MEND Region

In 2013 a Higher Education Authority report stated the importance of colleges forming regional relationships to share knowledge and resources. These were known as clusters.

The clusters are designed to meet the full range of higher education needs of a region and to advance regional development. Within a cluster institutes and universities collaborate to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their activities.

College Connect is part of the MEND (Midlands, the East, and North Dublin) cluster. 

The national clusters are:

1. Dublin I (UCD, TCD, NCAD and Dun Laoghaire IADT);
2. Dublin II cluster (consisting of the MEND region – DCU, Dundalk IT, MU, and TUS – Athlone Campus):
3. South (UCC, Cork IT, IT Tralee, Waterford IT and IT Carlow);
4. Mid-West (UL, Mary Immaculate College and Limerick IT);
5. West (NUI Galway, St. Angela’s College, Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT);