This research will address a gap in the literature in relation to the lack of information “available on the actual diversity of institutional missions and profiles in the various national higher education systems in Europe other than that provided in a formal, often legal sense.” (VanVught 2009, p.19). This research will specifically focus on the binary system of higher education in Ireland, concentrating on universities and non-university institutions (Institutes of Technology [IoTs]).  

A binary system of higher education is in existence in Ireland since the second half of the 20^th century, consisting of Regional Technical Colleges (now Institutes of Technology) and Universities. Over the years there was a blurring of boundaries in relation to differentiation of mission, with the universities guilty of vocational drift and the IoTs pursuing academic drift to such an extent that it is now difficult to identify to what extent diversity exists within or between the two institutional types.

The Irish government adopted as policy the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 (Hunt 2011, p.23), which states in recommendation number 19: “A framework should be developed to facilitate system-wide collaboration between diverse institutions.” and recommendation number 20: “The institute of technology sector should commence a process of evolution and consolidation; amalgamated institutions reaching the appropriate scale and capacity could potentially be re-designated.”

The incentive to become a Technological University has IoTs collaborating and forming alliances, willing to abandon / refocus their founding mission in pursuit of a status they may be incapable of obtaining due to rigorous criteria set by the traditional universities, criteria that have a research focus and do not recognise the multidimensional profile and third mission focus evident within the Institutes of Technology.

This research is necessary in order to determine the extent to which there is convergence or divergence in the profile and institutional missions of the Institutes of Technology, compared to the university sector in Ireland and the non-university sector in select countries in Europe. The Institutes of Technology are relatively young institutions (approximately forty years old), but have recently undergone a significant name change from Regional Technical Colleges in 1997/98. All are now interested in a further name change to a Technological University, but it is not clear how the profile and mission of this new entity will differ from the existing institutions, and whether or not there will be gaps in the provision of vocational education as a consequence of this re-designation.

This research will be a combination of the theory/practice interpretative model and the empirical model due to the proposed range of inquiry and research methods to be employed.

The research will be based on the theory of Diversity in Higher Education and will draw on literature relevant to this area in addition to literature and theories on governance in higher education; mergers; higher education policy; organisational theory related to organisational identity and identification.

(HEA), H. E. A. (2012). Towards a Future Higher Education Landscape. Hunt, C. (2011). National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030. VanVught, F. A., Ed. (2009). Mapping the Higher Education Landscape. Towards a European Classification of Higher Education. Higher Education Dynamics, Springer.