ANNUAL NEWSLETTER 2015/2016
I N T E R N AT I O N A L E D U C AT I O N D I V I S I O N
NewsLetter A Word from our Director Josephine Page The International Education Division (IED) is responsible for the development and implementation of the internationalisation strategy for the University, and also supports faculty and departments in the advancement of their strategic properties for international education. Our priorities include; non-EU student recruitment, the growth and development of the Study Abroad, Erasmus and non-EU exchange Programmes, as well as student support and pastoral care. Student numbers have risen again for 2014/15, with over 2,500 international students welcomed on the campus. Considerable non-EU growth was seen from Brazil, India, China and the Middle East, with study abroad also showing a large boost in numbers from the USA. The Science without borders programme also came to a close after 150 Brazilian students successfully spent the academic year at UL as part of both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. UL has the largest outgoing Erasmus programme in Ireland. 1,202 students took part in the Erasmus & Exchange programmes in 2014/15. A new 7-year programme, Erasmus+, was launched in 2014. A part of this is the new Credit Mobility programme which allows UL to establish new partners, build capacity and provide students and staff with scholarships to study, teach or train at a university outside Europe. UL was awarded a grant of -150,252 for staff and students to travel to and from Hong Kong, China, South Africa, New Zealand, Georgia and Australia.
2014/15 saw our international student population jump to 14% of the total student population. To support these numbers, UL once again celebrated its rich international and cultural diversity by showcasing to both staff and students the vast number of International students studying at UL, while also introducing the international students to the true UL Experience. IED has completed the five year activity plan (2010-2015) which saw a momentous growth in outgoing student mobility (60%) and also in non-EU students recruited to undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes (94%). These levels of growth are far exceeding the national average. These results are in no small way due to the dedication, professionalism and hard work of the IED team, which I would like to acknowledge.We are now implementing our strategic plan for Internationalisation for the period 2015-20, which will see continued growth in student numbers and student support services. The University strategic plan, Broadening Horizons 2015-2019, prioritises the raising of our international profile. This will be achieved through the development of international partnerships with a focus on research and student and staff mobility. The IED team would like to thank the University community for the relentless support in promoting UL as a top international destination, and the exceptional standard of care and dedication that they provide to international students in UL. This work is invaluable in attracting high quality students to UL and raising our profile overseas. We all look forward to working with you throughout the coming year.
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Celebrations & Awards… School of Law Students Win Scholarship to Undertake Legal Scholarships in China On Thursday, 4th December the School of Law held a reception for two final year Law students who recently secured valuable and highly prestigious scholarships to undertake legal internships in China with CRCC Asia in summer 2015. Beating off stiff competition from all over Europe, with more than 400 applications received, Marian Dino (Law and Accounting) won one of only six scholarships available on CRCC Asia’s 2015 European Scholarship Programme to undertake a one-month legal internship in China. Siobhán Sugrue (Law Plus) also won the inaugural and equally impressive School of Law CRCC Asia Scholarship for 2015 to the value of - 2,000 to undertake a three-month legal internship in China. The success of both students in securing their place on CRCC Asia’s China Internship Programme is exceptional. Each year the programme attracts in excess of 16,000 applications from students attending prestigious universities across the world and allows successful participants to gain real-world, hands-on work experience in top Chinese firms. Certificates in recognition of their wonderful achievements were presented to the students by Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar, University of Limerick. Also in attendance were Professor Shane Kilcommins, Head, School of Law and Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan, Chair of International Education, School of Law. The engagement of the School of Law in supporting its students in securing such significant 02 / Newsletter
international legal internships is demonstrative of the School’s deep commitment to internationalisation and to strengthening the School’s links with its Chinese partners, in particular. UL Graduates are the most Sought After UL graduates continue to be the most sought after Irish University graduates as they are 22% more likely to be employed after graduation than any other Irish University Graduate. UL President, Professor Don Barry highlighted the continued demand for UL graduates by employers; “The employment rate of UL graduates one year after graduation is more than 20% higher than the average for the other six Irish universities. We call that the “UL Edge” – and it is something of which this university is very proud. Our most recent survey revealed that more than 7 out of 10 of our graduates are going into direct employment. And most of the rest go on to further study and research.” Presidents Volunteer Awards 217 UL students were honoured at the annual President’s Volunteer Award (PVA) ceremony at the University of Limerick. The President’s Volunteer Award Programme was established in 2010 to encourage students to engage with their communities and become lifelong believers in social responsibility. The 217 PVA Recipients this year represented the entire study body; access, undergraduate, post-graduate, international, Erasmus and study Abroad students - all contributing to worthy local organisations. 12,000 hours were volunteered by students this year.
Dr Philip O’Regan, Dean Kemmy Business School, with the KBS scholarship recipients.
First Cohort of International Students Graduate from MSc in Nursing Studies The University of Limerick held three days of Winter conferring ceremonies recently which saw 1831 students conferred, including 183 international students and 74 PhDs. There were a number of firsts among the conferring ceremonies including the first cohort of international students to complete theMSc in Nursing Studies as well as the first class to graduate from the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
full tuition fee waiver and a stipend to cover living expenses. Commenting on the event, Josephine Page, Director, International Education Division said: ‘These scholarships honour the academic achievements of our international students and reflect the high standards that they have attained. We are privileged that these exceptional students have chosen the University of Limerick as their study destination’ Faculty and staff, including staff from the International Education Division, attended the ceremony to honour the outstanding academic merit of the international students.
UL International Students Honoured at UL The International Education Division honoured the academic achievements of over 80 international students at a ceremony held in UL. Overall, over 200 scholarships were awarded to international students at the University of Limerick for the 2015/16 academic year. The International Education Division awarded scholarships to students across all four aculties including The Faculty of Education and Health Sciences Scholarship, The Faculty of Science and Engineering Postgraduate Scholarship, The Kemmy Business School International Scholarship and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarship. The International Education Division also honoured the achievements of this year’s iGeneration scholar and also the Government of Ireland scholars. The prestigious Government of Ireland Scholarship was awarded to two postgraduate students from China and India respectively in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement. The Scholarship entitles students to a
Additional photos to come for this spread
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Government of Ireland scholarship recipients (from left) Dequing Sum & Athira Elizabeth Alex pictured with Deputy
Director Jacinta Hogan from UL IED.
Professor Alison Perry, Dean of Faculty of Education & Health Sciences with the EHS scholarship recipients.
Yuan Meng from China who graduated with a Masters in Business Management is pictured with Han Yi Ming following
Martin Awanbor pictured with his wife Gloria. Martin graduated with Masters in International Management
her conferring ceremony
and Global Business
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Faculty of Science and Engineering scholarship recipients with Dr David Tanner .
Yanan Chen, China, pictured with some of his classmates before the conferring ceremony. Yanan graduated with an MSc in Software Engineering
Attending the University of limerick conferrings was PHD student Anil Babu Yarlagadda with his supervisor Dr Kieran Kilkawley
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Erasmus+ Wins Again The University of Limerick has the largest outgoing Erasmus programme in Ireland. The 2014/15 academic year saw 444 students go to 28 countries, and the arrival of 629 students from 47 countries to UL. This year also saw the introduction of the new Erasmus+ international credit mobility, which has brings new opportunities for students and staff in higher education. In 2015/16, the University of Limerick funded students to spend a semester of study, fully recognised as part of their degree at UL, at UNITEC Institute of Technology, New Zealand, Hong Kong Baptist University and Swinburne University in Australia. Members of UL staff have undertaken teaching activities at Ilia University (Georgia) and Massey University, (New Zealand). The grant has also funded incoming students from Jilin University, China, Swinburne University and Charles Sturt University. Australia and UNITEC Institute of Technology, New Zealand. New scholarships allowing students to study outside Europe will be announced in June 2016. International Erasmus+ is managed in Ireland by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the European Commission. There are five ongoing Erasmus Mundus Projects (LEADERS, INTACT, LOTUS+, LOTUS UNIMITED, ELECTRA). The total number of partners for Erasmus Mundus projects is now 71 (22 European and 49 International Partners). To date there have been 95 Participants, 46 Incoming Students, 20 incoming staff members, 14 incoming PhD Students, 6 incoming Post Docs and 9 Outgoing Staff.
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New Agreements & Partnerships... UL signs new agreement with Josai University Educational Corporation On 18 March, the official signing of a student exchange agreement between Josai University Educational Corporation, Japan and the University of Limerick took place. The exchange of students on work and study placements, will begin in 2015/16. UL was represented by Dr Patricia O’Flaherty, Erasmus & Exchanges Manager and Josai University by the Chancellor, Dr Noriko Mizuta. The signing ceremony was marked by the presence of Mr. Brendan Howlin, Teachta Dála for Wexford since 1987 and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Brendan Howlin delivered a lecture to the students and staff of Josai entitled “The Importance of Reform in Ireland’s Economic Recovery”. The lecture attracted great interest especially from students and Mr Howlin received a number of well-placed questions. The agreement expands UL partner Universities in Japan and will lead to excellent opportunities for UL staff and students to undertake study and research visits to this country in the future. UL has links with over 400 universities in 38 countries and welcomes over 2,000 international students each year. Erasmus+ at UL The University of Limerick has the largest outgoing Erasmus programme in Ireland. The 2014/15 academic year saw 444 students go to 28 countries, and the arrival of 629 students from 47 countries to UL. This year also saw the
Dr Patricia O’Flaherty, Erasmus & Exchanges Manager (3rd from left) pictured during the recent signing of an exchange agreement between Josai University Educational Corporation, Japan and the University of Limerick. Also pictured: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin TD and Josai University Chancellor, Dr Noriko Mizuta
introduction of the new 7-year period of Erasmus+ 20142020 programme, which has brought with it new opportunities for students and staff in higher education, one of which is International Credit Mobility. This is a unique opportunity for the University of Limerick to establish new partners, build capacity and provide students and staff with scholarships to study, teach or train at a university outside Europe. The University of Limerick was awarded a grant of ¤150,252 for staff and students to travel to and from Hong Kong, China, South Africa, New Zealand, Georgia and Australia. In Semester one 2015/16, the University of Limerick funded students to spend a semester of study, fully recognised as part of their degree at UL, at UNITEC Institute of Technology, New Zealand, Hong Kong Baptist University and Swinburne University in Australia. Members of UL staff have undertaken teaching activities at Ilia University (Georgia) and Massey University, (New Zealand). The grant has also funded incoming students from Jilin University, China, Swinburne University and Charles Sturt University, Australia and UNITEC Institute of Technology, New Zealand. New scholarships allowing students to study outside Europe will be announced in June 2016. International Credit Mobility is managed in Ireland by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the European Commission. There are five ongoing Erasmus Mundus Projects (LEADERS, INTACT, LOTUS+, LOTUS UNIMITED, ELECTRA). The total number of partners for Erasmus Mundus projects is now 71 (22 European and 49 International Partners). To date there have been 95 Participants, 46 Incoming Students, 20 incoming staff members, 14 PhD Students, 6 Post Docs and 9 Outgoing Staff.
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Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President, Academic and Registrar UL with Professor Yan Shijing, Sichuan University
Study Abroad Week Launched
News And Events… New Link between UL School of Law and Sichuan University, China The School of Law welcomed a number of delegates from Sichuan University, China to the University of Limerick. UL and Sichuan University signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formally launch collaborative programmes between the two universities. In particular, the MOU will see the introduction of a new articulation programme in law which will allow students from Sichuan University to transfer to UL for their undergraduate/postgraduate study. The new agreement encourages student exchange between both institutions and the benefit of the collaboration was seen this summer 2015, with 10 UL School of Law students travelling to China to attend a two-week International University Immersion Programme at Sichuan University. The students were accompanied by Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan, School of Law at UL, who taught on the programme. Sichuan University is one of China’s leading universities and is a key high-level comprehensive research university under Project 985 and Project 211. Unique collaboration in Aircraft Maintenance education between UL and Malaysian University In a first for UL’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between the University of Limerick (UL) and the Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia. The Malaysian delegation to UL was led by the MSU President, Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr. Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid. 08 / Newsletter
Representatives of Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia
UL hosts its first Study Abroad Week The University of Limerick, in conjunction with the International Education Division, hosted its first Study Abroad Week recently. Representatives from a number of UL’s partner universities, study abroad providers and fellow commitment partners of the Generation Study Abroad Initiative attended the weeklong event. During the event, the representatives engaged in a series of discussions on best practice in Study Abroad, the future of Study Abroad at the University of Limerick, UL’s commitment to the Generation Study Abroad Initiative and attended a number of presentations from UL Faculty and Staff. The visitors also enjoyed a number of cultural events; they attended the St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin and visited some of the local attractions such as the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle. It was a very successful week and we look forward to the next Study Abroad event.
Yeats Scholarship Launched
International Buddy Programme
Yeats Scholarship Launched
Brazilian Embassy visit
The University of Limerick has established a W. B. Yeats Scholarship with the University of São Paulo in Brazil (USP). This is the latest initiative since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two instuitions in 2012, during the visit of President Michael D. Higgins to Sao Paulo. The MOU between USP and UL was developed to enhance the teaching and research relationship between the institutions and has accelerated the sharing of knowledge and ideas through exchange at academic and student levels.
Representatives from the Brazilian embassy in Dublin visited UL recently. Minister-Counsellor Luiz Cesar Gasser, Ms. Claudia Gasser and Ms. Daniela Oliviera Guerra of the the Brazilian Embassy in Dublin met with the current cohort of Science with Borders students. The Science without Borders program has running since 2013 and UL has proved to be a very popular choice amongst the Brazilian students with approximately 300 choosing us over that period. Also in attendance were Katherine Martin and Jacinta Hogan from the International Education Division and the UL Science Without Borders programme Brazilian students.
UL International Buddy Programme The University of Limerick, International Education Office are proud to present the Buddy Programme. The overall purpose of the Buddy Programme is to improve the mutual integration of the international students and the Irish students attending UL as well as to create close relationships and introduce the international students to the true UL Experience. The programme provides each international student with a Buddy – a volunteer student. The purpose is then to give the local and the international students at UL an opportunity to grow friendly bonds through social events and parties arranged merely for the Buddies and the international students. This year the buddy programme paired 225 Buddy volunteers with 699 new International students. A host of events are planned throughout the semester which include Complimentary coffee dates, Welcome Pizza Party, evening of roller skating and a selection of concerts.
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UL International Festival
Science Without Borders
UL Annual International Festival 2015
This initiative is a Brazilian and Irish Government scholarship programme which aims to send 101,000 Brazilian students on undergraduate courses, postgraduate and PhDs to study in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and creative industries at top universities around the world. This highly successful programme saw The University of Limerick host 150 Brazilian students as part of Science without Borders this year.
The University of Limerick has once again celebrated its rich international and cultural diversity with the Annual International Festival which showcased to both staff and students the vast number of International students studying at UL, while also introducing the international students to the true UL Experience. The full day free festival gave an International flavour to the whole campus.
Mr Afonso Jose Sena Cardoso, Brazilian Ambassador to Ireland and his wife Mrs Solange Cardosa with Patricia Ortiz, Louise Landi, Daniela Oliveria Guerra, Brazilian Embassy along with some of the UL Science Without Borders Students.
Michael ‘Ras Mikey’ Courtney, a guest lecturer at the UL World Academy of Voice and Dance, organised a flash mob on the main UL Plaza as part of the all day festival. At lunch time, onlookers watched as more than 30 students assembled on the main plaza and treated the campus to an exciting display of dance, to a mashup of modern songs. The flash mob was made up of primarily International UL students, who spent weeks preparing with RAS in dance rehearsals. The UL Sports Bar also played host to “A taste of our world”, an international food fair, which brought foods from all around the world to the UL campus. The pinnacle of the festival was a large study abroad fair, where representatives from all around the world met with UL students to answer questions and give information about opportunities to study abroad. Annual events such as the UL International Festival continue to grow each year to support the growing numbers of international students. Yvonne Crosse, Student support Officer for the UL International Education Division, explained that “The International festival celebration recognizes the benefits of international education and showcases the vast
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Thanksgiving Celebrations
Chinese New Year
opportunities students and staff have to engage in global learning experiences.” The future looks positive for the international department, as the University of Limerick continues to grow as a destination for International students.
not simply about blood, no matter being an international student all are far away from their families but we can find new family here”.
Thanksgiving Celebrations There is no meal to bring people together quite like Thanksgiving. Every year UL holds an annual Thanksgiving dinner on campus for international students. This years dinner took place in the Sports Bar on Thursday 26th November 2015. Students were invited to a meal and celebrations, with activities and spot prizes. The event ran from 12pm—7pm so students came along throughout the day to get their thanksgiving dinner. This event was organised by the International Education Division to make this a wonderful celebration for our students. Eid Celebrations An Eid dinner party was arranged for all Erasmus Mundus students by the International Office on Thursday 24th of September at an Indian restaurant. Eid-ul-adha, also called as Feast of Sacrifice or Greater Eid, is an important religious occasion of Muslims celebrated all over the world every year. UL international office welcomed this event and provided a chance to interact with students from different places of the world. This dinner started as gathering of people coming from different cultures and great diversity of perspectives, and became a family to celebrate this holy event. Participation of members in this event is truly great. The University of Limerick given a chance to say “Family is
Eid Celebrations at UL
Chinese New Year The University of Limerick and many of its international students celebrated the Chinese New Year at a gala event held recently. The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar and 2015 saw the arrival of the Year of the Sheep. Over 130 Chinese students were joined by Korean, Japanese and Thai students in celebrating the event. UL Faculty and staff, including staff from the International Education Division, were also in attendance and guests were treated to a raditional Chinese New Year celebration, including traditional food and entertainment.
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Diwali Celebrations at UL
UL Delegation at NAFSA
There is a strong Chinese community at UL with over 130 Chinese students currently enrolled at the university. UL has a number of well-established affiliations in China with 15 partner universities including a partnership with Hebei University of Technology which was officiated during the recent State visit of President Michael D Higgins to China.
A perfect time, where all the Indians of UL were gathered in one place, and an opportunity to meet new people and also meet our hometown people. The celebration had a good mix of Indian culture, taste and music. I’m very grateful to my University to have given me the opportunity of celebrating the divine culture and festival of lights in Ireland.
By UL student ambassador Meera Aashika
It was indeed a day to be remembered.
Diwali At UL 2015
UL Promotes…
UL gave me a great opportunity to celebrate the Indian cultural festival – Diwali, the festival of lights which symbolize the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair. Diwali was celebrated in the pavilion on campus multi purpose venue in the traditional way. The venue was decorated with bright and colourful lights, myself and my colleagues were excited to showcase the Indian culture and outfits after a long time, we were glad to see all the Indians in traditional wears like lungi’s, kurtas, sarees and salwar’s which were pleasing to our eyes and makes us feel like as if we were in our hometown. It was an immense pleasure to celebrate Diwali in Ireland with sparkles and smiles. The sparkles of course, lit up the night. The ambiance in the pavilion was filled with happiness, fun and enthusiasm. Indian music and Indian traditional dances kept the celebration alive throughout the night. The Indian food and desserts were cooked to perfection and it was a treat to the taste buds to taste the flavour of Indian cuisine food in UL. The poppadom and chicken gravy was one among my favourites. It was a groovy time to experience this idyllic get together, chit chats, play and laughter. 12 / Newsletter
Staff from IED and UL travelled abroad over 30 times in 2014/15 to promote UL as an attractive destination for third level education. UL delegation at NAFSA The University of Limerick delegation at the NAFSA (Association of International Educators) conference in Boston was led by Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar. The delegation included representatives from the International Education Division and Department of Nursing and Midwifery. Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan TD was the guest of honour at a University of Limerick reception, attended by US academic partners and UL alumni, which was hosted at the Irish Consulate in Boston. During her address, the Minister spoke on the importance of international education at UL. Boston Consul General Mr Breandán Ó Caollai and Mayor of Limerick City and County, Cllr Kevin Sheahan were among the guests at the event. UL officially launched the Generation Study Abroad UL Scholarshipat
UL participates in ERASMUS MUNDUS Strong Ties & INTACT Workshops
the conference. The purpose of the Generation Study Abroad UL scholarship is to support and encourage US students to gain an international experience through studying abroad at UL and coincides with UL’s commitment to Generation Study Abroad TM, an initiative led by the Institute of International Education (IIE) which seeks to double the number of US students studying abroad over the next five years. “The University of Limerick is a proud commitment partner of the Generation Study Abroad initiative” said Prof Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and
Education Fairs in India
Registrar. “The Generation Study Abroad UL Scholarship is a practical demonstration of our commitment to double the number of Study Abroad students that will be welcomed to UL over the next five years.” Over 11,000 international educators attended NAFSA, the biggest such gathering in North America and Europe. The conference brings together international education staff and academics for five days of exhibitions, training workshops, educational sessions, networking opportunities and special events. Education Fairs in India The International Education Division participated in Education \Fairs in India in February. These Education Fairs were organised under the Education in Ireland brand and saw many of the Irish Universities and Institute of Technology come together to promote Ireland as a world class education destination. UL attended the Fairs in Bangalore, Delhi, Pune and Chennai. Ireland is definitely proving to be a popular choice for Indian students.
Professor Paul McCutcheon, UL Vice President Academic and Registrar and Professor Xiu Gang, President, Tianjin Foreign Studies University (TFSU) pictured during a recent visit by TFSU to UL. Since UL began working in China in 2004, it has forged partnerships with a number of prestigious Chinese universities. UL now has over 14 university partnerships in China.
“There are already over 2,000 Indian students in Ireland and the figures are going up every year,” said Barry O’Driscoll, senior education adviser, Education in Ireland. “We’re in the heart of the Eurozone and have the advantage of courses being offered in English. We also have a large number of top globally recognised institutions that offer courses in different disciplines including science, technology, engineering, medicine, business and finance, which are a big draw for Indians. Further, despite being very high quality, education in Ireland is value for money,” O’Driscoll said. /13
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January Orientation 2016
UL Celebrates the Year of the Monkey
January 2016 saw the arrival of our spring semester international students. International orientation lasted for a full week of events organised every day which were designed to inform and to encourage the new students to settle into the University.
The University of Limerick and many of its international students have rung in the Chinese New Year at a gala event this week. The Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar and 2016 sees the arrival of the Year of the Monkey. Many Chinese try to give birth in a year of the Monkey, as they believe that this will make their babies clever. In China saying,
On arrival, students were met at the airport, from here they were brought straight to their student accommodation. Monday saw a coffee morning and a trad session in the evening. On Tuesday airport pickups continued along with a second coffee morning, a trip to UL farmers market, student buses to Parkway to pick up supplies, and a movie night. On Wednesday the Jean Monnet was the location of a series of informative talks on adjusting to life in Ireland, this was followed by a trad evening in Scholars bar. Thursday was study abroad orientation sessions, welcome address by Vice President Academic and Registar, Paul McCutcheon, and a series of social events which ended in the stables, now famous, international student Friday nights.The weekend brought with it two trips, one into the city to visit the milk market and city center shopping, and the second was a trip to the Burren which was run by the Students Union. Events like orientation week have earned UL the reputation of being 5th in the world for international student experience, and the warmest welcome in Ireland (International Student Barometer TM).
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“Your kid is like a Monkey,� is perceived as praise. Over 130 Chinese students were joined by Korean, Japanese and Thai students in celebrating the event. UL Faculty and staff, including staff from the International Education Division, were also in attendance and guests were treated to a traditional Chinese New Year celebration, including traditional food, games and entertainment. UL student Xiaoyu Lin wrote about how the experience of Chinese New Year in UL was for her which you can read about here.
Top Marks for Erasmus Mundus Students in Autumn 2015 18 visiting Erasmus Mundus students completed semester 1 at UL with a total of 29 A and 29 B grades in the Autumn examinations. The A-grade international students come from a wide range of countries across the globe: from Mehran University of Science and Technology, Pakistan, Kathmandu University, University Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, United University, Bangladesh, Kasetsart University, Thailand, Nanjing University, China, Can Tao University, Vietnam and Odessea Technological University, Ukraine. All these visiting high-performers won scholarships to study at UL through the INTACT, ELECTRA, Lotus+ and Lotus Unlimited Erasmus Mundus programmes. Top prize goes to Sahrish Memon from Pakistan, who has best overall results, with 4 A and 1 B grades. Many congratulations to Sahrish, whose endeavours have been rewarded with an extension of her scholarship, allowing her to continue her studies at UL for the full academic year. We hope these students will love UL and return for postgraduate studies!
UL participates in ERASMUS MUNDUS Strong Ties & INTACT Workshops
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Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility
UL International Student Ambassadors
The University of Limerick has been awarded ¤262,150 for two Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Projects. This represents 25% of the total funding available to Ireland in 2015. These grants will facilitate 64 mobility programmes with 24 institutions in 16 partner countries across Australasia, Africa and America. Dr Conor Carroll, Department of Management & Marketing, KBS and Dr Jenny Hou, Massey University, New Zealand have coordinated a reciprocal teaching exchange under this programme. Dr Hou, who arrived on 14th February 2016 will spend 10 days at the University of Limerickas part of an interdisciplinary team delivering a new “broadening the curriculum� module, with a specialism focusing on risk and crisis communications. Dr Carroll will deliver similar programme content to Massey students in April 2016. Through the development of these bilateral partnerships, it establishes sustainable international networks for both universities, providing mutually beneficial opportunities for both teaching and research. In line with Broadening Horizons 2015-2019, this opportunity contributes to the internationalisation of the curriculum and allows the University of Limerick gain a Pacific-Asian perspective and Massey University a European perspective expanding the current curricula.
The competitive International Student Ambassador programme saw the arrival of 30 new student ambassadors this semester. The group is made up of students from 8 different countries. The student ambassadors fuel the UL social media, managing an international instagram takeover, snapchat takeover and of course, the IED student blog. These social sites provide an insight into student life here in UL for prospective international students.
A student from Massey University will be supported under the International Credit Mobility grant in September 2016 for one semester and currently a KBS student is just commencing their semester at Massey under Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility.
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During the semester the group will take workshops on writing blogs, go on a group trip, and write or video just under a hundred blogs on life in UL. Read the UL International Student Blog... UL IED Launches Live Periscope! Periscope is a live video streaming app for iOS and Android, acquired January 2015 by Twitter. Not even officialy launched 12 months, UL is one of the first Universities in the world to use periscope for international recruitment. The department is running a series of talks with staff and students about international life in Limerick, with topics on everything from life in Limerick as an Indian student, to US federal aid. You can read more about this on the event page for UL International, Live Chat Mondays here.
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Congratulations from International Education Division!
January Orientation
We wish to extend our congratulations to Ina Ratriyana, University of Gadjah Mada, Indonesia who has just graduated from her Masters of Art in Communication Studies. Ina spent the first semester of 2015/6 studying at the Kemmy Business School under the Erasmus Mundus Programme, Lotus Unlimited. Studying at UL has helped Ina complete her studies and will build onher future career.
January 2016 saw the arrival of our spring semester international students. International orientation lasted for a full week of events organised every day which were designed to inform and to encourage the new students to settle into the University.
“I choose the University of Limerick as they offered ideal modules to strengthen my understanding of business communication as this was the focus area of my Masters. The whole semester KBS gave me the experience to see communication from the business’ side, for example how to build a real life marketing and communication strategy with real problems from the client and even how to build our own business from scratch. I learnt a lot and gain so many new skills from living and studying in a new culture. In the future it will give me extra benefit of a global perspective not only from the communication’s perspective but also from the business study itself as I really want to pursue my dream to become a lecturer and researcher and show my two children that anything is possible once you work hard and follow your dreams!!” Ina Ratriyana Erasmus Mundus Student Semester 1 2015/16 Triona O’Sullivan Representing UL at Pace University Study Abroad Fair February 2016
On arrival, students were met at the airport, from here they were brought straight to their student accommodation. Monday saw a coffee morning and a trad session in the evening. On Tuesday airport pickups continued along with a second coffee morning, a trip to UL farmers market, student buses to Parkway to pick up supplies, and a movie night. On Wednesday the Jean Monnet was the location of a series of informative talks on adjusting to life in Ireland, this was followed by a trad evening in Scholars bar. Thursday was study abroad orientation sessions, welcome address by Vice President Academic and Registar, Paul McCutcheon, and a series of social events which ended in the stables, now famous, international student Friday nights.The weekend brought with it two trips, one into the city to visit the milk market and city center shopping, and the second was a trip to the Burren which was run by the Students Union. Events like orientation week have earned UL the reputation of being 5th in the world for international student experience, and the warmest welcome in Ireland (International Student Barometer TM).
Triona is a recent Business graduate from UL and is currently working in a HR firm in New York on a 1 year working visa. /17
I N T E R N AT I O N A L E D U C AT I O N D I V I S I O N
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INTACT and LEADERS Meeting at UL The University of Limerick hosted the Selection Committee of the Erasmus Mundus LEADERS and INTACT Programmes on 12 and 13 April. This highly successful project has attracted almost 6 million Euro from the EU to fund student and staff scholarships allowing the most talented young people from countries as diverse as Pakistan, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Afganistan, Thailand, China and Malaysia to contribute to the mutual enrichment of societies by developing their qualifications so that they possess appropriate skills, particularly as regards the labour market, and are open-minded and internationally experienced. Worldwide Finalists: The resounding success of the programme is evident in the superb achievement of 3 doctoral students, Team SherPak, from Pakistan studying at DEIB, Politecnico di Milano and Frederick University, Cyprus who are finalists in the Ericsson Innovation Awards (EIA) 2016 with their Smart Window Innovation invention using planar-embedded antennae that turn windows into a communication medium, supported by solar power generation capabilities. The 3 INTACT scholarship holders are one of only four teams to participate in EIA 2016 grand final on May 26, 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. The EIA is a global competition that gives students the opportunity to develop innovative ICT ideas in collaboration with Ericsson experts. A total of 843 teams from 72 countries entered the competition this year. Team SherPak will compete with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, University of British Columbia, Canada and Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain
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26 delegates from 18 countries were represented at the INTACT/LEADERS meeting. Professor Elfed Lewis coordinates the programme at UL. The project head, Prof Aziz Rahman and administrator, Anna Hadjuk of City University London and the coordinator of the INTACT programme Dr Christos Themistos, Frederick University, Cyprus led the proceedings at UL over two days. 95 visiting students and staff have come to UL under the project, with 46 students, 20 incoming staff, 14 PhD students, 6 Post Docs and 9 UL staff visiting partners in South East Asia, including Dr Finbarr Murphy of KBS and Dr Ian Grout of ECE. The main subject areas are the STEM Disciplines, with specific priorities in Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Information and Communication Technology; Photonics; Biomedical Engineering; Computer Engineering; Energy and Power Systems; Informatics; Telecommunications; Mathematics; Physics; Civil Engineering; Soil and Water Sciences.
The outstanding work of the visiting students and staff at the University of Limerick is evident. The Erasmus Mundus undergraduate students received a total of 29 A and 29 B grades in the Autumn Semester this year. Top student was Sahrish Memon from Mehran University of Science and Technology, Pakistan, who obtained 4 As and 1 B in her first semester is working hard for the spring examinations. On 18 December 2015, the 7 INTACT and LEADERS PhD students presented their research work at the Annual Progression Colloquium of the Optical Fibre Sensors Research Centre and the Mobile Marine Robotics Research Centre in ECE providing a diverse and interesting range of research areas. The European Workshop on Optical Fibre Sensors (EWOFS) 2016,will be hosted at the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering from 31 May to 3 June 2016.
Erasmus Mundus aims to enhance the quality of European higher education and to promote dialogue and understanding between people and cultures through cooperation with Third-Countries. In addition, it contributes to the development of human resources and the international cooperation capacity of Higher education institutions by increasing mobility between the European Union and third countries. The programme promotes European higher education, helping improve and enhance the career prospects of students, to promote intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries, in order to contribute to the sustainable development through the field of higher education.
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