This is the third Irish institution EduCo has welcomed into its global portfolio after it announced partnerships with Maynooth University and Dublin City University in 2017.

“New Zealand has the same population as Ireland, the same number of public universities and both are a similar distance from Beijing”

DIT is one of Ireland’s largest technological institutions for higher education and is attended by some 20,000 students, of which 20% come from 85 countries across the globe.

It offers over 150 internationally-recognised programs in bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels of four schools namely: the College of Arts & Tourism, the College of Business, the College of Sciences & Health and the College of Engineering & Built Environment.

Managing director at EduCo Ireland Jacob Kestner told The PIE News that EduCo’s partnership with DIT would further strengthen its presence in the country, one of the world’s leading destinations for international education.

“We look for the destinations that are most appealing to international students, and with big numbers coming from India and China we see a real opportunity for Ireland,” explained Kestner.

He added that when EduCo looked at the quality of the Irish education system and student experience, they found that Ireland could compete with prime destinations such as New Zealand.

“New Zealand is a very attractive destination for international students. But New Zealand has the same population as Ireland, the same number of public universities and both are a similar distance from Beijing.

“I think the real appeal of Ireland comes down to a few things — it has a temperate climate, the prospect of getting a post-study work visa is good and, with Brexit, it could potentially be the only English-speaking country in the European Union.”