Carlow International College of Technology has received approval from the Chinese Ministry.
Declan Doyle, Vice-President for Development and Research at IT Carlow, along with Donal McAlister, International Manager at IT Carlow (below), led the application process for approval from the Chinese Ministry of Education to establish a joint institute in China.
Institute of Technology Carlow has become the first Irish institute of technology to receive approval from the Chinese Ministry of Education to establish a joint institute in China.
Carlow International College of Technology, located in the city of Zhengzhou in Henan province, has been approved for an annual intake of 280 students and a total learner population of 1,120 from September 2022. The new college will initially deliver three Degree Programmes:
– BSc (Honours) in Brewing and Distilling;
– BSc (Honours) in Sustainable Farm Management and Agribusiness:
– BSc (Honours) in Software Development.
Carlow International College of Technology will operate in partnership with Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy (HUAHE). Its establishment with the backing of the Chinese Ministry of Education is the first-ever endorsement given by the Chinese government to an Irish institute of technology; currently, only UCD and NUI Maynooth have a similar approval.
Dr Ann Derwin, Ambassador of Ireland to the People’s Republic of China, congratulated the Institute of Technology Carlow on its achievement:
“On behalf of Team Ireland in China, and as the ambassador of Ireland to China, sincere congratulations to IT Carlow for being the first Irish Institute of Technology to receive approval from the Ministry of Education for a joint institute in China. It is a great achievement and many congratulations.
“Carlow International College of Technology, in partnership with Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, will further contribute to the educational and research exchanges between Ireland and China in the areas of food, farming and computing. I look forward to the launch of this partnership, and be assured of the continuous support of Team Ireland in China.”
Donal McAlister, International Manager at IT Carlow (below), along with Declan Doyle, Vice-President for Development and Research at IT Carlow, led the application process for approval from the Chinese Ministry of Education to establish a joint institute in China.
“This is a hugely important development in international relations for Institute of Technology Carlow. We have been working in China since 1995, during which time more than 1,000 Chinese students have graduated from the institute across all of our faculties. The cooperation and advice received from the Embassy of Ireland in China, and from Education in Ireland, were critical to the success of this application.”
Shixi Luo, President of HUAHE, commented:
“The establishment of Carlow International College of Technology will bring closer cooperation between IT Carlow and HUAHE in the field of talent training, thus leading to further exchanges in science, technology and culture.
“Through the integration of educational philosophy and resources, the internationalisation level of the two institutions will be promoted, and the domestic and international influence of the two institutions will be enhanced.
“This cooperation will bring a new level of cooperation in higher education between China and Ireland and inject new momentum for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.”
Eoin O Leary, Former Irish ambassador to China, travelled to Zhengzhou on two occasions to accompany the IT Carlow team to high-level meetings with the provincial ministry.
David Denieffe, Vice President for Academic Affairs, oversaw Policy Implementation, while Assistant Registrar Dr Yvonne Kavanagh and Dr David Ryan led a number of site visits and chaired the validation meetings.
Separate Initiative
In a separate initiative, IT Carlow is currently collaborating with another Chinese education partner regarding the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Visual Communications and Design taught at its Wexford Campus School of Art and Design (WCSAD). Some 200 students are enrolled in this course in North-East China, while approval from the National Accreditation Board in Ghana of a collaboration with the institute’s Department of Computing is also pending.
By the academic year 2025/26, the Institute of Technology Carlow looks to have 2,000 learners based overseas, making it the largest Irish provider of transnational education programmes.
Declan Doyle, Vice President for Development and Research, IT Carlow (5th from right) and Donal McAlister, International Manager, IT Carlow (4th from right) are pictured with associates in China. Also pictured are: Giles O’Neill, Head of Education in Ireland (4th from left); President Lui of HUAHE University (5th from left); former Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD (8th from left) and former Irish Ambassador to China Eoin O’Leary (9th from left).