Penn College officials establish ties with Irish university

Two Pennsylvania College of Technology officials from the School of Engineering Technologies recently established the framework for a partnership with South East Technological University in Carlow, Ireland.

The institutions are developing a student exchange program to begin in summer 2028 that would be geared to students in various engineering-related majors.

Daniel J. Clasby, assistant dean of engineering technologies: assessment & accreditation, and Stacey C. Hampton, assistant dean of industrial and computer technologies, recently visited SETU, a public technological university known for providing practical industry-focused education.

Learn International, an Irish-owned and operated educational organization specializing in study-abroad programs and cross-cultural learning opportunities, introduced Penn College to SETU.

“Penn College and SETU are so alike in many ways that Learn International thought we’d be good partners,” Clasby said. “It’s difficult to find good matches to applied technological colleges here in the U.S. and abroad because we are so unique. Both Penn College and SETU share a strong commitment to applied learning, workforce development, and industry-driven, career-focused education.”

During their trip, Clasby and Hampton toured SETU facilities and met with SETU students, university leaders and representatives from industry.

“We gained a deeper understanding of the connections between the two institutions with insight into curricular equivalencies, transfer pathways, faculty collaboration and student work opportunities,” Clasby said. “We also learned a lot about SETU lab facilities, applied learning practices and industry connections that will advance our hopes for long-term partnership opportunities. There are lots of opportunities for future engagement.”