Institute of technology

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Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system. It may refer to both an institution of higher education specialising in technology, a vocational education institution specialized in technical education, or a mixture of both. It can be also the name of any secondary education school using that terms, usually focused in vocational training courses. The term polytechnic comes from the Greek πολύ polú meaning "many" and τεχνικός tekhnikós meaning "arts". While the term "institute of technology" is often abbreviated IT, the term is not to be confused with information technology. The designation "institute of technology" is related with the technological character of those institutions. A wide range of terms and school types are seen around the globe, using both names (polytechnic and institute of technology).

Institutes of technology versus polytechnics

The first institutes of technology and polytechnics have existed at least since the 18th century but became increasingly popular post-World War II with the expansion of technical education, associated with the new needs created by generalized industrialization. In some cases, polytechnics or institutes of technology are engineering schools or technical colleges. More rarely, both polytechnics (as the Polytechnic Universities) and institutes of technology (as the Caltech, Indian Institutes of Technology, MIT, Karl Tech / KIT and ETH Zurich) are considered universities when they have autonomy to offer masters and doctoral degrees and they are at the same time independent research institutions, these conditions being necessary to be formally considered a university.

The term institute of technology is used in many countries rather than polytechnic, and indeed in these countries the latter term may never have been common (the opposite is also true). For example in Canada the British Columbia Institute of Technology is one such institution, and École de technologie supérieure. Indian Institutes of Technology is used in India to denote a number of specific elite institutes which were based on a post WWII recommendation for industrialisation. In Ireland the term Institute of Technology is more favored now to the term Regional Technical College though the latter is the legally correct term; Dublin Institute of Technology is an institute which is a university in all but name as it can confer degrees in accordance with law. The Federal Institute of Technology located in Zurich, Switzerland, the Karl Tech / KIT located in Karlsruhe, Germany and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, USA are possibly some of the oldest and best-known institutions to use "institute of technology" in its title and actually be universities.

Although being today generally considered similar institutions of higher learning across many countries, polytechnics and institutes of technology used to have a quite different statute among each other, its teaching competences and organizational history. In many cases "polytechnic" were a former designation for a vocational institution, before it has been granted the exclusive right to award academic degrees and can be truly called an "institute of technology".

Polytechnic type institutions survive in many countries, there is often not the same distinction between polytechnics and universities that was seen in the United Kingdom. All over the world, after many legal and curricular reforms, some polytechnics are often seen today as being quite similar to universities in terms of standards and quality. However, many polytechnics are simply a result of a formal upgrading from its original and historical role as intermediate technical education schools. Many former polytechnics have emerged through an administrative change of statutes, which often includes a name change with the introduction of new designations like Institute of Technology, University of Applied Sciences, or University of Technology for marketing purposes[1] [2], with limited exceptions.

The emergence of so many upgraded polytechnics, former vocational education and technical schools converted into more university-like institutions like the institutes of technology, polytechnic universities, universities of applied sciences, or universities of technology has caused concern in many countries where the lack of specialized intermediate technical professionals, lead to industrial skill shortages in some fields, being also associated to an increase of the graduate unemployment rate. Other evidence have shown a declining in the general quality of teaching and graduates preparation for the workplace, due to the fast-paced reconversion of that technical institutions to more advanced higher level institutions.[3] [4]

Australia

See also: Education in Australia, Technical and Further Education, College of Advanced Education, and Category:Australian tertiary institutions

1970s-1990s

During the 1970s to early 1990s, the term was used to describe state owned and funded technical schools that offered both vocational and higher education. They were part of the College of Advanced Education system. In the 1990s most of these merged with existing universities, or formed new ones of their own. These new universities often took the title University of Technology, for marketing rather than legal purposes. AVCC report The most prominent such university in each state founded the Australian Technology Network a few years later.

1990s-Today

Since the mid 1990s, the term has been applied to some technically minded Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. These primarily offer vocational education, although some are beginning to offer higher education. This usage of the term is most prevalent in NSW and the ACT. The new terminology is apt given that this category of institution are becoming very much like the institutes of the 1970's-1990's period.

Belgium and the Netherlands

Hogeschool is used in Belgium and Hogere Technische School (HTS) in the Netherlands. The Hogeschool has many similarities to the Ammattikorkeakoulu in Finland and to the Fachhochschule in the German language areas.

The Hogeschool institutions in the Flemish Community of Belgium, such as for example the Erasmus Hogeschool Brussel, are now undergoing a process of academization, where they form associations with an university and where research is being integrated in the curriculum, which will allow them to deliver academic master's degrees. See Bologna process.

Canada

Finland - Ammattikorkeakoulu - Yrkeshögskola

An Ammattikorkeakoulu is the common term in Finland, as is the Swedish alternative "Yrkeshögskola" – their focus is on studies leading to bachelor degree, particularly in technology. After January 1st 2006 some Finnish institutes of technology switched the English term polytechnic to the term University of Applied Sciences in their official names. The Ammattikorkeakoulu has many similarities to the Hogeschool in Belgium and in the Netherlands and to the Fachhochschule in the German language areas. One should not confuse this with korkeakoulu, or "university", for example, Teknillinen korkeakoulu.

French language areas - Écoles Polytechniques

In the French areas like France, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland, a Polytechnic is an école polytechnique:

In the French speaking part of Switzerland exists also the term Haute Ecole Specialisee for a type of institution called Fachhochschule in the German speaking part of the country. (see below)

France has some polytechnic type higher education establishments which belong to a group of renowned and specialized institutions called Grandes écoles; they generally have full names starting with École supérieure (higher school) or École nationale (national school), often shortened or summarized into acronyms (for instance, the full name of the École des Mines is École nationale supérieure des Mines de Paris or ENSMP). These schools are the most prestigious higher education institutions in the country. This may lead to some confusion in English-speaking countries, where the term "polytechnic" often carries a more average connotations.

In particular, the École Polytechnique is popularly seen as the most prestigious scientific and technical school in the country (although other schools such as the École Normale Supérieure and the École des Mines might have a better claim to seniority), giving rise to popular expressions such as Pas besoin d'avoir fait Polytechnique pour comprendre ça ("No need to have been to Polytechnique to understand this", to be said of something which should be readily understood).

German language areas - Fachhochschule and Technische Hochschule

Fachhochschule and Technische Hochschule are the common terms in a number of countries with German influences, these are Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland - the term Fachhochschule is often translated as "University of Applied Sciences" to resect their role. Polytechnic type institutions are widespread in this part of Europe. For example, Germany has 159 Fachhochschule-institutions.

There used to be a differentiation between a Fachhochschule and Technische Hochschule (or Technische Universität) and the Diplom degree of the Fachhochschule is considered below a university degree. However, through the Bologna Process, the Bachelor's, Master's degrees have been made equivalent. The Technische Hochschule focuses more on research and can grant doctoral degrees. The Fachhochschule, in contrast, has many similarities to the Hogeschool in Belgium and in the Netherlands and to the Ammattikorkeakoulu in Finland and can grant Bachelor's, Diplom (FH) and Master's degrees. Additionally the Fachhochschule is also one of the worldwide rare examples of a higher education which in its own form falls also under the (local) definition of vocational education.


Greece

India

Polytechnic is a technical institute which imparts techinical education in India.Polytecnics are not affillated to any universities. They offer three year duration diploma course in engineering.The course offered in polytechnics can be said to abridged version of degree courses offered in engineering colleges in India. The course are designed in such a way the students are able to perform basic engineering tasks. The diploma holders in engineering are generally employed as supervisors or junior engineers in the companies.The minimum qualification for admission to polytecnics is pass in SSLC ( Standard Tenth ).The polytechnics are affilated to state technical boards. The All India Council of Technical Education is regulating authority for polytechnics in India.

Students after sucessfully completing their diploma in polytechnic can gain lateral entry to engineering degree( under graduate ) course called B.E which are conducted by engineering colleges affiliated to universities.

Ireland

The Republic of Ireland has an "Institute of Technology" system, formerly referred to as Regional Technical College (RTCs) system - the latter term is still the correct legal term for the colleges when used generically or collectively. These institutions have a similar number of students attending as at Irish universities, and offer subdegree and degree level studies. Some institutions have "delegated authority" that allows them to make awards in their own name, after authorisation by the Higher Education & Training Awards Council.

Dublin Institute of Technology developed separately from the Regional Technical College system, and after several decades of association with the University of Dublin, Trinity College it acquired the authority to confer its own degrees.

See also: Community College

Italian language areas

Politecnico is the common term used in Italy:

In the Italian speaking part of Switzerland exists also the term Scuola Universitaria Professionnale for a type of institution called Fachhochschule in the German speaking part of the country. (see at "German language areas")

Japan

See the Kyushu Institute of Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology and the Imperial College of Engineering, forerunner of Tokyo University's engineering faculty. See also Technical education in Japan.

Hong Kong

The first polytechnic in Hong Kong is The Hong Kong Polytechnic, established in 1972 through upgrading the Hong Kong Technical College (Government Trade School before 1947). A second polytechnic, the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, was founded in 1984. These polytechnics awards diplomas, higher diplomas, as well as academic degrees. Like the United Kingdom, the two polytechnics were granted university status in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and renamed The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the City University of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a university with a focus in applied science, engineering and business, was founded in 1991.

See also: Education in Hong Kong, List of universities in Hong Kong.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, polytechnic does not have the power to confer degree or anything higher.

See also: Education in Malaysia.

New Zealand

New Zealand polytechnics are established under the Education Act 1989 as amended, and are considered state-owned tertiary institutions along with universities, colleges of education, and wānanga; there is today often much crossover in courses and qualifications offered between all these types of institutions. Some have officially taken the title 'institute of technology' which is a term recognised in government strategies equal to that of the term 'polytechnic'. One has opted for the name 'Universal College of Learning' (UCOL), and another 'Unitec New Zealand'. These are legal names but not recognised terms like 'polytechnic' or 'institute of technology'. Many if not all now grant at least bachelor-level degrees.

Since the 1990s, there has been consolidation in New Zealand's state-owned tertiary education system. In the polytechnic sector: Wellington Polytechnic amalgamated with Massey University. The Central Institute of Technology explored a merger with the Waikato Institute of Technology, which was abandoned, but later, after financial concerns, controversially amalgamated with Hutt Valley Polytechnic, which in turn became Wellington Institute of Technology. Some smaller polytechnics in the North Island, such as Waiarapa Polytechnic, amalgamated with UCOL. (The only other amalgamations have been in the colleges of education.)

The Auckland University of Technology is the only polytechnic to have been elevated to university status; while Unitec has had repeated attempts blocked by government policy and consequent decisions; Unitec has not been able to convince the courts to overturn these decisions.

See also: List of polytechnics and institutes of technology in New Zealand and Education in New Zealand

Portugal

History

Polytechnic Schools (Escolas Politécnicas) were created in the 19th century in Lisbon (Escola Politécnica) and Porto (Academia Politécnica), and were merged into the newly created universities of Lisbon and Porto in 1911. Other than the name, they were not related at all with the current polytechnic subsystem which exists in Portugal since the 1970s, or to any current institution belonging to them. The current "Polytechnical Institutes" started to open after 1974. Some of them have its origins in the former vocational education "Institutes of Industry and Commerce" (Institutos Industriais e Comerciais) like the ones founded in Lisbon (Instituto Industrial e Comercial de Lisboa), Porto, and Coimbra. Currently, there are fifteen state-run polytechnical institutes (the polytechnics) in Portugal and also several other private polytechnic institutions. The designation "Institute of Technology" is not applied at all, being meaningless in Portugal. The polytechnical institutes (institutos politécnicos) of Portugal are not universities as they don't have autonomy to award neither masters nor doctoral degrees, and unlike universities, they have not a true research policy. However, since the mid 2000s, after many reforms, upgrades, and changes, including the Bologna process, the Portuguese polytechnical institutes have become de facto technical universities with little difference between them and the classic full chartered universities (polytechnics can't award doctorate degrees and, in general, they are not true research institutions, with some exceptions). The polytechnical institutes are organized into confederations of autonomous polytechnic higher education units comprising a wide range of fields from engineering or technologies to education to accountancy to agriculture (called institutes and schools). Since the creation of the first polytechnical institutes that started in the late 1970s, to 1999 after new legislation has been approved for these institutions, the polytechnics were only allowed to offer a three year bachelor degree (bacharelato). In opposition, the Portuguese universities conferred 4 to 6 years major bachelor degrees, known in many countries as licentiate degree (licenciatura). The universities were also the only institutions awarding masters and doctoral degrees in Portugal to graduated people having the licenciatura diploma conferred exclusively in the universities. Today, due to their limited and well-defined legal statute and purpose, the polytechnical institutes do not have autonomy to offer doctoral degrees, even with the Bologna process implementation (to be in full use in Europe in 2010).

Current day

Currently, higher education in Portugal is organized into two subsystems: university and polytechnic, with both kind of institutions operating across the country, and since after 2006, with the approval of new legislation and the Bologna Process any polytechnic or university institution of Portugal, is legally able to provide a first cycle of study, known as licenciatura plus a second cycle which confers the master's degree. However, not all polytechnic institutions will offer the second cycle as they do not comply with the necessary requirements (like budget, proper research activities or doctorate teaching staff). Doctorate degrees are still an exclusive competence of universities.

See also: list of colleges and universities in Portugal and Higher Education in Portugal

Pakistan

The Polytechnic institutes in Pakistan, offer a diploma spanning three years in different branches. B.Sc in Engineering follows this. A candidate seeking admission in Engineering Institution/University for working towards Bachelor's in Engineering must clear a national wide entrance exam after Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC/HSSC). Some leading Engineering institutes/universities are, University of Agriculture (UAF) Faisalabad, GIK Institute of Science and Technology, National University of Sciences & Technology Rawalpindi (NUST), University of Engineering and Technology Lahore (UETL), National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Riphah international university (RIU), University of Engineering and Technology Taxila (UETT)

Singapore

Singapore retains a system close to that applying in the United Kingdom from 1969-1992, distinguishing between polytechnics and universities. Under this system, all Singaporean students sit for their 'O' Level examinations after a four or five years of education in secondary school, and apply for a placing at either a polytechnic or a Pre-university centre. Polytechnics offer three year diploma courses in subjects such as information technology, engineering subjects and other vocational fields. There are a total of 5 polytechnics in Singapore. They are namely:

See also: Education in Singapore

Thailand

Most of Thailand's institutes of technology are developed from technical college, which at that time cannot granted a Bachelor's degree, to nowadays a university level institute, which some of them can grant degrees to the doctoral level. Examples are Pathumwan Institute of Technology (developed from Pathumwan Technical School), King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (Nondhaburi Telecommunications Training Centre), and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok (Thai-German Technical School).

There are two former institutes of technology, which already changed their name to "University of Technology": Rajamangala University of Technology (formerly Institute of Technology and Vocational Education) and King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (Thonburi Technology Institute).

Institutes of technology with different origins are Asian Institute of Technology, which developed from SEATO Graduate School of Engineering, and Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, an engineering school of Thammasat University.

See also: Education in Thailand

United Kingdom

Polytechnics were tertiary education teaching institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The comparable institutions in Scotland were collectively referred to as Central Institutions. Like other polytechnics, their aim was to teach both academic and practical subjects. Their focus was applied education for work and their roots concentrated on applied science, though soon after being founded they also created departments concerned with the humanities. Under the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992 they became fully fledged universities. The UK government recognised that the difference between Polytechnics and universities had become irrelevant and confusing. The designation 'polytechnic' was also, less commonly, used by further education colleges such as Kilburn Polytechnic (later renamed as Kilburn College). The division between universities and polytechnics was known as the binary divide.

Academic degrees in polytechnics were validated by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) from 1965 to 1992. The CNAA was chartered by the British government to validate and award degrees and maintain national quality assurance standards. A CNAA degree was recognised as equivalent to a university degree and the courses were under strict scrutiny by assessors external to the Polytechnics. After 1992, the Polytechnics (new universities) awarded their own degrees. Sub-degree courses at these institutions were validated by the Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC), and many of them continue to offer BTEC qualifications.

While most polytechnics were formed in the expansion of higher education in the 1960s, some can trace their history back much further than this. For instance, London Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), emerged from the Royal Polytechnic Institution which was founded in 1838. The first U.K. Institution to use the name "Polytechnic" was the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society.

The polytechnics were generally seen as ranking below universities in the provision of higher education, due to their lack of degree-awarding powers, the fact that they concentrated on applied education for work, had far less research than the universities, and that the qualifications necessary to gain a place in one was less than for a university. In terms of an undergraduate education this was a misconception since all Polytechnics offered academic degrees validated by the CNAA from bachelor degree to research degrees. Also professional degrees in, for instance, engineering, town planning, law, and architecture were validated by the professional institutions.

Although many of the former polytechnics remain at the bottom of the University League Tables, some former polytechnics have steadily moved up, and can occasionally be found in the top half of some of the tables of all universities. Examples include Middlesex University (ranked 19th in The Guardian 2004 league table, but 96th in The Times 2007 table) and Oxford Brookes University (2004 The Guardian 26th; The Times 2007 54th). [1] [2]

The polytechnics changed their name when they gained university status. Some simply dropped "Polytechnic" and added "University" to their titles, however this was often not possible as there was another University with the name. In these cases by far the most popular choice of title was "Metropolitan", not least because there is a phonic similarity to Polytechnic in the word, but more likely because the institution was situated in a city or other large metropolitan area. Examples are Manchester Metropolitan University and Leeds Metropolitan University. These titles are often shortened to "Met" (Man Met, Leeds Met) or an acronym (MMU, LMU). The Ulster Polytechnic remains the only polytechnic to unite with a university; this occurred in 1984.

The designation "Institute of Technology" itself was not used consistently in higher education; for example in the British university sector it was used only by the postgraduate institutions Cranfield Institute of Technology (now Cranfield University) and Wessex Institute of Technology. Two university institutes which also taught undergraduates used the related designation "Institutes of Science and Technology"; UWIST (University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology) and UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology), both of which have merged with other universities. The designation was also used for a time by two Scottish Central Institutions (Dundee and Robert Gordon's Institutes of Technology) plus the Bolton and Bradford Institutes of Technology, all four of which now have university status and have university in their titles. In addition, Loughborough University of Technology had university status since 1966 and was a fully-fledged university and the only one in the UK to have the designation University of Technology.

See also: British universities

United States

Rogers Hall - this is the main building of Polytechnic University, in Brooklyn, NY.

A handful of American universities include the phrases "Institute of Technology", "Polytechnic Institute", "Polytechnic University", or similar phrasing in their names; these are generally research intensive universities with a focus on science and technology. The level of academic rigor in these schools may vary from entry-level state universities to elite schools such as the California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Conversely, schools dubbed "technical colleges" or "technical institutes" generally provide post-secondary training in technical and mechanical fields focusing on training vocational skills primarily at a community college level -- parallel and sometimes equivalent to the first two years at a bachelor's-granting institution. The academic level of these schools varies by course of study; some courses are geared toward immediate employment in a trade, while others are tracked to transfer into a four-year program. Some of these technical institutes are for-profit organizations (such as ITT Technical Institute) compared to most other non-profit educational institutes.

Venezuela

Institutes of technology in Venezuela were developed in the 1950's as an option for post-Secondary education in technical and scientific courses, after the polytechnic French concepts. At that time, technical education was considered essential for the development of a sound middle class economy.

Nowadays, most of the Institutos de Tecnología are privately run businesses, with varying degrees of quality. They are widely regarded, sometimes incorrectly, as inferior to the university education.

Most of these institutes award diplomas after three or three and a half years of education. Few, if any Institutos de Tecnología have any research facilities.

Institutions using the terms "institute of technology" or "polytechnic"

University level

There are many university level higher learning institutions granting the highest academic degrees (including doctorate), that use the terms "institute of technology" or "polytechnic" for historic reasons:

Other higher education

There are many other types of higher education institutions (post-secondary education) which are not universities and use the terms "institute of technology" or "polytechnic":

Secondary education

There are also secondary education schools using that word:

Notes and references

  1. ^ Polytechnic to change its name, By Desie Heita, The Namibia Economist, Retrieved June 2006.
  2. ^ Name change on the cards for APU, 2006 Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom. Retrieved June 2006.
  3. ^ "Producing New Workers: quality, equality and employability in higher education - Quality in Higher Education, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2001", Louise Morley, University of London Institute of Education. Retrieved June 2006.
  4. ^ First destination graduate employment as key performance indicator: outcomes assessment perspectives, Prof. Johan Bruwer, unit for institutional planning and research, Cape Technikon, South Africa, November 1998. Retrieved June 2006.

External links

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