and postgraduate education.
A “research-informed” university can take different approaches and be supported by
different educational models that focus on creating “research-informed” learning
experiences for their students. Different terminology emerges that seeks to integrate the
word research as part of the educational offer. Some examples include research-based,
“research-informed,” research-led, research-orientated, research-tutored, research-based
teaching, teaching-led research, research-led teaching, among many (University of
Plymouth, 2021). The concepts need to be explored to identify which one/s can create the
best conditions for a learning environment. There is a belief that each of the outlined
approaches will contribute to the development and integration of research as part of the
curriculum. It will help address different types of learners' needs. However, the variety of
options and the insistence on integrating the research element just add further confusion
to what might be expected from a “research-informed” institution and the implications for
students and academics. Consequently, it is essential to understand the benefits of some
of the most common approaches that seek to integrate research activity as part of the
learning process.
a) Research-led teaching: this type of approach brings research into the curriculum
content. As such, research underpins curriculum content. There are various options
as research findings can be considered part of the academic research output. It can
be based on a broader approach that integrates own research contributions in work
done by others. The final aim is to enrich the learning experience by bringing
different viewpoints that foster class dialogue and debate.
b) Research-orientated teaching: in this case, research becomes a process that
enables articulating and answering questions that require scientific methods as part
of the problem-solving process. Students are encouraged to identify and apply
different research methods in the chosen disciplinary and professional context. This
approach seeks to develop skills that are based on the identification and application
of suitable methodologies to their discipline and will lead towards a process of
inquiry and evaluation of different methodological approaches.
c) Research-tutored teaching seeks to enable critical discussions between lecturers
and students about the research process and its outputs. This type of approach
moves away from a pre-packaged curriculum. The learning experience seeks to
bring choices to students based on a learning experience that encourages
67 | Page
independent directed learning and collaboration that is cognisant of the social
elements of learning and the importance of networking in the development of
communication skills.
d) Research-based teaching: the learning process is supported by the use of inquiry
methods that foster students' engagement with inquiry analysis and the
communication and dissemination of practices appropriate to their area of study and
connected to the specific disciplines. This approach seeks to promote metacognitive
skills and disciplinary and professional development. As part of the learning tools,
educators integrate projects that require the completion of tasks. There is an
emphasis on the communication element as students are required to share their
findings contributing to the knowledge transfer process.
e) Teaching-led research seeks to design the curriculum in a way that the learning
process is associated with research activity within the university by facilitating
students' contributions to specific departmental projects. Through this approach,
students can learn and progress with their understanding of real-world problems
presented through specific research projects.
According to Harland (2016), teaching-led research is an approach that seeks to develop a
connection between teaching and research that moves away from the more usual
conception of research-led teaching or “research-informed” practices. Teaching-led
research aims to enhance teaching, but the core idea is that research becomes a natural
activity of the learning process that seeks to enrich teaching. Harland argues that teaching
to enhance research should be the foundational idea for the modern research university.
However, the idea is subject to significant challenges due to cultural and political barriers
and the difficulties of its realisation, as it depends on the development of teaching and
learning processes that are clear about the essential elements of the process.
7.6 TU Dublin a Research-Informed University
At the beginning of the 19th century, the idea of a modern university that should unite
teaching and research activities was proposed by Wilhelm von Humboldt. Humboldt
conceived a university where professors should simultaneously engage in teaching and
research activities (Schimank and Winnes, 2000). Humboldt reacted to the extreme
differentiation of teaching and research that existed in German universities, suggesting that
teaching and research activities belong to the educational system and should be identified
as core tasks of the universities. The specialised nature of research activity should
represent a major worry for TU Dublin. As the newly created institution engages in its
68 | Page
organisational change, there are serious concerns regarding its identity and ability to
communicate the meaning of emerging as a “research-informed” institution. Three
teaching-oriented institutions face significant challenges as they are reshaped to what
seems to be emerging as a more research-oriented institution. The newly formed institution
might lose its identity and head towards historical difficulties faced by European
Universities, such as the case for British, German Italian, and Spanish universities that
have embarked on the same transition since the 1990s.
7.7 Summary and Critical Reflections
Governments worldwide have embraced neoliberalism and the need to achieve economic
efficiencies. The impact of the educational sector is quite significant as the state is
demanding higher levels of accountability from higher education institutions. As such, the
quality of their work has been subject to more controls, as universities and colleges need
to answer and become accountable for the quality of academic work and comply with
specific research metrics. The commodification of higher education through introducing the
“student-customer” role has significantly damaged the educational sector by critically
impacting academics and their work. Accountability and competition have been identified
as the drivers for required changes. The ultimate goal is to ensure that research and
teaching activities can be evaluated, measured, monitored, controlled, and rewarded
differently. The message is loud and clear in the research university: professors' highest
rank positions are nearly always given to a selected number of individuals who can excel
in research. The professorship brings significant monetary rewards, substantial power at
the institutional level, and status incentives. Teaching does not play an important role when
rewarding academic contributions, as teaching only needs to be good enough as it is
understood as a secondary and not relevant task. There are no significant rewards in terms
of promotions and future career progression associated with excellent teaching skills.
Overall, the work done seeking to bring together research and teaching activities seems to
be motivated by the need to balance teaching activities so that it achieves greater uniformity
and parity with research, as teaching does not enjoy the prestige enjoyed by research work
(Rowland, 1996). A worthwhile idea of exploring is the need to measure and capture to
which extent learning experiences are impacted by research activity and to which extent
those experiences are integrated as part of TU Dublin's mission and how the “research-
informed” TU starts to unfold.
69 | Page
Chapter 08
Conclusions
This thesis aimed to address two critical research questions: a) what are the main
challenges faced by the newly formed Technological Universities? and b) what does it mean
to be a “research-informed” university? There are very important economic and institutional
cultural challenges that need to be considered. A critical challenge that emerges as the
university transitions towards a “research-informed” university relates to staff workloads
that are not aligned with the work done within the university sector. For example, the lack
of national agreement regarding staff workload adds significant difficulties in enabling TUs
staff to develop their research skills and work on their supervisory skills when their workload
achievements and challenges are not recognised, and required support is not in place.
Likewise, major concerns are the economic recovery in the post-pandemic era; due to its
implications for the development of the TUs and their ability to develop a self-funding
sustainable model. Additionally, the lack of research culture, knowledge exchange, a
learning model historically dominated by teaching, and a conflicting relationship between
management and academic staff are major institutional factors that can deter the newly
formed institutions' desire to accomplish their strategic vision. There are very ambitious
objectives to be met that can be summarised as the development of research activity and
supervisory tasks within a self-funding model so that the new TUs comply with the
requirements set by the 2018 TU Act. More specifically, and addressing the second
research question, it seems that the priority is to transition towards more “research-
oriented” institutions. The 2018 TU Act requires that TUs make significant efforts to improve
research productivity, secure research funding, and expand their research supervisory
capabilities to align with quantitative research indicators. As part of the transition towards
a TU, there are very ambitious goals of increasing funding and postgraduate research
education over the next decade. Ireland’s ability to increase income and diversify its
research sources relies on the recruitment of international students and researchers.
As Ireland transitions into a “knowledge-based” economy, significant efforts are required to
ensure that the country’s HEIs can address educational needs that are in tune with the
requirements of industry and the challenges posed by the digitalisation of the economy,
climate change, and societal changes. An essential issue to address is the importance and
role of research activity across the programmes and curriculums that span from
undergraduate programmes and consolidate as students progress with their academic
70 | Page
journey in the newly constituted universities. Research activity cannot be considered in a
silo approach confined to the development of doctoral candidates, as research activity
should be core to every student helping to differentiate the Irish TUs from national and
global trends and enabling the institutions to find their own place in the Irish and
international education sector.
In a challenging economic system, research activity to inform practice needs to be aware
of the limitations of the idea of “a student as a customer” and the needs of the labour market
as the economy responds to emerging challenges. Therefore, research activity should be
considered as a critical aspect of students learning experience. However, the role of
industry and how practitioners engage with HEIs is an aspect that requires significant
attention as it is a source of considerable concern. Without a doubt, the learning process
needs to evolve, and it requires flexibility to adjust to ever-changing market conditions. Still,
it should not be limited to the needs and demands of a market-driven economy.
Employability skills are critical and emphasise the importance of integrating practitioners’
experiences as part of course curriculums. However, the process needs to take a careful
approach that finds an appropriate balance between academic work, the development of
high-quality research, and interaction with the wisdom and experience emanating from
working environments. The educational sector cannot follow a philosophical approach
detached from the economic reality. However, the answer is not to surrender to the will of
the political class and the interests of multinationals and transnational corporations.
Over the past two decades, Irish universities working conditions have deteriorated, leading
to the cannibalisation of collegiate and collaborative culture (Hodgins and Mannix-
McNamara, 2021). Academic pressures and the increasing levels of competition have led
to a culture of individualism with a myopic focus on university rankings. The need to publish
in top academic journals, and the increased competition to secure research funding has
resulted in the declining quality of learning and teaching environments. Unfortunately,
universities are immersed in voracious and competitive practices, where individual
academics compete for promotions and awards, fuelled by a culture of institutional bullying
that leads towards worrying trends on how universities are understood and positioned in
the educational landscape. Sadly, academic work has experienced significant degradation
due to the increasing levels of petty bureaucracy and top-down micromanagement.
According to Sims experiences (2021), these elements represent and define the intrusion
of managerialism in higher education today. The collective wisdom suggests that an initial
step towards learning environments that allow us to build a new university should be
supported by collaboration and cooperation between different areas of expertise that help
71 | Page
create the best possible conditions for learning, teaching, and research activities.
Regrettably, the lack of staff involvement in the decision-making process and the neglect
of their views and experiences are, without a doubt, critical problems that need to be solved
if the idea is to develop a strong higher education sector in Ireland (Courtois and O’Keefe,
2015). It is naïve to think that an educational model will succeed and flourish when it
excludes one of its critical players - academics.
Undoubtedly, the neoliberal ideology has had profound knock-on effects on the educational
system at global levels, and Ireland has not been isolated to the basic principles of the
doctrine. It is disingenuous to think that education is not linked to the economic system.
Consequently, the problem is understanding the state's role and the kind of activities that
need to sustain to enable the well-being and development of its citizens while ensuring that
economic sustainability is part of the process, but not the only area of concern. The
confusion between bailing out big banks and sacrificing the educational sector is not a
problem that can be limited to the tenets of the neoliberal ideology; it is a problem of the
political class and government leaders as they decide on their priorities. It is also a social
problem as democratic societies succumb to materialism and consumerism trends, and
there is no concern regarding the importance of a balanced and equal civilisation. However,
as a democratic society, we share responsibility regarding the role of education and how
we wish to define the opportunities available to future generations. There is no doubt that
competition, efficiencies, and responsible allocation of resources are a must. However, the
expectation that the HE sector should be operated as a private business is a matter of
serious concern. Publicly funded university education should not be about serving the
interests of the political class, multinationals, transnationals, and the affluent classes and
surrendering our children's future to their will. In democracy, education should be more than
that; it should enable us to take ownership of our future and help us be part of a more equal
and balanced society that offers equal opportunities and does not favour just a few. The
research outcomes of this thesis require some time for further reflection, as careful
consideration should be given to our educational models and where we are heading with
them. Are we contributing to the creation of modern slavery in the name of the market
economy? Should we surrender our thinking and critical understanding of our reality to
Thatcher’s idea of “There is no other Alternative?” Is that what the Irish TUs will become?
Well, there are indeed alternatives; they just need to be considered and explored. The world
economy will keep evolving and adjusting, and there will be more economic and financial
crises that will pose serious threats to Ireland. Therefore, a strong, solid, and resilient
educational sector is needed to help the country weather future challenges. Indeed, Irish
TUs face significant idiosyncratic challenges derived from their institutional culture, lack of
72 | Page
research activity, and inadequate funding. Only time will tell if Ireland’s TUs aspiration to
become “research-informed” universities is the answer to much-needed changes in the
educational landscape. Ireland needs a competitive, innovative and inclusive educational
model. However, there are significant challenges ahead as TUs find their place in the Irish
educational landscape and as they decide to embrace or hopefully challenge the neoliberal
ideology when developing and implementing their educational vision and aspirations.
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