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LAST UPDATE | 19 Nov 2025
IRELAND IS GETTING its first cross-border college with a partnership between Queen’s University Belfast and Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).
The partnership will establish DkIT as a university college of Queen’s University Belfast and its name will change to Dundalk University College.
The governing body of DkIT and the senate of Queen’s have formally agreed on the development of the partnership and it is expected a formal agreement will be signed next month.
It is hoped that DkIT will be fully operational as a university college of Queen’s in the academic year of 2026. For people who enrol in DkIT from September 2026, they will graduate with with a Queen’s University Belfast Degree or postgraduate qualification.
According to the two institutions, the partnership will see the current institute of technology “embedded within Queen’s academic and quality assurance frameworks, ensuring students in Dundalk receive the same standard of education and award as those studying in Belfast”.
The Dundalk institute will retain its current financial, staffing and governance autonomy. It will continue to deliver provisions such as apprenticeships.
Queen’s University Belfast is ranked 104 in Europe and 279 in the world, according to EduRank. By the same metric, DkIT is ranked 961 in Europe and 3,310 in the world.
Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless has updated Cabinet on the development.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Lawless said the move is both “historic and symbolic”.
“This proposal builds on the strong tradition of North–South collaboration fostered through the Shared Island initiative.
“As the first all-island initiative of its kind, the proposed partnership reflects the pivotal role higher education has in driving collaboration in research, innovation, teaching and learning, delivering benefits for students, educators and wider society,” the minister said.
He added that his Department will work closely with DkIT as the partnership develops and he wishes both institutions well.
Reacting to the announcement, Labour TD for Louth, Ged Nash, congratulated DkIT and said he hoped a satellite campus could also be set up in Drogheda.
“A town of Drogheda’s size needs a third-level institution and DkIT has pointed the way towards progress with this new and innovative agreement with Queen’s University,” he said.
Nash added that he hopes today’s news will result in the new Dundalk University College becoming an even more significant driver of economic, social and cultural development for the region.
“There has been many twists and turns in the road on the institute’s path to University College status, and I’m delighted that dream now looks set to become a reality and huge congratulations are due to everyone who played a part in getting us here,” the Drogheda man said.
With reporting from Jane Matthews
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