Waterford IT spearheads drive for Asian students

HIGHER education must be more fully recognized as one of Ireland’s greatest marketable assets and its potential value to our economy must be realised, according to academics at Waterford Institute of Technology.

They are bidding to make their campus a multi-cultural hub with a drive to attract Asian students.

The Institute’s Head of Development, Dr Venie Martin, and International Affairs Manager Sinead Cooke have returned from a trade mission to Japan and Korea to promote higher education opportunities in Ireland.

The trip was organised by the International Education Board of Ireland (IEBI) and the international division of Enterprise Ireland.

Dr Martin was selected by the wider group to present three seminars in Tokyo and Seoul that were attended by local university heads as well as staff from the relevant ministries of education and tourism. In addition, Asian-based overseas study recruitment agents attended the presentations.

According to Dr Martin, “Those attending were very interested to learn that Ireland had so much to offer as their awareness was initially very low.

“I took the opportunity to outline the potential of Ireland for study, stressing that English is our main language, that the culture is unique, and that the higher education system is of very high quality with Irish qualifications recognised and indeed respected world-wide.

“Those we met during the two-country trip were particularly interested in the strong socio-economic links between Ireland and the UK and USA, as well as the role that higher education has played in supporting the Irish economic success story. We were also keen to assure them that Ireland also offers a relatively clean and healthy environment, with generally low levels of crime and a great welcome for overseas students.”

With estimates suggesting that almost two million students study overseas each year, Ireland’s current share of this lucrative and educationally-enriching market stands at just 1%.

Dr Martin forecast that the numbers coming to Irish Institutes of Technology and universities from overseas will increase significantly in the years ahead.