Tipperary Institute (TI) is a college of higher education, development agency and research centre in County Tipperary, Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government in 1998, it opened two campuses in Thurles and Clonmel in September 1999. The then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, officially inaugurated the institute on 7 April 2000. The college has two campuses one in Clonmel and one in Thurles. The college was originally known as the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute (TRBDI); this remains its legal name, while Tipperary Institute is its trading name. The institute has three academic departments: Business, Information and Communications Technology and Rural Development. It is fully HETAC-accredited and offers National Framework of Qualifications Level 7 and Level 8 full-time degree courses, as well as a number of part-time and evening courses. TI is the only centre of education in Europe which integrates third level education with rural and business development programmes.