UCD AND the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) have unveiled a new academic alliance.
The alliance is the latest in a wave of new collaborations among third-level colleges.
It will see both colleges working together in teaching and research in areas such as Art History and Cultural Policy in UCD and Visual Culture in NCAD.
It will also see the development of new joint courses and research projects across architecture, engineering and education in UCD and design, fine art and education in NCAD.
The alliance should also create opportunities for the development of graduate and common research activity in both institutions. The alliance will be located at Newman House on St Stephen’s Green.
It comes at a time when the higher education sector is under pressure from government to establish centres of excellence across various disciplines.
Under the joint agreement, NCAD will retain institutional autonomy and continue to operate from its present location in Thomas Street, Dublin.
From September 2011, NCAD will become a recognised college of UCD, who will validate its degrees.
NCAD is at present a recognised college of the National University of Ireland (NUI) .
Earlier this year, the Government announced that the NUI, which awards qualifications in some of the State’s major third-level colleges, is to be dissolved after more than a century in existence.
