A traditional University may be viewed as an academic institution at which research is conducted and students are given a grounding in, and understanding of, the basic scientific principals underpinning their field of study.

A University of Technology is concerned with the relevance of its research programmes in relation to the problems and concerns of industry, the community and society at large.  Thus, a University of Technology focuses on the application of scientific principals in practice and only uses basic scientific principals in those cases where such knowledge is deemed to be essential to the successful application of the scientific principal concerned.