Universities aim to boost foreign student numbers with twinning deal

UNIVERSITY College Cork is on the verge of signing a formal agreement with Malaysia to train medical students and it is possible that further initiatives, such as setting up an Irish campus in that country, could follow.

The college authorities said yesterday that a memo of understanding had already been signed between Malaysia, UCC and NUI Galway aimed at providing the service, which could attract up to 120 Malaysian medical students to Cork each year.

A UCC spokesman said that medical students from that country would probably study in Ireland for their first two or three years before returning home to complete their course.