News and ee Nts New AgreemeNts PArtNershiPs International ... · Ho Chi Minh City. She also visited a number of partner universities: Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST),

News and eveNts New AgreemeNts and PArtNershiPs

1 2International Education Division Newsletter - www.ul.ie/international International Education Division Newsletter - www.ul.ie/international

New AgreemeNts and PArtNershiPsNew AgreemeNts and PArtNershiPs

New Agreements and Partnerships

Three University of Ghana students have arrived on campus at UL to start their Masters scholarships in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. The three awardees, Susan Mills, Joseph Yeboah Nortey and Dzidzor Adogla-Bessa, who graduated with first-class honours at the University of Ghana, are settling in very well in UL. The scholarships follow on from the MOU signed last year between UL and the University of Ghana; the agreement is the first of its kind between an Irish and a Ghanaian university.

The agreement is to facilitate collaboration between the institutions and to develop models of cooperation in a number of areas, including education and academic research. The signing ceremony took place in December 2015 during a visit to the University of Ghana by the then Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney T.D., and Ireland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ghana & Senegal H.E. Sean Hoy. UL’s VPA&R, Professor Paul McCutcheon, and Director of IED, Josephine Page, both travelled to Ghana to sign the official agreement between the two institutions.

In addition to the scholarships, the agreement will give rise to staff and student collaboration between the two universities and will enable increased access through Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility 2016, a programme that encourages and facilitates academic exchanges across the globe. Later this academic year, University of Ghana staff will visit UL to commence collaboration at academic staff level – see article to follow for details.

The University of Limerick has been awarded €€241,654 for Erasmus+International Credit Mobility. The award will fund 57 mobility activities across the following 11 countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco and South Africa. The activities will facilitate new collaborations in teaching, learning and research for students and staff of the participating institutions.

For UL, the funding to enable collaboration with Ghana is particularly good news given UL’s recently established memorandum of understanding with the University of Ghana, and the University of Cape Coast. The University of Ghana will work with the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering at UL and the University of Cape Coast will embark on a pilot project with the Department of Nursing and Midwifery.

Another exciting partnership is taking place between the Yared School of Music, the first HEI of music in Ethiopia, and UL’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. The cultural enrichment of both universities through this programme will enhance the study of music and dance for students and staff alike in two very different contexts.

In October, UL signed an MOU with the internationally renowned Beijing Sport University (BSU). Fifty students from BSU represented China in the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a total of eight gold, five silver and eight bronze medals. As Ireland’s premiere sports university, UL is delighted to collaborate with BSU to address the increasing international demand for academic programmes that relate to sport, sport science, sports nutrition, health, physical education and physical activity.

THREE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA SCHOLARS BEGIN MASTERS PROGRAMMES

SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION FOR EU FUNDING WILL LEAD TO STAFF MOBILITY BETWEEN UL AND ELEVEN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES

UL SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH PREMIERE CHINESE SPORTS UNIVERSITY

Susan Mills (centre), one of the students from the University of Ghana

International Education DivisionNewsletter Issue 5 2016

Hebei University of Technology and UL sign an agreement in Beijing, October 2016. [Front] Paul McCutcheon (VPA&R, UL), Tony Jie (ACE Ireland), and Saihong Zhu (Dean, School of International Education, HEBUT). [Back] Yanhua Yu (Vice Dean, School of International Education, HEBUT), Giles O’Neill (Enterprise Ireland), Mary Doyle (Deputy Minister for Education & Skills), Paul Kavanagh (Irish Ambassador in China), and Mac Mao (ACE Ireland).



New AgreemeNts and PArtNershiPs

A New Chapter For Internationalisation @UL

A New Chapter For Internationalisation @UL

INTRODUCING THE ASSISTANT DEANS INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONALISATION SUPPORTS FOR UL STAFF

UL PROMOTES

INTERNATIONALISATION TASKFORCE CHAIRED BY UL PRESIDENT

UL’s commitment to internationalisation led to the appointment of four Assistant Deans International (ADsI), one in each of UL’s faculties. ADsI provide academic leadership and overall managerial direction for international activities at UL. They take lead responsibility for developing and delivering programmes and initiatives that enhance UL’s capacity to engage in international research and educational activities; this involves coordinating communication between key stakeholders when curricula and practices of intercultural awareness and global outlook are being developed.

ADsI monitor and support staff in planning international research, teaching and service activities by addressing concerns and institutional supports, creating awareness and training opportunities and establishing policies, procedures, practices and targets in relation to international engagement.

UL’s HR Division has begun implementing support services for UL staff to promote internationalisation. Intercultural training was delivered in November, and the Graduate Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship now includes a module on teaching international students. The module will help participants to recognise, respect and respond appropriately to the variety of cultural backgrounds encountered in the classroom and will help to prepare students to live and work in a global society.

Research Support Services has funding available to support a range of international activities, including research visits, networking and exchanges, access to special facilities, travel for research project preparation and invited talks. In conjunction with IED, HR raises staff awareness of opportunities for international mobility through the Erasmus programme. With a view to fostering innovation and facilitating improvements in specific sectors, administrative and technical staff can travel to a UL partner university to attend training programmes, shadow staff members working in the same area, experience working practices and facilities or attend a formal Erasmus staff training week. HR, in conjunction with IED, the ADsI, and Plassey Campus Centre, also organise regular Lunchtime Seminars around the theme of internationalisation, in an effort to engage the entire campus community in this regard.

Josephine Page, Director IED, travelled to Vietnam in November 2016 to participate in the Education Fairs organised Education Ireland in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. She also visited a number of partner universities: Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), and Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (HCMUT), as well as new potential partners, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Science University and the University of Economics Hanoi (UEH).

As part of UL’s institution-wide focus on internationalisation, a taskforce has been set up to implement the internationalisation objectives set out in Broadening Horizons, the university’s strategic plan 2015–2019. The taskforce, which has begun its work, is being chaired by UL President Professor Don Barry.

Yifei Qu from the UL China Office at the CEE (China Education Exhibition) Education Fair in Beijing

Caitriona Conway [from IED] at St Ignatius Loyola Jesuit secondary boarding school students in Abuja

Josephine Page, director of IED on a recent trip to University of Economics HCMC in Vietnam

Presentation - St Ignatius Loyola Jesuit secondary boarding school students in Abuja

Amanda Noonan from IED [left] with Alby Augustine, on a recent trip to India

Introducing the Assitant Deans (International) [R to L] Dónal Palcic (KBS), Anca Minescu (EHS), Mairead Moriarty (AHSS), David Tanner (S&E)



AN ERASMUS MUNDUS SUCCESS STORY

The International Education Division (IED) congratulates Ina Ratriyana, University of Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, who has just graduated with a Master of Arts in Communication Studies. Ina spent the first semester of 2015/16 studying at the Kemmy Business School under the Lotus Unlimited Erasmus Mundus Programme. Studying at UL helped Ina to complete her studies and lay the foundations of her future career.

This is how Ina summarises her experience at UL: “I choose the University of Limerick as it offered ideal modules to strengthen my understanding of business communication: the focus of my Masters. Throughout the whole semester, KBS gave me the experience to see communication from a business perspective, such as how to build a real-life marketing and communication strategy or even how to build a business from scratch. I learned a lot and gained so many new skills from living and studying in a new culture. In the future, it will benefit me greatly to have this global perspective, not only in relation to communication but also from the point of view of business study itself as I really want to pursue my dream of becoming a lecturer and researcher and show my two children that anything is possible once you work hard and follow your dreams!! It’s been a while since I left Limerick, but I’m really happy and glad to know that I had the opportunity to live and study there. Limerick and Indonesia are very far away from each other but every single precious moment will make me have a space for Limerick forever.”

– Ina Ratriyana, Erasmus Mundus student, Semester 1 2015/16

Student Profiles

Celina Jaffe, pictured dancing above, is a UL MA Dance Performance student who beat 3,600 other students to win a full scholarship worth US$15,000 from Go Overseas in conjunction with Education in Ireland to study in Ireland. This is Celina’s story.

“Some of us move abroad to get away, some of us to explore new places. Whatever brings you abroad, what’s sure is that you will learn something about yourself.

Although the climate here has given me a bit of a cold and the excessive dancing a bit of pain, I can say I have already seen how beautiful Ireland is, and I know I can exist in it comfortably as it slowly becomes my new home.

After a break from dancing due to injury, living in France as an English teacher, and an uninspiring go at grad school in California, I found myself back in my home state of Indiana...Then came that familiar ache, a desire for further exploration.

I came to UL because I know that living abroad has always been the fastest route to self-discovery. I think my journal entry written during my flight here best sums up my feelings about being at UL: “On the plane … in a daze. Not sentimental, just free. I am so ready to walk this path alone. I have no fear, though some anxieties. I feel I am doing exactly what I want and need to be doing in my life right now. What an incredible privilege.”

Since I am on a full-ride scholarship for my MA in Dance Performance thanks to Go Overseas Inc. and Education in Ireland, I cannot wait to spend this year giving back to the international community here at UL.

Here’s to a new year of discovery. I wish all of my fellow artists and international students the best in our new and exciting journey. May we not only discover all that Ireland offers but all that we offer each other.”

“GO OVERSEAS” SCHOLARSHIP WINNER ARRIVES ON CAMPUS

Ina Ratriyana with her family on her graduation day.

News and eveNts


Hamad Abdullah AlFarhan is a Saudi Arabian student who is currently studying at UL. Here, he discusses why chose to spend five years … and counting … in UL.

I grew up in Saudi Arabia in a family that has a great love and appreciation for education. Therefore, from an early age, I decided to complete my higher studies abroad. This decision was driven and supported by my family.

In 2010, I met the Irish Ambassador, Dr Niall Holohan, in Riyadh. Dr Holohan highly recommended that I visit the Irish section of the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education in Riyadh and consider Ireland as a destination to study abroad. As a result of that visit I chose the University of Limerick for many reasons as my destination to complete my third-level studies.

Academic Reputation I have always had an interest in technology and wanted to complete a degree in science/computing. UL has a Language Centre that offers a variety of language courses and provides a high level of training. Between 2010 and 2011, I successfully completed some language courses, which enabled me to progress onto the Bachelor of Science in Mobile Communications and Security in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering. Once I complete my degree, I will be equipped to be part of the world-wide mobile networking revolution.

Now that I am in the final year of my programme, I have decided I would like continue my studies in UL and plan to complete a Master of Science degree in the area of health informatics in the academic year 2017/18.

Cooperative Education Work experience is a fundamental part of the BSc in Mobile Communications and Security. UL’s Cooperative Education and Careers Division offered me invaluable career guidance and options. I completed a cooperative work placement in the areas of audio visual and information technology in the Graduate Entry Medical School. During my work experience, I had the chance to apply what I had learned during my studies in a practical way and gained many insights from the numerous learning opportunities available to me. I enjoyed the seven months’ work experience; it was a learning curve that improved my technical knowledge and skills in the areas of communication, teamwork, problem-solving and soft skills.

Campus Life My student experience at UL has been unique. The campus is stunning, and I admire the breath-taking modern architecture. Since 2010 I have received so much more than an academic education. I have engaged with people with diverse cultures, languages and mind-sets from all over the world, and this has enhanced my Irish learning and social experience. Each day I have learned so many new things and have made numerous life-long friends.

I love the social life here in Limerick, the ceol agus craic, the traditional music, the numerous places I visited in Munster with the International Society and the incredible new foods, customs, traditions and social atmospheres. I have taken every opportunity to experience a completely new way of life.

There are many differences and similarities between the Irish and Saudi Arabian cultures. I admire the Irish culture greatly, and the welcome I have received to date makes Ireland my home away from home.

– Hamad Abdullah AlFarhan, BSc Mobile Communications and Security student, 2015/16

UL is delighted to welcome Pateka Qwesha, Sazi Mabaso and Edward Horn from Rhodes University in South Africa. They are studying on the Master of Taxation programme for one semester thanks to Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility. Interestingly, they are studying here from a dual perspective, because they are both students and staff members in South Africa. This is what they had to say:

“Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility gave us the opportunity to learn about taxation in the context of Ireland and the EU while sharing our unique South African perspective. The lectures and tutorials we attended gave us an opportunity to reflect on our own teaching practices and gave us ideas about strategies we could implement once back in the classroom in South Africa. The relationships we built during our stay at UL will last us a lifetime. The UL experience truly welcomes international students and provides a sense of belonging and a home away from home!”

STUDYING ABROAD IN IRELAND – HAMAD’S STORY

STUDENTS & STAFF FROM SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY BEGIN MASTERS PROGRAMME AT UL

Student Profiles Student Profiles

Students and staff from Rhodes University in South Africa begin Masters programme at UL

Hamad Abdullah AlFarhan on a hiking trip with the UL Outdoor Pursuits Club



New AgreemeNts and PArtNershiPs

Celebrations & Awards

At the French-Irish Symposium hosted by the French Ambassador, Mr Jean-Pierre Thébault, and Professor Huw Lewis of the UL Graduate School, UL students, Rosie Hynes and Rachel McCourt, received first and second prize respectively for the best academic results from their Erasmus placements in France, where they studied at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 and Aix-Marseille Université. Romain Fachero, who studied at the highly prestigious Paris Institute of Political Science, was awarded third prize.

First-prize winner Rosie shared with us a snapshot of her time in France.

“‘Gai lézard, bois ton soleil! L’ heure ne passe que trop vite, Et demain il pleuvra peut-être - ’

This quote from Frédéric Mistral, a poet from the south of France, roughly translates as ‘Gay lizard, drink up your sunshine! The hour passes only too quick, and tomorrow it may rain.’

This lizard, drinking up the sunshine and the sun, the very epitome of the south, sums up for me many images of the south of France. The overall meaning implies a get-up-and-go attitude: Make the most of today as we never know what tomorrow may bring. My entire Erasmus year was based on this attitude because never a day went by when I did not learn something new. I fell in love with the country, the language and, maybe most importantly, a Frenchman. Vive la France!”

Celebrations & Awards

ALUMNI AWARDS

Romain Fachero with Mr Stéphane Aymard, Attaché for Scientific & Academic Cooperation at the Embassy Of France in Ireland

Rosie Hynes & Rachel McCourt with Mr Stéphane Aymard

IED offers its warmest congratulations to UL international alumni student, Dr Mark Mantey from Ghana, who was presented with the Humanitarian Award at the annual UL Alumni Awards this year. Mark completed his BA, MA and PhD at UL and is now Director of the Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centre, an agency in Cape Coast, Ghana, that works to rehabilitate and reintegrate leprosy survivors and their families.

Mark has also played a pivotal role in bringing more than 70 UL students to the rehabilitation centre to work on a variety of projects to enhance the lives of those at the centre. The initiative is part of UL’s Engage Africa Cooperative Education programme.

UL STUDENTS WIN PRIZES FOR FRENCH ERASMUS RESULTS First-prize winner Rosie shared with us a snapshot of her

time in France

International students at the Summer Conferrings in 2016

Dr Mark Mantey at the UL Alumni Awards Celebrations

Dr Mark Mantey with UL President, Professor Don Barry



Cultural Celebrations

ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL REMAINS A SUCCESSThis year, IED once again hosted its annual International Festival, which celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the UL student body while helping to integrate the vast number of international students studying at UL. The festival comprised a full day of free events and boasted an excellent turnout of international and Irish students. UL is renowned for its outstanding international student experience and warm welcome, and events like the International Festival are a significant part of the internationalisation of the University.

With over 500 students participating in the Erasmus and Exchange programme 2015/16, and with many destinations to choose from, UL has the largest such programme, and also received the highest Erasmus funding for the 2016/17 year. Showcasing Erasmus and Exchange opportunities for UL students, the International Festival included a Study Abroad Fair that featured stands from partner institutions around the world. To help UL students decide where to go on Erasmus, international students representing their home institutions and countries and UL students who had previously studied overseas were on hand to share their experiences.

Hosted in the Pavilion, this year’s International Food Fair featured dishes from countries including China, France, Spain, Germany and Sweden. Over 300 students sampled dishes from around the world and shared their cultures with friends and other students.

Wrapping up a great day of sharing and celebrating diverse cultures, the International Festival concluded with a screening of the French film, Amelie, in the University Concert Hall.

International Food Fair - (Pictured Left to Right) Aoife Fteindl from Austria; Julia Pirner from Germany; Lisa Oeberseder from Austria; Lisa Pfenning from Germany

Study Abroad Fair at UL

UL hosted its annual Diwali celebrations once again this year with great success. We were delighted to see traditional prayers, lighting ceremonies and song and dance performances from students and a wonderful dinner served by the Indian chefs in the UL Sports Bar. Our students also provided us with a beautiful example of traditional Rangoli art, in which patterns are created on the floor using flour. Even though they may be thousands of miles away from family and friends, events like these are organised by the International Education Division to make our students feel at home and to help them celebrate with their new UL family.

Chinese New Year is celebrated every year with a meal in a local Chinese restaurant. Last year we celebrated the Year of the Monkey, and this year we will welcome the Year of the Rooster.

CHINESE NEW YEAR

DIWALI

Cultural Celebrations



BUDDY PROGRAMME REMAINS POPULAR With 641 international students matched up with 181 domestic UL buddies, the UL International Buddy Programme has proven to be hugely popular once again this year. The aim of the programme is to provide a point of contact for newly arrived international students – someone who can answer their questions and provide guidance on how to get the most out of their time in Ireland. Throughout both semesters, IED hosts a number of free events for all participants of the Buddy Programme, and with pizza parties, movie nights and tours of King John’s Castle featuring on the schedule in the first month of the autumn semester, this year remained equally successful.

GO GAELIC TOURNAMENT UL won the inaugural international student Gaelic football tournament this year, competing against six other Irish college teams. Ten teams representing six different colleges took part, with hosts UL eventually completing a perfect five game run to garner the first Go Gaelic Cup title. Well done to all involved.

WELCOME: SEPTEMBER ORIENTATION The International Education Division was delighted with the success of this year’s orientation programme in September. Some of the fantastic events on offer included a traditional Irish music session in the Sports Bar and a fabulous Irish dance performance from Celtic Steps. Other chances for students to sample Irish culture included an Intro to Irish Language workshop and a session with Go Gaelic, who introduced 110 students to Gaelic football and hurling. With healthy eating workshops, cooking demonstrations and relaxation sessions, this year’s programme also featured an emphasis on health and wellbeing.

Student Integration - Key to Success

Student Integration - Key to Success

In the Autumn semester, IED piloted an intercultural awareness and communication training programme with four postgraduate programmes: MSc Project Management, MSc International Management & Global Business, MA International Tourism and MEng Computer and Communication Systems. The aim of the programme was to heighten postgraduate students’ intercultural awareness, enhance their cross-cultural communication skills and help them to communicate more effectively in an increasingly diverse classroom environment.

Students from different cultural backgrounds often experience challenges in adapting to the Irish classroom, especially in the areas of learning and teaching styles, academic systems, curriculum, assessment and group work. Participants in the programme were encouraged to focus on how their communication style is affected by culture and learned how to minimise problems and misunderstandings that arise from cultural differences

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION PROGRAMME PILOTED IN FOUR MA COURSES

STAMP OF APPROVAL: SUCCESSFUL RENEWAL OF EDUCATION ABROAD RECOGNITION AWARD

Having first earned recognition in 2008, UL was recently successful in retaining recognition by the USA-based Forum on Education Abroad for conforming to the internationally recognised Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad under the Forum’s Quality Improvement Program (QUIP). The QUIP is a rigorous process of self-study and peer review that recognises institutions and organisations for meeting the good-practice standards while offering recommendations for quality improvement. As part of the renewal process, a group of peer reviewers visited the UL campus in May and met with IED and other relevant UL staff. The peer reviewers commented that “UL maintains a commitment and dedication both to offering high quality programs in educator abroad at a level of excellence acceptable to the larger academic community”. UL’s QUIP award will next be reviewed in 2023.

ACADEMIC LITERACIESThe transition between academic practices can be challenging for international students. The academic year 2016/17 saw the introduction at UL of two three-credit modules on academic literacies for international postgraduate students. To date, 110 students have signed up to take the modules, which were designed to equip international students with the practical, written and oral communication skills necessary to participate effectively in the UL academic community and become independent learners.

Documents

News and ee Nts New AgreemeNts PArtNershiPs International ... · Ho Chi Minh City. She also visited a number of partner universities: Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST),