Dr. Seán Rowland:

When we talk about pedagogy, we must recognise that it is at the core of the teacher curriculum. When one looks at the history, psychology and sociology of education, as well as the philosophy of education, all of these courses contribute to the core of the curriculum that student teachers must successfully complete and be examined on in order to graduate. In looking at our provision, we have been very fortunate to attract the input of some international experts. The dean of the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University, Kathleen McCartney, is on our board, for example, and she offers great insights into education in Finland, a country she frequently visits, as well as education in the United States. We also have many colleagues in the United Kingdom and here in Ireland too. I know that Senator Healy Eames has been in the United States and got her doctorate there.

We have great leaders in education at home, with people like Mr. Brian MacCraith at DCU, who is a leader in his field. His contribution to education is equal to or better than those of most people in Finland. It is great to get international input and examine best practice but it is also great to be able to come back home and see that many people are doing it right here and engaging at the highest levels. As we move forward over the next ten years, as mentioned by committee members, if Ireland can engage, as a small island off the coast of Europe, there are hundreds of millions of potential students that can be reached.

We are in 36 countries with the pharmaceutical medicine programme, which is a master's degree programme at the highest level. To get into the programme, one needs a master's degree, a medical degree or a doctorate. It is not shilly-shallying around with low academics. This concerns doctors, pharmacists, researchers and statisticians, who can be incredibly demanding. They do not waste even an hour so if there is a hint of three minutes not going productively, one would immediately be slammed. With regard to faculty, we mostly hire in Ireland, but there are also some world-class experts who would satisfy the intellectual appetites of these people. Those people would fly to be on-site in Ireland.

We need institutions, either public or private, to work more closely together. We are a for-profit group and any surplus we have made in any year since our establishment has gone back into the programme. Nobody has ever taken a profit.