International student ambassadors for Ireland’s tertiary education institutions were honoured in a ceremony this week attended by the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan.
Seventy-five students from 10 different countries are currently promoting Ireland as a study destination through the Student Ambassador Programme, now in its fifth year.
Since the programme launched, the country has seen a 25% increase in international tertiary students.
Giles O’Neill, head of education at Enterprise Ireland, credited growth in international student numbers since 2012, partly to the ambassador programme.
“This success is in no small part due to our international student ambassadors who are virtually connecting with prospective students around the world”
“This success is in no small part due to our international student ambassadors who are virtually connecting with their peers and prospective students around the world, actively encouraging them to study in Ireland,” he said.
This year’s participants are studying at 23 institutions across the country from Chile, Canada, Brazil, Russia, China, India, Germany, Malaysia, Nigeria and the US.
The programme aims to boost peer-to-peer communication by connecting the ambassadors with Education in Ireland’s 3.5 million online followers. Students log on to share their experiences of studying tertiary education in the country.
Enterprise Ireland estimates that the international student sector is worth over €1bn a year to the national economy.
Speaking at the ceremony, O’Sullivan thanked the students for choosing Ireland and sharing their experience with prospective students around the world.
“I congratulate each of you and wish you well in your future studies and the careers you choose,” she said. “We hope that you will stay in touch long after your study here is complete.”
The ceremony also recognised the Government of Ireland’s International Education Scholars.
The scholarship programme this year awarded a total of €750,000 to 30 high achieving students from Brazil, China, India and Malaysia. Funding includes full tuition fee waiver and the award of €7,500 to a student for one year of a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree.
