Irish universities in India: focus on internationalisation

Irish Universities Association, the representative body for Ireland’s universities, hosted an education fair for students at The Lalit in New Delhi on Saturday 11 February 2012. The fair, which featured a consortium of seven leading institutes --  University of Limerick; National University of Ireland, Galway; National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Dublin City University; University College Cork; University of Dublin Trinity College; and University College Dublin --  toured Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore before ending their promotional tour at Delhi.

I visited the fair and spoke to Sinead Lucey, International Marketing Manager, Irish Universities Association (IUA) on higher education in Ireland and the IUA’s blueprint for India:

Debeshi: Tell us about what Ireland has on offer in terms of higher education?

Sinead: Our focus is on high quality education, a commitment to excellence. The quest for excellence is the bedrock of the seven Irish universities. Irish universities are internationally recognized for quality in education, research and the overall student experience, a recognition they relentlessly strive to enhance. International students are fundamental to this objective.

Sinead Lucey

Debeshi: Can you elaborate on the programmes that these universities offer?

Sinead: Alongside the traditional postgraduate courses, there is a diverse range of postgraduate courses ranging from Meteorology, Creative Writing to Biomedical Engineering. Pharmaceuticals, Information Technology, Medical Devices, Biotechnology are some of the other popular disciplines. The Pharmaceutical and Information Technology industry in Ireland is doing well and there are job opportunities for students.

Debeshi: Tell us about scholarships available for higher studies in Ireland?

Sinead: Almost all the universities offer some form of financial aid to international students. In addition, the government is offering a fully-funded scholarship which includes full tuition fee waiver and a stipend of 10,000 euros.

Debeshi: Are students allowed to work in Ireland after their course is completed?

Sinead: Students are allowed to stay back for a year and gain work experience after their course is completed. Leading global companies are located in Ireland. Companies who require a skilled, educated and highly capable workforce to drive their success choose to locate in Ireland. Recently, Ireland has welcomed Google, Facebook, Pfizer, Apple, Intel to name just a few  - all of whom chose Ireland as their European base. Global work experience helps graduates find their feet easily enough when they return to India.

Students at the University of Dublin Trinity College

Debeshi: Given recent incidents, Indian students will want to make sure they are safe in a foreign environment. Tell us how Ireland scores on this front?

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

Sinead: Ireland is a friendly, safe country. And it is not just us saying it! Ireland was voted by Lonely Planet as the world’s friendliest country in 2008 and 2010 and was ranked 12th in the 2009 Global Peace Index. International students enrich campus communities countrywide and our hospitable nature coupled with an unrivalled sense of fun ensures living in Ireland is an unforgettable experience. The island’s varied environment is ideal for many outdoor pursuits such as climbing, water sports and all kinds of ball and team sports. It’s easy to explore Europe from an Irish base with low-cost, frequent flights making trips affordable

Debeshi: What are your plans for India?

Sinead: We are very happy with the response in the different cities. We have seen excellent students here. We will return in May 2012 and November 2012 with more fairs. We hope to be very active in the Indian market going forward.