About TUS Learning Gates
TUS Learning Gate is a collaborative partnership that connects community institutions to the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest through a nationally distributed and connected university network by creating local access points to higher education.
Through the TUS Learning Gate initiative, TUS identifies and partners with professionally equipped local spaces where students and lecturers can teach, learn, and collaborate while remaining fully connected to the University’s academic systems and community. By extending TUS beyond its physical campuses, TUS Learning Gates strengthen access, flexibility and regional engagement.
Positioning statement:
TUS Learning Gates bring TUS closer to communities by creating connected, collaborative local access points that expand participation in higher education and strengthen regional engagement.
Through a distributed and connected model of access, TUS Learning Gates support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By strengthening inclusive access to higher education (SDG 4), reducing geographic inequalities (SDG 10), embedding learning within communities (SDG 11), operating through cross-sector partnerships (SDG 17), supporting regional skills development and economic growth (SDG 8), and enabling more sustainable, reduced-travel access to education (SDG 13), the initiative aligns local action with global sustainability priorities.
Learn more about TUS Learning Gates:
TUS Learning Gate Brochure 2026 – 2027Access a TUS Learning Gate
TUS Learning Gates provide flexible access to learning spaces across Ireland. Book a space at a local hub or explore the full network to find a location that suits you.
View and book a place in a TUS Learning GateHow to Become a TUS Learning Gate
TUS Learning Gates form a national network of over 80 connected hubs across Ireland, supporting flexible access to higher education. If you are interested in becoming a TUS Learning Gate, please submit an expression of interest below, and a member of the TUS Learning Gate team will be in contact.
Please complete this formExplore Our Programmes
All TUS programmes are open for application. Explore some of the daytime programmes we recommend as most relevant to learners in your area. Learn more about the range of programmes on offer for the 2026/2027 academic year.
To learn more about the range of programmes on offer for the 2026/2027 academic year, click here.
Many programmes offered through the TUS Learning Gate initiative also attract funding through various sources enabling many learners access their learning free or part-funded. Such initiatives include the SUSI part-time fee scheme, Springboard + and Skillnets.
Such programmes will range from academic Micro-Credentials (all levels of NFQ); Certificates (NFQ L6); Undergraduate Degree (NFQ L7 – L8); Postgraduate Diplomas (NFQ L9); and Postgraduate Master’s Programmes (NFQ L9).
Below are some of the daytime SUSI-funded programmes that we recommend as most relevant to learners in your area:
In addition to our SUSI-funded programmes, we also offer a range of flexible Microcredential courses through Springboard+. Our courses in Certificate in AI and Emerging Technologies and Certificate in Fundamentals of Cybersecurity provide learners with the opportunity to develop in-demand skills, gain recognised qualifications, and enhance their career prospects. Designed to fit around work and personal commitments, these short, focused programmes will run for 12 weeks and will offer practical, industry-relevant learning in two of today’s fastest-growing fields. Learn more below:
Collaboration in Action
As part of a partnership between the TUS Learning Gate initiative and Longford County Council Library Services, an educational session on Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) was delivered by Clodagh Gill, a practising solicitor at Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). The session provided an engaging and accessible overview of EPAs, using the analogy of planning a dream holiday to explain the importance of preparing for the future. Clodagh addressed common misconceptions surrounding EPAs, outlined the legal and practical aspects of the process, and highlighted how an EPA can provide peace of mind while avoiding lengthy court procedures. The presentation also included an interactive Q&A session, where attendees explored topics such as decision-making responsibilities, healthcare considerations, and the differences between EPAs and other legal arrangements. Please access the session recording here.
TUS Learning Gate Annual Network Forum
Sustaining Community, Remaining Relevant: TUS Learning Gates Network Forum 2026
Thursday, 11th June 2026 | 10.30am – 1.00pm | Online via Zoom
The TUS Learning Gates Network Forum 2026 brought together community leaders, educators, and lifelong learning advocates to explore how Learning Gates can remain relevant and impactful in their local communities. The forum featured a range of expert speakers from TUS and beyond, covering topics from flexible online learning to community engagement strategies.
Recordings & Slides
Session 1 – Remaining Relevant: It’s Not Easy! (The Learning Gate Experience)
Dr Michael Tobin, Dean, Faculty of Continuing Professional, Online and Distance Learning, TUS
Click here to access Recording | Click here to access Slides
Session 2 – Learning Neighbourhoods
Dr Seamus O’Tuama, Director of Adult Continuing Education (ACE), University College Cork
Click here to access Recording | Click here to access Slides
Session 3 – The Rural Exchange
Peadar Casey, TUS Works Co-ordinator
Click here to access Recording | Click here to access Slides
Session 4 – HE Flexible Online Learning Opportunities for your Community
Mr Declan Doran, Head of Department Lifelong Learning, TUS
Click here to access Recording | Click here to access Slides
Session 5 – The Pivot – TUS Learning Gates Community Stakeholder Audit Framework
Dr Michael Tobin, Dean, Faculty of Continuing Professional, Online and Distance Learning, TUS
Click here to access Recording | Click here to access Slides
Upcoming Events
Demystifying Series
TUS Learning Gates offer a variety of events that connect communities with practical and accessible learning. The TUS Learning Gate Community Learning Series, including this year’s Demystifying Community Series, features expert-led sessions on topics such as Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Human Resources, Personal Development, Sustainability, Quality Control, and Financial Management. Please note: the QR code on the poster below provides access to all sessions in the series.
Topics, Recordings and Slides
Session 1 – Demystifying Cybersecurity
Mr. Reda Jouaibi, Project Manager, TUS Learning Gate, TUS
Click here to access Recording | Click here to access Slides
Our Partners
Connected Hubs is a government-supported programme aimed at establishing a nationwide network of 400 hubs throughout Ireland. Launched in 2021 under the “Our Rural Future” policy and supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development, it offers a centralised platform, ConnectedHubs.ie, for booking hub facilities. As of 2026, the network includes over 400 hubs and has over 15,000 registered users. The initiative’s objectives include promoting hubs as drivers for economic and digital growth in their communities, raising awareness of hubs as professional work spaces, contributing to balanced regional economic development, leveraging remote work and rural benefits, and reducing carbon emissions through reduced commuting and home working. For more information, click here.
Latest News
Longford Libraries Join the TUS Learning Gate Network
All six Longford library branches have officially joined the TUS Learning Gate network through a new partnership between Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and Longford County Council. The initiative will create local access points to higher education, helping people across County Longford discover flexible online and part-time learning opportunities, including micro-credentials, certificates, degrees and postgraduate programmes. As trusted community spaces, Longford libraries will play an important role in supporting lifelong learning, upskilling, career progression and wider participation in higher education.
TUS Learning Gates Win Best Student Support Service Initiative Award
“We are honoured to receive the Best Student Support Service Initiative award at the Keystone Group Awards 2025. This recognition affirms the impact of the TUS Learning Gates model in making higher education more accessible across rural Ireland. By combining the flexibility of online learning with local, in-person support through the Connected Hubs Network, we’re not only removing barriers to education, but we’re also building stronger, more inclusive communities. We’re deeply grateful to our team, our hub partners, and the local communities who continue to support this work.”
— TUS Faculty of Continuing, Professional, Online and Distance Learning
Testimonials
Returning to education is not always straightforward, especially when you are balancing work, family, and other commitments. In this video, one of our learners shares how studying through a TUS Learning Gate in her local community made it possible to continue her education. By providing a nearby place to learn and stay connected, the TUS Learning Gates initiative is helping learners engage with online study in a way that fits real life, showing the difference local access can make.
Hear from Aideen Brennan, one of our learners, about how TUS Learning Gate helped her take a life-changing step back into the workforce. Through the Human Resource Management programme at Technological University of the Shannon, she gained more than a qualification, she rediscovered her professional identity.
Click here to watch her story.
Frequently Asked Questions
To book a place in a hub, visit connectedhubs.ie and use the search function to find your nearest hub. From there, you can check availability and make your booking directly through the platform.
If you are specifically looking for hubs that support Learning in the Hubs accredited courses, visit the Learning in the Hubs page on Connected Hubs:
https://connectedhubs.ie/learning-in-the-hubs.html
There are over 80 TUS Learning Gates across 32 counties, for a full list of TUS Learning Gates see here
Sustaining Community, Remaining Relevant: TUS Learning Gates Network Forum 2026
All TUS students are eligible to use the TUS Learning Gates subject to the fee of the relevant hub. TUS students have access to discounted prices at TUS Learning Gates. Please discuss this with the specific hub manager. There are also programmes delivered directly in TUS Learning Gates – please contact us/your local hub for more informationg
All TUS Learning Gates are subject to quality checks which identify infrastructural areas that hubs must have to facilitate TUS students, This includes (but is not exclusive to) Broadband, Collaboration facilities, hot desk facilities, health and safety, outdoor and indoor facilities, technology and more.a
Learning in the hubs is a new initiative in which TUS delivers online programmes from certificate to degree level directly in your local hub via our virtual learning environment. Students study in groups across our 80+ hubs while the lecture is facilitated remotely in a specific room in your local hub. This allows students to learn in their local area while also having the collaborative environment which some students like as part of the University experience. The Learning in the Hubs programmes are accredited on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
To express your interest in becoming a TUS Learning Gate hub, simply complete our online registration form and a member of our team will be in touch. Click here
Contact Information
For more information, please contact: reda.jouaibi@tus.ie or ana.platonava@tus.ie