Strengthening Education Through International Collaboration: SAIT and Ireland’s TUS Lead the Way
- Ireland Alberta Trade Association
- May 15
- 5 min read
Updated: May 21
The Ireland Alberta Trade Association (IATA) is proud to support the growing collaboration between Alberta’s Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Ireland’s Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)—a relationship that exemplifies the power of international partnerships in higher education.
Sparked by shared values, strategic alignment, and a mutual focus on learner outcomes, this partnership has evolved into a dynamic collaboration spanning applied research, joint programming, and student mobility. With the support of the Irish Higher Education Authority and the Governments of Alberta and Ireland, this initiative reflects the broader potential of Ireland-Alberta relations to foster innovation, cultural exchange, and real-world impact through education.
To better understand how this relationship came to be—and where it’s headed—we sat down with SAIT to hear more about the inspiration, process, and promising outcomes of their partnership with TUS.
How did the SAIT–Ireland connection begin?
SAIT has a longstanding history of partnering with institutions around the world, always with the intent of improving learner outcomes and experience. Ireland’s Technical University system captured SAIT’s attention a few years ago as a model from which SAIT could potentially learn. That investigation led to contact with officials from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which is the Irish Ministry responsible for post-secondary education in Ireland, and eventually with the Technical University of the Shannon TUS) based in Limerick. SAIT President and CEO Dr. David Ross visited Ireland in the fall of 2023 to meet with and learn more from leaders with both the HEA and TUS. Soon after Dr. Ross and his counterpart at TUS, Dr. Vincent Cunnane, appointed senior leaders from their respective institutions to begin investigating potential collaborations. What was discovered was two like-minded and forward-thinking institutions with both focused on learner outcomes, teaching excellence, and a shared interest in joint research and a range of other initiatives.
What sparked the first conversation?
A senior official from Ireland’s Higher Education Authority attended Polytechnics Canada, a stakeholder association SAIT belongs and co-founded, and was engaged by SAIT leaders who were keen to learn more about the Irish higher education system. The rest as they say is history.
Why was Ireland a natural fit for SAIT?
Ireland’s technological university structure is similar to Canada’s polytechnic structure with a focus on applied learning.
What makes SAIT and TUS a strong match?
SAIT and TUS share strategic alignment of internationalizing curriculum and working to enhance the student experience, so it made sense to engage in a collaborative relationship because of our mutual strategic priorities.
How did the partnership take shape?
Key leaders from each institution met virtually several times over the year to discuss potential areas of collaboration leading up to the signing of a collaborative agreement.
What happened during SAIT’s visit to Ireland?
Dr. David Ross, President and CEO, Dr. Janet Welch, Vice-President Academic, Glenn Shepherd, Director, Government and Public Affairs, Grant Van Shaik, Director, Strategic Planning, and Sonja Chamberlin, Dean, School of Health and Public Safety traveled to Ireland in September 2024. This aligned with the signing of the collaborative agreement between the two institutions and an MOU between the Government of Ireland and the Province of Alberta signed by Patrick O'Donovan TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education of Alberta.
How did the Irish delegation engage in Calgary?
Dr. Donnacha McNamara, Vice President Internationalization and Alumni, Dr. Liam Brown, Vice President, Research, Development & Innovation, and Dr. Paudie Murray, TUS Head of Research and RUN-EU Co-Ordinator visited SAIT in November 2024.
What motivated SAIT to pursue this collaboration?
As part of SAIT’s continued strategic direction, we have a foundational commitment to expanding global partnerships. This relationship is an opportunity to share information and best practices and develop new and engaging education methods in support of student success.
What role did IATA play in facilitating this connection?
The IATA gave SAIT a push to think about opportunities in Ireland. The IATA provided insight and guidance in identifying officials in Irish government, diplomatic, and higher education that SAIT has engaged with as part of our overall Irish strategy.
What has collaboration with Irish institutions been like?
They have been willing partners to explore areas of common interest and collaboration.
How has the HEA supported the initiative?
The Higher Education Authority staff have been helpful in brokering the relationship between TUS and SAIT and focusing our conversations and guiding potential areas of collaboration. They have also provided financial support to Irish institutions.
What challenges did you encounter along the way?
Understanding each other’s organizational structures to be able to connect people performing similar functions in each institution. Also identifying potential funding sources to support the initiatives.
What are the key areas of collaboration?
The commitment is to progress initiatives in each of the six areas of collaboration; teaching and learning, joint program development and delivery, applied research, student mobility, skill identification and flexible delivery, and institutional development.
Where is the partnership headed next?
SAIT has created working groups aligned with each area of collaboration who are progressing initiatives with their TUS counterparts.
How was the experience of engaging with Ireland?
Ireland is a beautiful country and its people are very friendly, hospitable, and collaborative. It is true what they say… Ireland’s greatest resource are her people. Ireland’s higher education system has a rich history, is well advanced and has some fundamental differences compared to the higher education system in Canada and Alberta from which we can learn.
What successes have you seen so far?
SAIT and TUS are in the process of creating a pathway agreement for SAIT’s Fitness and Wellness Management students to transfer into TUS’ Applied Sports Science program in Strength and Conditioning.
SAIT and TUS have also collaborated to apply for funding through the European Unions’s Erasmus student mobility program to support a staff and student exchange initiative in this programming area.
SAIT’s Study Abroad department is actively recruiting SAIT students to participate in TUS’s summer camps.
Senior leaders from TUS Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development are tentatively planning to attend and present at SAIT’s faculty showcase event in May 2025.
The collaboration between SAIT and TUS stands as a testament to the value of international partnerships—and to the role IATA plays in helping make them possible. By connecting Alberta institutions with key decision-makers and innovators in Ireland, IATA continues to open doors for strategic collaboration, knowledge exchange, and long-term economic and educational benefits on both sides of the Atlantic. This partnership is just one example of how IATA supports meaningful, forward-thinking opportunities that strengthen the Ireland–Alberta relationship and build a more connected, innovative future.
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