ATU President calls for constraints to be lifted to 'unlock potential'

By Paul McElwee

PRESIDENT of the Atlantic Technological University, Dr Orla Flynn, has said that the university is currently ‘unable to deliver on our promise for the region’ because of constraints placed upon the technological university sector.

Dr Flynn was addressing a conferring session at ATU’s Donegal Letterkenny campus yesterday (30th) when she made the comments, saying that the constraints must be lifted if the educational facility is to fully serve the needs of the West and Northwest regions of Ireland.

Among the constraints placed on ATU is the university’s inability to appoint professors, access funds to deliver essential facilities for students and staff and develop affordable student accommodation.

Dr Flynn highlighted recent achievements unlocked by the university in the fields of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy programmes, announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan TD during a recent address in Limerick, which will see a Masters of Pharmacy programme introduced at ATU, as examples of delivering on the university’s potential.

She commented: “In our two and a half years of existence, ATU has been especially focused on the needs of the people of our region. The recent announcements that we will be providing programmes in Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy are evidence of this commitment. My thanks to all involved in this outstanding work even though there is a lot more work to do in the months ahead.”

In closing, Dr Flynn made an impassioned appeal to policymakers and government leaders, saying: “I am calling on those who hold the keys to use them, to enable us to unlock our full potential and, in turn, the potential of the region.”

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