Dr Gerald Morgan of Trinity’s English Department has hit out at cliams that UCD are Ireland’s best university. On the welcome note of the UCD website the college has dubbed itself as Ireland’s ‘Premier University’, which appears on google when you search for UCD.
Dr Morgan has asked the university to clarify why it considers itself the best university in Ireland when the Times Higher Education/QS University Rankings has placed Trinity at No.1 in Ireland, and UCD at No.2. In world rankings Trinity is placed 43rd while UCD is 89th. Dr Morgan stated that; “It’s a great achievement for Trinity to be 43 and for UCD to say it’s the premier university at 89...it’s for them to clarify what they mean, and it’s very important that we know who the best people are. We’ve got to make it right.” He went on to say that: “Of all our institutions, universities above all cannot be seen publicly to be promoting falsehoods.
We shall lose credibility on the international stage if that is seen to be the case.” What seems to be of particular worry is that this false claim is so visible to anyone who enters UCD on Google. For any prospective International students it is very misleading and could indeed damage Trinity’s educational status. Dr Morgan has stressed that he “expects UCD to clarify its position on this issue as a matter of courtesy to all of us in Ireland.”
Trinity has in the past 10 years been ranked the top university in Ireland, according to the lecturer. It is UCD’s first time to enter the top 100. He added: “Trinity could say that it is the premier university but it wouldn’t because it would be a discourtesy to the other universities.” Dr Morgan was keen however to stress that these views were his and not in any way connected with Trinity.
There has always been a good natured rivalry between Trinity and UCD and causing a cooling of relations is not what Dr Morgan intends to do. He stated; “We ought to applaud the achievements of both universities but you can’t make statements that you can’t stand over.”
UCD however have claimed that it is; “possible to have two leading universities in Ireland, just the same as it’s possible to have two or three top athletes in a country.”
Trinity and UCD have been working very closely lately as part of the TCD / UCD Innovation Alliance. This is a radical partnership which will work with the education sector, the State and its agencies and the business and venture capital communities to develop a world-class ecosystem for innovation that will drive enterprise development and the creation of sustainable high value jobs. In relation to this UCD stated that they “work closely with Trinity, and a new innovation alliance has been set up with Trinity recently. It’s a major move between two universities to work together.”
Edited November 26, 2009
