South Korean students to promote Ireland under new scheme

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has announced a scheme which will see Korean marketing students help to promote Ireland back home.

South Korean social media content creators will serve as cultural ambassadors for Ireland, under a new scheme announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris.

The Student Ambassador Scholarship Scheme is open to South Koreans who have a background in digital marketing or social media content creation and will see nine people chosen to spend a month in Ireland.

Coinciding with St Patrick’s Day, those selected will partake in language training, tailored excursions, and student ambassador gatherings, while also highlighting Ireland’s offerings to South Koreans back home.

While studying in English language schools, successful applicants will also support the schools in their development of digital marketing strategies for the Korean market.

The announcement was made as part of the Team Ireland Trade Mission Week in the Republic of Korea.

Speaking in Seoul on Wednesday, Mr Harris said Ireland’s English language sector has long-established links, with Korean students travelling to Ireland since the early 1990s.

More than 150,000 students from 112 countries travel to Ireland each year to learn English, contributing more than €1.2 billion to the Irish economy. 

While student numbers from Korea have been strong in the past, the Covid pandemic has had a knock-on effect on the numbers of these students coming to study in Ireland,” he said.

Mr Harris said he hopes this week’s visit to South Korea along with the launch of the new scholarship scheme will showcase all that Ireland has to offer and “highlight to students our excellent and experienced language schools; encouraging them to make Ireland their first choice for English language education.” 

The Student Ambassador Scholarship Scheme will be provided for by Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) member schools.

MEI Chief Executive Officer Lorcan O'Connor Lloyd said the scholarship programme signifies the English language education sector’s dedication to promoting language as a bridge between cultures, “creating a brighter and more interconnected future for students and communities alike.”