MEP sends wrong signal on foreign students

WHILE Séan Kelly MEP (Letters, October 18) is encouraging Irish higher education institutions to open their doors to international students, it is regrettable that his contribution sends out the wrong message.

Presenting international students as economic units whose fees might help to avert the introduction of fees for Irish students is hardly helpful in terms of attracting students to Ireland. We need a more balanced discussion.

International students do generate income but they also enrich us with their energy, diversity and new ideas and they represent an investment in our future. We cannot offer a high-quality educational experience to any student, least of all our own students, unless we internationalise.