Irish conference talks about widening access

Greater cooperation between the higher education systems north and south of the Irish border was a theme discussed at a conference in Dublin yesterday. It was organised jointly by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and its Irish equivalent - the Central Applications Office - and was sponsored by the Irish Independent newspaper. The aim was to explore widening access and progression in a north/south context with a particular focus on disadvantaged and under-represented groups. It was held in the same week as figures disclosed that Irish universities were falling short of their targets for increased numbers of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.