TCD to appoint permanent representative in India

TRINITY College Dublin (TCD) is to appoint a permanent representative in India this summer to help attract more of the country’s students to study there.

The announcement of the plan by Education Minister Mary Hanafin yesterday is one of many initiatives being agreed this week to encourage more Indian students to come to Ireland.

At present there are just 691 students from the country’s one billion-plus population in Irish higher education institutions.

Just over half of these are studying in independent colleges and almost two-thirds are at postgraduate level, mostly in the technology, business and engineering sectors.

TCD provost Dr John Hegarty said the university’s initiative aims to build new bridges with modern India.

“We have complementary interests in scholarship, education and research. This initiative will see a formal point of presence from the university to provide an information point for prospective students, to establish and continue alumni linkage and to raise the profile of Trinity in India,” he said.

TCD is one of 16 Irish colleges, including Queens University Belfast and University of Ulster, represented on the trade mission.

Institutes of technology and private colleges are also present and they hope to develop stronger links with India.

Minister Hanafin will meet the host nation’s Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Arjun Singh in New Delhi on Thursday, where collaboration will be discussed in areas such as mutual recognition of qualifications.

The first of seven agreements between Irish and Indian colleges to be signed this week was formalised yesterday. The exchange programme between the UCD Smurfit School of Business and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (IIM-B) will enable MBA students from each country take part of their programme in the other school.

“The exchange programme will heighten Irish-Indian business links and lead to exciting business opportunities over time,” Ms Hanafin said.