Teachers College and Mary Immaculate College of Ireland have launched a collaboration focused on international research, learning and global exchange, as per a new memorandum of understanding signed earlier this month.
“TC’s global research and scholarship has defined our community since our founding, and is core to our very community” says KerryAnn O’Meara, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the College. “This partnership with Mary Immaculate College of Ireland is part of our broader work to strengthen our capacity to address global educational challenges through collaborative research and innovation, while deepening TC’s rich history in international education. We are looking forward to embarking on this collaboration with MIC to benefit from mutual exchange of ideas and innovations, learning from what has worked in each cultural context.”
This three-year partnership seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and classroom practice through collaborative initiatives like the Teachers’ Research Exchange (T-REX) Project and the International Research Methods Summer School. In addition to research collaboration, the agreement outlines plans for faculty and student exchanges, joint academic conferences, and the development of virtual exchange opportunities within online graduate programs.
“We are delighted to formalise this partnership with Teachers College. Mary Immaculate College’s long-standing leadership in teacher education, and our approach to values-led, reciprocal international engagement, align closely with Teachers College’s commitment to equity, inclusion and student-centred learning," says Professor Dermot Nestor, President of MIC. "This agreement creates a strong platform for collaboration on shared educational challenges and opportunities, and on shaping more just and sustainable futures.”
Dr. Holly Cowman, Director of International Engagement at MIC, added: “This partnership will enrich the teaching, learning and research environments at both institutions. We are grateful to KerryAnn O’Meara, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the College, Portia Williams, Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Global Affairs, and Jazmin Guardado, International Projects and Partnerships Manager, for their collaboration on this MoU, and we want to especially acknowledge TC's John Allegrante, Charles Irwin Lambert Professor of Health Behavior and Education, who initiated this partnership with the inquiry, ‘Is MIC the TC of Ireland or is TC the MIC of the United States?’”
Established in 1898, Mary Immaculate College is a University-level institution specializing in education and liberal arts, academically affiliated with the University of Limerick. The multi-campus College serves a diverse community of over 5,000 students across a comprehensive range of programs, including undergraduate degrees in Primary and Post-Primary Education, Psychology, Liberal Arts, and Early Childhood Care and Education, as well as postgraduate studies.
The College’s partnership with Mary Immaculate is the latest development in the College’s robust global engagement efforts, which include TC’s expanding global education programs and the conference hosted in partnership with the European University for Well-Being (EUniWell), with contributions by MIC faculty, Dr. Margaret Nohilly and Dr. Fionnuala Tynan."
“In communities around the world, TC faculty, alumni and students collaborate with international partners to advance key questions across research and scholarship,” explains Williams. “We’re glad to count MIC among those partners.”