THE STATE’S seven universities face a “civil war” and could split into various groups unless they are more honest with each other about collaboration, the president of Dublin City University, Ferdinand von Prondzynski, has warned.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen will announce details this afternoon of an unprecedented research merger between UCD and TCD.
The controversial move comes after months of talks between the two universities.
But, in an e-mail sent to the other university presidents and several senior academics, Dr von Prondzynski said the merger had been completed secretly, in a way which “destroys trust and confidence”.
The key worry, he writes, is that college presidents have not been open with each other. “If this is to be corrected, we need to meet and have an honest discussion, in which we genuinely reveal and hear what we are all up to. Otherwise we’ll split into groups and civil war.”
The seven university presidents attended a special meeting of the Irish University Association (IUA) last night amid continuing rancour about the UCD/TCD merger of scientific research functions of both universities.
The other presidents have expressed concern that research funding would be “ring-fenced” to support the new merger but this has been denied by Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe.
UCC president Dr Michael Murphy – whose university has a very strong record in research – has expressed concern about any “sweetheart’’ deal for UCD/TCD.
In his e-mail, Dr Prondzynski said he could not understand why details of the merger were not revealed at the last IUA meeting before they became public in The Irish Times and elsewhere last Friday. He said UCD president Dr Hugh Brady and Trinity provost Dr John Hegarty must have known these reports were coming.
“I find it hard to understand that we were not alerted in any way, and had to find out by reading the newspapers. Even now we have not been given any briefing or comment by either college, which I find extraordinary. This kind of thing destroys trust and confidence.
“My worry is that what is happening has the potential to undermine – possibly fatally – the IUA.’’
The Government has strongly backed the new merger between the only two Irish colleges in the world top 200. It has been disappointed with results from the €1 billion investment in third-level research and hopes the merger will deliver innovation and jobs as outlined in its “smart economy’’ document last year.
It had hoped to accompany the announcement with the promise of special funding to support the merger but the angry reaction from other universities has postponed such moves.
In his e-mail, Dr Prondzynski writes: “If the two colleges are arguing as part of this development that they should be the primary beneficiaries of priority research investment . . . that undermines the basis of all IUA collaboration to date.’’
