At Home and Abroad

Queen’s University Belfast and Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) have today announced a major new partnership that will establish Dundalk Institute of Technology as a University College of Queen’s. The collaboration will catalyse economic and social development within the Dublin-Belfast corridor and enhance higher education, research and innovation provision for the region. The Governing Body of DkIT and the Senate of Queen’s have formally approved the development of the strategic partnership. It is anticipated a formal agreement will be signed in December 2025, with the aim of having the new University College fully operational for the start of the 2026 academic year. Students enrolling from September 2026 would graduate with a Queen’s degree or postgraduate qualification. The partnership will see DkIT 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 Institute will retain its financial, staffing and governance autonomy, consistent with the collegiate model through which St Mary’s University College and Stranmillis University College operate in partnership with Queen’s. The Institute will continue to play a vital role as part of the technological sector in Ireland, to include the delivery of essential educational provisions such as apprenticeships.