The University of Limerick (UL) is an independent, internationally focused university with over 11,000 students and 1,200 staff. It is a young energetic and enterprising university with a proud record of innovation in education and excellence in research and scholarship. Its mission is to promote and advance learning and knowledge through teaching, research and scholarship in an environment, which encourages innovation and upholds the principles of free enquiry and expression. Particular attention is paid to the generation of knowledge, which is relevant to the needs ofIreland’s continuing socio-economic development. The University has since its foundation in the 1970’s pioneered educational innovations such as modular credit-based programmes, continuous assessment which has since become integral parts of the ECTS and Bologna Processes.

The university has been involved in many EU Funded projects including a number in the general domain of Lifelong Learning. It has played a leading role in projects in the area of Learning Regions and Social inclusion. It has also spearheaded some national initiatives in the area of multi-culturalism and integration studies.