In New York, Boston, Washington DC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco, college counselors, study-abroad advisors, faculty members and students will learn why more than 7,000 US students selected Ireland last year for their college studies. They’ll also hear first-hand experiences from participants in the newly launched US Student Ambassador Program.

The Education in Ireland events are part of a broad initiative by the Irish Government to raise the number of full-time US students at Irish universities and colleges by 50 percent in the next three years. They began with a special welcome message from His Excellency Michael Collins, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States. They precede the first annual Education in Ireland tour for US college counsellors, which will take place next March.

The globalisation of higher education is a cornerstone of Ireland’s strategy to help shape future-generation international leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and thinkers. In virtually every field, Ireland’s universities and colleges stand out internationally. From STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) disciplines to liberal and performing arts, Ireland consistently produces career-ready graduates – skilled knowledge workers that continue to inspire international companies to make Ireland their EU hub. The strategy is drawing substantial numbers of foreign students. Many come for their semester-abroad experience. But a growing number are choosing Ireland for full-time degrees. Boosting the numbers is a top priority.

“Over the years, many talented US students have benefited from a unique educational experience at Irish institutes of higher learning,” said Michelle Dervan, USA Manager for Education in Ireland. “And while some have strong family links to the country, the typical US student in Ireland is a global, career-minded individual seeking a high-quality and affordable college experience. These students add much to the vibrant education scene that makes Ireland a preferred study-abroad location for ambitious kids across the world.”

The week’s events include the following:

New York: Launch of Education in Ireland’s US Student Ambassador Program at the Consulate General of Ireland.

San Francisco: Event for students at St. Mary’s College in Moraga hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland.

Washington DC: Mitchell Scholarship Program Awards Reception at the Embassy of Ireland. The Program honors former US Senator George Mitchell’s contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process. Up to twelve Mitchell Scholars are chosen annually for one year of postgraduate study.

Atlanta & Boston: Receptions celebrating education links between Ireland and the US hosted respectively by the Consulate General of Ireland in Boston and the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta.

Charlotte: Address at the WorldQuest High Schools Competition by Paul Gleeson, Consul General of Ireland in Atlanta.

Chicago: High School Essay Contest Winner Announcement at the Consulate General of Ireland. Contestants in grades 9-12 were invited to address the topic: “Ireland is a country renowned worldwide for its inspiring writers, musicians and artists.  In 1,000 words or less, explain what inspires you most in life…”

About Education in Ireland

To learn more about Education in Ireland’s outreach to US high schools and universities, please visit – www.educationinireland.com

The above post is reproduced, with permission, from the original feature on the Education In Ireland website here.

You can also find out more about studying in Ireland by visiting the i-studentadvisor Ireland Study Guide.

————————————

About International Education Week

International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of efforts to promote programmes that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences in the United States.

The first Week was held in 2000 and today is celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide. To find out more, visit – iew.state.gov

The plans will see the government funding 2,000 Russian students to enroll in overseas universities in 2012, which will rise up to 10,000 a year in 2015. They will have tuition fees and living expenses paid for. It’s estimated that the first year alone will cost the government US$60 million. However, the funding will only apply to postgraduate degrees – master’s, PhDs and MBAs.

The plans are designed to strengthen the labour market and bring more skilled workers into the Russian workforce – part of the funding agreement will involve the student signing a contract agreeing to return to Russia after their studies have finished and those that do not will face a penalty.

For the time being, students under the scheme will be able to choose their courses, but it is expected that in the future the funding will be for specific subjects in order to develop specialists in in-demand areas, such as engineers. There are also plans to prepare lists of employers who can offer the returning graduates attractive job offers.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said: “Thousands of our young scientists, engineers and public officials will receive master’s and doctoral degrees at the world’s leading universities during the next decade. Hopefully, studying abroad will allow them to take key positions in Russian business, government, science and education.”

It is expected that most students will go to the USA, but others will go to Australia, Europe and elsewhere. The funding is a big step up from previous years – up until now, the government has funded just 40 domestic undergraduate students and 60 postgraduates in overseas universities under a presidential scholarship programme that selected candidates based on a nationwide public competition.

The Guardian asked Paul for his thoughts on the effects of the higher fees – now that it has emerged all universities will charge at least £6,000 – on the number of British students going abroad for their education, and how universities overseas are responding to the increase in demand. They quoted him as saying:

“Meanwhile, it has emerged that overseas universities are redoubling their efforts to recruit English students to their universities.

Paul Loftus, managing director of i-studentgroup, which helps universities in the UK, Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand with their recruitment, said foreign universities were targeting the UK. “If overseas universities haven’t started lifting their recruitment efforts to try to get British students, they are now.”

Loftus said more British students than in the past were considering going abroad for university, in part because of higher fees. “Although the Australian dollar is strong, many British teenagers are enrolling on courses in Australia, Canada and New Zealand in particular.” ”

To see the full article, please click here.

For more information about studying abroad, please see the i-studentgroup website

Nine percent of the 3000 respondents have studied abroad during the past three years, considerably higher than the two percent reported by the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada in 2006.  This is also substantially higher than the 1 percent of US students who have studied overseas.

When asked how likely it was that the students would then like to obtain a future degree/certificate/diploma from an institution outside of Canada, eight percent said that is was very likely that they would do so and an additional eighteen percent saying it was somewhat likely.

In addition, the new report, by the research and consulting company in Toronto says that fourteen percent of students said they are making plans to study abroad in the future with an additional thirty-four saying they are open to considering such a move. Many said that unless they were studying foreign languages, they would preferably study in an English speaking country, with the UK and Australia being the most popular choices. Two percent were interested in travelling to China, and fewer considered India and South Africa. (The US is not considered a foreign-study destination for Canadian students).

The Education Minister for Australia insists that enrolments have grown recently, regardless of the adverse conditions. Crean said that despite the current global financial crisis and the exchange rate “the last figures (he) saw showed that enrolments in university-run courses have increased for overseas students”.

Compared to the same month last year, overseas enrolments in higher education have increased 10.7% this June.

Despite this promising figure, there are still hurdles to overcome. As overseas students and the aspiration of many to continue to live in Australia is fast becoming one of the key issues in the election campaign, with Labor set to tighten the migration rules if re-elected.

Rob Forage is Global chief executive for UNSW Global, which offers English language courses and foundation studies for overseas students at the University of NSW. He says that what “we don’t want (is) people offering courses, in whatever institution in Australia, as a means by which they’re selling permanent residency, not quality education.”

However in a survey by market researcher TNS, response shows that the majority of the people who took the poll agreed that international students help make Australia part of the global community. The Australian Technology Network has also said that they believe easier entry of foreign research students would benefit the nation.

Only time will be able to tell the outcome. In the mean time, there will be many prospective international students watching the election poll with very keen interest.

Are you a student looking to study in Australia? How do you feel about the prospective visa changes? Please comment below.

Next week we will be launching the new sister site to i-studentadvisor, i-studentlife.com. Unlike the i-studentadvisor publications and i-studentadvisor blog which are aimed at guidance counsellors and education professionals, i-studentlife is solely for the students who are considering studying overseas and want to find out more.

i-studentlife is for the international student who wants to take control of their search for a higher education overseas and gain additional knowledge of international study that they won’t get from their guidance counsellor.

Working with our team at i-studentlife is a fantastic group of international students who are already studying overseas at institutions in the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. These students will be writing regular blogs about their experiences as international students abroad and sharing advice with the students who are considering following in their footsteps.

For students already at college or younger students thinking about the future, there is a careers section featuring interviews with graduates and young professionals that offers a valuable insight into various career paths. There is also a section of articles about gap year experiences, study abroad programmes and various other opportunities for  study and travel before, during and after a degree.

On top of all that, the ‘international study’ section includes key information about applying to study in the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand in an easy to read format. Finally, the ’student life’ section offers students a glimpse into the youth culture of the countries they want to study in, from fashion in California to university sport in Australia.

i-studentlife will be launching on September 1st 2009 and will be updated weekly from then. If you have any suggestions as to what you would like to see on the i-studentlife website or if you are an international student and would like to write for us, leave a comment or email me at nikki.t@isa-media.com.

According to the Associated Press the two cases of swine flu were discovered on Sunday evening. The students, a 23-year-old male from New Jersey and a 23-year-old female from Florida lived in a building with 234 people, which includes 110 international students. An assistant Health Minister, Nasser el-Sayyed confirmed, “The building and the people inside it have been put under supervised quarantine”.

The American University in Cairo, which has a student body of 5,500 announced that classes will be suspended until Sunday, however the planned graduation ceremony will go ahead on the 16th and 18th of June.

i-studentadvisor reported back in April that the NAFSA Association of International Educators launched an emergency resource page for international education professionals in regards to the swine flu outbreak. We would like to hear from you if you have any comments about this issue, especially if you are a student or education professional who has been affected by the swine flu outbreak.

After a problematic few months of delayed US visa applications for international students and scholars, the US State Department have now vowed to turn the situation around.

A bulletin in the New York Times first reported the issue back in March, noting unusually long delays in student visa applications. The report claimed that US universities had received an increasing amount of student visa complaints since last autumn. Delays of two or three months and missing documents were often reported; similar problems to those encountered shortly after the September 11th attacks. State officials claimed that the delays were a result of staff shortages in the State Department.

The impact of the delays on American institutions is said to be potentially damaging and could ultimately lead to a downturn in the number of internationals choosing the US. “People are missing the opportunities to come to the US” claimed Amy Scott of the Association of American Universities, “we are losing ground here”.  A press release printed by the association wrote: “Current policies are hampering the ability of the world’s best and brightest international students, scholars, and researchers to study and work in our country”.

However, the US State Department has now brought in new staff members to combat the delays, and hopes to reduce application waiting times to two weeks.

If you have been affected in any way by the visa delays, we would love to hear from you. E-mail us your comments at: editorial@i-studentadvisor.com

The desired outcome of the overhaul is to increase international student figures and raise the profiles of institutions in the county. The scheme is part of a larger initiative to improve the entire education system in the country.

A report in The Australian stated that the overhaul has included millions of dollars worth of investment into research; and a planned changed from the British three-year undergraduate course model to the four-year US model in 2012. An aggressive recruitment scheme for new faculty has also been high on the agenda for the universities.

“We want to recruit aggressively right away,” says Way Kuo, President of the City University of Hong Kong, one of Hong Kong’s eight public universities. “We’d like to recruit a lot of people from America.” The University of Hong Kong has also hired around 100 professors in the past years, with plans for 100 more. Whilst the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong also have plans to recruit at least 100 new faculty members in the following years.

If you are currently working or considering working at a Hong Kong higher education institution, we would love to hear you thoughts on this topic. E-mail us at: editorial@i-studentadvisor.com

Whether you are a guidance counsellor, international student or an education institution representative the i-studentadvisor blog will cater for you with the latest developments in every aspect of international education.

If you have any suggestions or would like us to feature a story please send us an email to editorial@i-studentadvisor.com