The International Education Division (IED) is responsible for the development and implementation of internationalisation strategy for the University and supports faculty and departments in the advancement of their strategic proprieties 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 increased again for 2012/13, with over 2,200 international students welcomed to the campus. Significant non-EU growth was seen from India, China and the Middle East. The Study Abroad programme also grew and a new Engineering Summer School was launched in May 2013 to compliment the suite of Irish Studies summer streams. UL’s first engagement with Brazil’s ‘Science without Borders’ scholarship programme resulted in 34 Brazilian undergraduate students to UL. These students will spend one academic year at UL before returning to Brazil to complete their undergraduate studies. The Graduate School also welcomed research students under this programme.The Erasmus programmes continues to grow and is again the largest in Ireland. Over 30% of our undergraduates spend a semester overseas on a study or work placement. This significant level of international engagement enhances employability and ensures that students have the opportunity to become fully engaged global citizens. To celebrate and highlight the rich network of cultures on campus IED organises a Culture Festival (hyperlink to programme outline) each autumn semester. The programme will ran during week 4 and offered over 20 events for students and staff; from Chinese Calligraphy Classes and Brazilian Cinema to Gaelic Sports workshops and an Irish language and food night. 2013 was also a special year for international alumni relations –UL40 was celebrated with international Alumni and friends of UL in the China, USA and Japan. Feedback from our international graduates was very positive and the events allowed UL to showcase recent success and developments. The IED team would like to thank the University community for the continued support in promoting UL internationally and the great student care afforded to international students on campus. This work is not sufficiently recognised and is invaluable in attracting high quality students to UL and raising our profile overseas. We all look forward to working with you throughout 2013/14!

International Education DivisionIssue 4 2013Newsletter

Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar, Mr Austin Gormley, Irish Consul General Shanghai (both middle, back row), Ms. Ellen O’Connor (right, middle row) pictured with Alumni at the UL40 event in Shanghai

Emmeline Searson (middle, front row) pictured with H.E. Mr John Neary, Mrs Kathleen White, Dr Philip O’Regan, Dean of Kemmy Business School (middle, second row), UL Alumni, future UL students and University Partners

The International Education Division, in conjunction with the UL Alumni Association, held a series of events in China, USA and Japan to mark the occasion of the University of Limerick’s 40 years of Innovation. The first of these events took place in China during March. Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar, hosted over 70 alumni, university partners and friends of UL at two very special events in China. The events were held in Beijing and Shanghai respectively. The Irish Consul General in Shanghai, Austin Gormley attended the event in Shanghai and spoke about the importance of building relationships between Ireland and China. In April, Professor Sarah Moore, Associate Vice President Academic

hosted two receptions in the USA. Over 60 alumni attended the receptions which were held in Boston and New York. Japan was the final stop for the UL40 celebrations. H.E. Mr John Neary, Ambassador of Ireland to Japan and his wife, Mrs. Kathleen White hosted a reception at the Irish Embassy in Tokyo. The event was attended by alumni, future UL students and university partners. Dr Philip O’Regan, Dean of Kemmy Business School and Emmeline Searson, International Education Division represented UL at the event.The celebrations provided a great opportunity to mark the milestone of UL’s 40 years of Innovation with alumni, university partners and friends of UL around the world.

Celebrations and Awards

Josephine Page, Head of IED

WelCome to

IED newsletter

UL Mark their 40 years of Innovation with Alumni and Friends around the World

Over eighty international students, including students from Brazil, China, India, USA and Russia, were honoured for their academic merit at a ceremony on Wednesday 13th February. Scholarships and Merit Bursaries were awarded to international students who achieved academic excellence.These high achieving students were presented with Faculty of Science and Engineering Scholarships, Kemmy Business School Scholarships, International Education Division Merit Bursaries and University of Limerick Foundation Entrance Scholarships. Students were also presented with Government of Ireland Scholarships for India. This prestigious scholarship entitles students, of Indian nationality who have gained a place on a one year Taught Masters Programme, to a full fee waiver and a stipend of €10,000 to cover living expenses. The awards were presented to the students by Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar. Faculty and staff, including staff from the International Education Division, attended the ceremony to honour the outstanding academic merit of the international students.

Former Director of International Education at UL

receives prestigious AwardLiam Ó Dochartaigh was presented with the 2013 Peter A. Wollitzer Advocacy Award by The Forum on Education Abroad. This award honours a Forum member who has been remarkably effective in influencing educational institutions to understand and support education abroad. Mr. Ó Dochartaigh was granted the award at the Forum’s Ninth Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois on Friday 5th April. Liam Ó Dochartaigh, the former Director of International Education at the University of Limerick, is a scholar of Irish language, literature and folklore, and has taught at the University of Ulster, Thomond College of Education and also at the University of Limerick. He has been a vigorous advocate for study abroad and was instrumental in founding an International office at the University of Limerick. He retired from the position of Director of International Education at UL in 2009. Upon learning about Liam Ó Dochartaigh’s award, Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar at the

University of Limerick stated: ‘This award is well deserved. Liam’s contribution to international education and cultural understanding is highly regarded by the University of Limerick and we take pride in his achievements.’

Liam Ó Dochartaigh pictured with Emmeline Searson, UL

Avdhey and Agyant Tiwari pictured with Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar after receiving the Faculty of Science and Engineering Scholarships

International students honoured

A University of Limerick student, who is a recipient of a George J. Mitchell Scholarship, was officially welcomed to Ireland at a welcoming reception held in Dublin recently. Mark Brennan, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, USA and who is currently studying for an MSc in Mathematical Modelling at UL, joined fellow Mitchell Scholars in being welcomed to Ireland by Senator George J. Mitchell and US-Ireland Alliance president, Trina Vargo. The reception was hosted by John Herlihy, Head of Google Ireland, at Google’s new European headquarters. Speaking after the reception, Mark said: ‘It was an incredible honour to be selected as a George J. Mitchell scholar. I spent the previous year as a researcher in quantitative public policy, and it was clear I needed to broaden and deepened my technical toolbox and this Scholarship is allowing me to do just that. The University of Limerick was a natural choice for me. UL has an MSc in Mathematical Modelling in its Department of Mathematics and Statistics that is unique among American and European universities in its coursework, with broad applications ranging from geoscience to biology. So far it has been a wonderful experience being in such a research-focused yet far-reaching university and course, and I’m looking forward to eventually translating my experiences here to American academia. I’m excited about the incredible potential for transatlantic STEM cooperation.’ The Mitchell Scholarship, which is sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance and named in honour of Senator George J. Mitchell’s contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is awarded annually to up to twelve scholars who are judged on their scholarship, leadership and commitment to community and public service. The Mitchell Scholarship provides tuition, accommodation, a living expenses stipend and an international travel stipend.

UL Welcomes George J. Mitchell Scholar

Pictured (L-R) Annalury Villasante, Nicole Davis, Siddhant Agarwal, Shaolin He, Michael Hernadez, Ryan McDonnell, Phoebe Zhang, Dr Trevor Young, Prof Tim McGloughlin, Prof Lakshmi N. Sankar and Daniel Mortell inspecting a a Tecnam 2 seater training aircraft at Coonagh Aerodrome, Limerick.

neW agreements and PartnershiPs

The University of Limerick announced a major expansion of its partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), USA, recently. Seven aerospace engineering students from Georgia Tech arrived at Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering, UL and completed a 10 week Semester Abroad programme at the University of Limerick. Georgia Tech has the 2nd leading Aerospace Engineering (AE) programme in the US.Professor Tim McGloughlin, Head of the Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering said; “UL has a very successful relationship with Georgia Tech through Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering student exchanges and research activity. This expansion to include a Georgia Tech Semester Abroad at the MABE Department at UL supports what is a vital sector for the Shannon region.”The programme was delivered by faculty from Georgia Tech and included modules on wind engineering; aeroelasticity, vehicle performance, structural analysis, high speed aerodynamics and research.Michael McCarthy, Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, UL explained the significance of this move; “Georgia Tech has the 2nd leading Aerospace Engineering programme in the US and their decision to run a full semester at the University of Limerick reflects our growing stature in the aeronautical engineering sector.”Professor Lakshmi Sankar, Guggenheim Department of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech welcomed the development; “The programme at Limerick will give our students an opportunity to gain experience abroad and to work with the high quality faculty at the University of Limerick.” The Aeronautical Engineering programme at UL is one of the most respected in Europe, and is supported by outstanding facilities, including wind tunnels and composites manufacturing equipment.

Ul signs moU With Harbin Engineering University ChinaProfessor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar, UL and President Liu Zhigang signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday 14th March to formally launch collaborative programmes between Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China and the University of Limerick. The benefits of the programme can already be seen with engineering students from HEU joining the UL Study Abroad programme in September 2013. The new programmes will also include collaboration at Masters and PhD level.Following the formal launch of the collaborative programme in March, representatives from HEU visited UL in August. UL is continuing to develop further links with HEU. Professor Elfed Lewis, UL, chaired ICOM “International Conference on Optoelectronics and Microelectronics” at Harbin in September. Harbin Engineering University, founded in 1953, is one of China’s leading engineering universities in both teaching and research. It is ranked among the selected Project 211 universities and has 25,000 students. HEU offers a wide range of engineering masters programmes through English.

Professor Dong Yuxin and Ms. Hua Yin both from Harbin Engineering University pictured with Ms Ellen O’Connor, International Recruitment Manager, IED

neW PartnershipsEDHEC ESPEME Business StudiesFrance

Ecole normale supérieure de Cachan Sports ScienceFrance

University of Lodz, JournalismPoland

Universidad de Navarra JournalismSpain

Karlstads Universitet HumanitiesSweden

University of Bristol Music and DanceUnited Kingdom

Universidad San Jorge ArchitectureSpain

The Hague University of Applied Sciences Product DesignNetherlands

University of Split ElectronicCroatia Engineering

Harbin Engineering University EngineeringChina

international stUdent Numbers 2012/2013Programme of stUdy nUmber of international

stUdents at Ul 2012/13Visiting Students: Erasmus, Exchange, Study Abroad and Summer School programmes 1,025

Full-time Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate students

1,194

Students on academic placement overseas 393

Total International Mobility 2,612

Ul annoUnCes major expansion of partnership With toP Us University Georgia Institute of Technology

Chinese ministry of edUCation approves foUr joint programmes for Ul

Staff from IED and UL, travelled abroad over 30 times in 2012/2013, to promote UL as an attractive international destination for third level education. International Education Fairs and conferences were attended by IED staff and UL Faculty in our key markets of Europe, China, India, Middle East and the USA.

The Chinese Ministry of Education has approved four joint programmes for UL. The Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic and Computer Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems, Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering and the Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering have all been approved. The joint programmes will allow Chinese students to spend Year 1 and Year 2 of their study in China and the final two years of their programme at UL. Representatives from Shandong University of Technology visited UL in June to discuss the joint programmes and also visited a number of faculties at UL including the Kemmy Business School and the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

staff Trips

Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar spoke at the China Study Abroad Forum (SAF) 2013, an annual forum that provides a platform for international education specialists, domestic and international governmental representatives and higher education institutions to discuss the challenges and opportunities arising in transnational education.At the forum, Professor McCutcheon spoke about the importance of building relationships with Chinese partner universities under this year’s theme of ‘International Cooperation: Good Practices for Capacity Building’. The University of Limerick currently has 14 partner universities in China, including a new partnership signed with Harbin Engineering University during Professor McCutcheon’s visit to China. Through cooperation with partner universities UL now offers a wide range of transnational education programmes in a number of disciplines. Professor McCutcheon will also address students of Tianjin Foreign Studies University.The University has a number of well-established affiliations in China and UL’s network of institutional partners in China is growing steadily. 2012/3 saw an increase in the number of undergraduate students enrolling in joint programmes from Xidian University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Tianjin Foreign Studies University and Shandong University of Technology. Irish students have also benefitted from these collaborations with students taking part in Architecture and Business summer schools hosted by Tongji University and Tianjin University. Over 212 scholarships have been awarded to Chinese students since 2010 which has allowed UL’s Chinese partner institutions to promote opportunities for Study Abroad at UL to all their students.

Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic and Registrar pictured speaking at the China Study Abroad Forum

China Study Abroad forUm

Representatives from Shandong University of Technology pictured with Dr Fergal O’Brien, KBS

US high sChool Counsellors visit Ul

On Thursday 7th March, the University of Limerick hosted the 2nd annual US College Counsellors Visit to Irish Universities. The delegation comprised of nineteen US High School Counsellors from schools all across the American states such as California, New York, Florida and Georgia. The counsellors spent a day at UL, touring the campus and meeting with faculty and students. They were also treated to performances by students at the Irish World Academy. The Counsellors spent a week in Ireland visiting all seven universities as part of an event organised by Education in Ireland. The purpose of the event is to provide a first-hand experience of Irish universities, as well as providing information on the Irish university system, such as tuition costs and application processes. Hosting an annual counsellor visit is an important way for UL to build awareness of and interest in Ireland amongst high school counsellors, while also strengthening established links with American High Schools and Colleges.

Ul Promotes

Katherine Martin, IED (right) and Debbie Thompson, UL pictured at an education fair in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

International students who attended the University of Limerick in 2012/2013 were worth €15m to the mid-west region according to new figures examining their spending compiled by Education in Ireland (www.educationireland.ie). More than 2200 overseas students studied at the University of Limerick during 2012/2013, the largest number in the University’s 40 year history.This €15million figure is based on student spending estimates of between €7,000 and €12,000 in one year, this does not include tuition fees paid to the University of Limerick, according to Josephine Page, Director of the UL’s International Education Division.“The benefit was spread across the mid-west, with many international students visiting attractions in Kerry, Clare, Cork and Galway at the weekends. In addition, many students had parents and friends who came to visit, so the real value of such students visiting may be as high as €20m,” she said.Professor Paul McCutcheon, UL Vice President Academic and Registrar added: “International students are warmly welcomed on campus and make great contributions to the internationalisation of the UL campus and our local area, which is one of the strategic goals of the University. These students bring an international dimension to the classroom, connecting our students to the rest of

the world. UL has the largest Erasmus programme in Ireland, we send more students overseas than any university in Ireland with one in three UL students spending a semester either working or studying overseas, which adds greatly to their experience,” said Professor Paul McCutcheon, UL Vice President Academic and Registrar.

International students from the University of Limerick made a very special house visit recently. Dinesh Babu Duraibabu, Shanmugaraj Madasamy and Vishrut Krashak, all from India, travelled to Dublin where they were honoured by a reception at Áras an Úachtaráin in the presence of President Michael D. Higgins. Dinesh, Shanmugaraj and Vishrut attended the reception with fellow Government of Ireland International Scholarship recipients and Education in Ireland International Student Ambassadors.Shanmugaraj, who is currently studying for a Master of Science in Software Engineering, received a Government of Ireland International Scholarship. This prestigious scholarship entitles the recipient to a full fee waiver and a stipend of €10,000 to cover living expenses. Both Dinesh and Vishrut are International Student Ambassadors. The Education in Ireland International Student Ambassador programme, managed by Enterprise Ireland, is a key part of Ireland’s promotional efforts to raise awareness of Ireland as a centre for international education. The student ambassadors actively engage in social media as a means of communicating to their international peers, prospective students and families about student life in Ireland.The students also paid a visit to the Department of Education and Skills where

they were presented with certificates of recognition. At the ceremony, Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D. thanked the student ambassadors for actively engaging in the promotion of Ireland through social media, ‘This outstanding group of young people from around the world are playing a crucial role in promoting Ireland as an education destination. Their tweets, blogs, posts and podcasts are reaching the student audiences we want to hear about Ireland’.At the award ceremony, Minister Quinn launched the new Government of Ireland International Scholarships. The first group of twenty international students have received their scholarships. A further 22 scholarships will be awarded to students from China, India, Brazil and the United States for the 2013/2014 academic year.Commenting on the event, Josephine Page, Director of the International Education Division at UL said ‘This year, the University of Limerick welcomed over 2,200 international students, the largest number in the university’s 40 year history. Our International Student Ambassadors play a significant role in promoting international education at UL. It was wonderful to see them honoured for their contribution to international education in Ireland in such a distinguished manner. I am sure that the students will remember this day for the rest of their lives.’

neWs and Events

International Students attending the University of limeriCk bring €15million to the region

Ul Students make a very Special hoUse visit

Shanmugaraj Madasamy pictured at Áras an Uachtaráin with President Michael D. Higgins

Vishrut Krashak and Dinesh Babu Duraibabu pictured with Josephine Page, Director of International Education at UL, at Áras an Uachtaráin

Cllr. Maria Byrne, Deputy Mayor of Limerick, presented prizes to the winners of the International Education Division Photography Competition, at a reception held at the University of Limerick. A number of local businesses kindly sponsored prizes for the competition, including Limerick Park and Ride, Castletroy Park Hotel, Absolute Hotel, Hamptons Grill, Plassey Cabs and Cornstore restaurant. Representatives from a number of these businesses, as well as staff from the International Education Division, were also in attendance.The International Education Division ran the photography competition as a way of encouraging students to share their experience, through photography, as an international student studying in Ireland There were three categories in the competition, Spirit of Ireland, The Essence of Limerick and the International Community on Campus at UL, which was open to all international students at UL. Over 180 entries were received and the winning entries were displayed in Eden restaurant.

‘A group of international students hanging out with their good friend ‘Brown Thomas’’ by Hannah McDonald. 1st place winner in the International Education Division Photography Competition 2013. Category: International Community on Campus at UL

‘The Dawn of Dublin’ by Wei Li. 1st place winner in the International Education Division Photography Competition 2013. Category:Spirit of Ireland

King John’s Castle’ by Emily Krall. 1st place winner in the International Education Division Photography Competition 2013. Category: The Essence of Limerick

Mike Hynan, Cllr. Maria Byrne, Deputy Mayor of Limerick, Wei Li and Cillian Burke. Wei won 1st prize for his entry ‘The Dawn of Dublin’ in the ‘Spirit of Ireland’ category. Mike Hynan and Cillian of Limerick Park and Ride sponsored the prize.

neWs and Events

international Education division PhotograPhy Competition

Lots of big smiles from our Summer School students, pictured with faculty and staff, after receiving their Certificates of Attendance.

This summer, we had the great pleasure of welcoming 86 students from the US to our Summer School. The students were with us for three weeks and studied modules from across the areas of Irish Literature, History, Sociology, Media and Law. For the first time, students had the opportunity to study at the Summer School in Engineering.It was not all hard work and study though. The students enjoyed and experienced the sights and delights that Ireland has to offer with trips around the country, including a tour of Limerick, a trip to Dublin and a west of Ireland tour.At the end of the three weeks, students were presented with their Certificates of Attendance at a ceremony which was attended by Faculty and staff.The Summer School, an IED led initiative, takes place every May-June for three weeks.To learn more about our Summer School, please click here

Ul Welcomes over 80 Us stUdents to its Summer sChool

26 years after the launch of Erasmus, the programme has reached its goal of offering 3 million students the chance to study abroad or to take up a traineeship with a foreign company. To mark the milestone, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) invited students from the2012-2013 intake to apply to represent the 3 millionth Erasmus student. 1 800 students applied and, from among them, ESN and the European Commission selected one per country, choosing those whose stories highlighted the breadth of possibilities offered by the programme and its impact.Aoife Dooley, a student at UL was chosen to represent Ireland as the 3 millionth Erasmus student. Aoife undertook her Erasmus with the Grupos Organizados in Spain where she followed a four-month traineeship in psychology and sociology, and then continued her studies at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, for 5 months. “I went on an Erasmus mobility for both studies and a placement. It was even better than I expected for a number of reasons. In regard to my placement in Spain, which was teaching Spanish students English in a camp environment, I did not anticipate how great the people I met would be, how amazing the company were and how unbelievable the whole experience was. I gained such a great sense of achievement in teaching and interacting with people I would never have otherwise met. I was involved in all aspects of the company. I became incredibly culturally aware and in addition to that I created strong bonds with my fellow employees, as far as to call us a family. After the incredible experience of the placement I thought that nothing would compare to it, until I went to study in Groningen. I had the most amazing experience there too, met people I will never forget, travelled to many European cities and got to interact with students from all over the world. I wouldn’t exchange that experience for anything! In Groningen, I was very involved in activities run by the ESN, the Erasmus Social Network. It is a fantastic organisation which provides events, trips and many other things for international students. I also participated in events run by the university. I developed as a person during both my Erasmus experiences. As well as the good times, I dealt with hardships and struggles in both countries which made me a stronger, more independent person and I am very grateful for the experience that was offered to me.”

Ul stUdent Chosen to rePresent ireland as 3,000,000th

erasmUs stUdent?

Aoife Dooley, UL Student, who was chosen to represent Ireland as the 3 millionth Erasmus student

In honour of Limerick and Spokane’s Sister City affiliation, Ashlie Ulstad, a resident of Spokane in Washington State, U.S.A. and a current student at the University of Limerick made a trip to City Hall and met Cllr. Gerry McLoughlin, Mayor of Limerick.At the meeting, Ashlie and the Mayor exchanged stories about their cities and spoke about the similarities between Limerick and Spokane. Commenting on the similarities, Ashlie said ‘Both Spokane and Limerick are beautiful cities, covered in lush vegetation in lovely riverside locations. Spokane has more hustle and bustle as it is a larger city so it has been nice to get away from that for a bit. Both cities seem to have an active population, both hosting large marathons in May.’ Limerick was twinned with Spokane on March 4th 1990 as part of the Sister City initiative. The objectives of the relationship were to foster and encourage bonds of friendship and understanding between the two cities and to bring events of Irish culture to Spokane. Speaking about Limerick, Ashlie, who attended UL as part of a Study Abroad programme said ‘It’s a city but still feels like a town much like Spokane. Especially being outside the city centre, I have a beautiful view from my apartment. I think my favourite way to pass time here has been to walk around the city or along the river near my apartment, just to soak it all in. Everyone seems super friendly. I’ve never had a problem with safety. It’s less touristy than say Dublin; it feels like I’m actually experiencing Ireland, not just the tourist version. At first I didn’t notice it but Limerick is fairly diverse. The St Patrick’s Day parade really highlighted this fact, with representation from the Polish, Indian and other communities.’ As part of The Gathering celebrations, a large delegation from Spokane, including the Mayor of Spokane David Condon, visited Limerick in June as part of a Limerick sister city tour.

UL stUdent makes a triP to City hall

Ashlie Ulstad, a Study Abroad student at UL pictured with Cllr. Gerry McLoughlin, Mayor of Limerick

Cllr. Kathleen Leddin, Mayor of Limerick, visited the University of

Limerick recently to welcome a cohort of Brazilian students to Limerick.

As well as extending a warm Limerick welcome, the Mayor shared the

history of Limerick with the students and encouraged them to visit the

local attractions such as King John’s Castle.

The students are currently studying at UL as part of Science without

Borders (Ciência sem Fronteiras). Science without Borders is a Brazilian

Government scholarship programme which facilitates students in the

area of Science & Engineering to spend a year studying abroad. This

is the first year that UL welcomed students from Brazil through this

programme. To help the Brazilian students integrate, the international office has

a Brazilian Cultural Advisor and held an event on September 7th to

celebrate Brazil’s Independence Day.

The aim of Science without Borders is to strengthen and expand

Brazilian education in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics. To find out more about the Science without Borders

programme at UL, please click here.

mayor of Limerick WelComes Brazilian stUdents to limeriCk

Ul Celebrates Diwali: the Festival of lights

Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo, president of Eastern Washington University, visited UL recently. Dr. Arévalo met with Faculty and staff to discuss strengthening the partnership between UL and EWU. During his visit, Dr Arévalo also met with the Mayor of Limerick, Cllr. Kathleen Leddin, in honour of Limerick and Spokane’s Sister City affiliation. Eastern Washington University is located close to the city of Spokane which is twinned with Limerick as part of the Sister City initiative.

eastern Washington University President visits Ul

Ms Emmeline Searson, IED, Prof Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Aca-demic and Registrar, Mrs Nadine Arévalo, Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo, president of Eastern Washington University and Ms Catherine Dixon, Executive Director, Global Initiatives at Eastern Washington University

Cllr. Kathleen Leddin, Mayor of Limerick, pictured with Brazilian

students who are currently studying at UL as part of Science without

Borders and Emmeline Searson, Study Abroad Manager at UL

a great start to New Academic year

This September, we welcomed 945 international students to UL - this is an increase of over 4% on last year’s student numbers. This September also saw the arrival of the first cohort of Brazilian students who are studying here as part of Science without Borders (Ciência sem Fronteiras). Science without Borders is a Brazilian Government scholarship programme which facilitates students in the area of Science & Engineering to spend a year studying abroad. To help the new cohort of students integrate into student life at UL, we ran a hugely successful weeklong Orientation programme. The Orientation programme provided students with the opportunity to learn about UL’s academic and co-curricular activities, as well as meet fellow students and the wider campus community. We held events every day including, information sessions, welcome coffee morning, movie night and an orientation dinner. We would like to say a big thank you to the international student helpers and everyone else who played a role in making the Orientation programme such a success.

UL celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights at a gala event in November. Diwali is the most important festival in the Hindu cultural calendar. It takes place over five days and is widely celebrated by the Indian community. Speaking after the event, Charandeep Singh Arora, a student at UL, said: ‘“Diwali-the

festival of lights, marks the victory of good over evil. We, in India, celebrate it by lighting lamps, bursting crackers, meeting and greeting friends and family. This year 2012, although being far from my family in another country, I could celebrate Diwali with the same zeal and zest! Thanks

to the International Education Division at UL who went out of their way to provide us with the same “feel at home” comfort & arranged an incredible evening full of lights, music and appetizing dinner at the Spice of India! All that at a place far away from home, a new home, away from home... in Ireland!!”

Four students from the University of Limerick recently participated in a 3 week cultural exchange programme at Pukyong National University (PKNU) which is located in Busan, South Korea. Eighty people, including 40 Korean students and 40 international students, participated in the programme and each international student was paired with a Korean student. Patrick Stritch, one of the students who participated in the recent exchange programme, shares his experience of participating in the 3 week cultural exchange programme at PKNU: Pukyong National University (PKNU) offered 4 students from UL a chance of a lifetime to participate in a 3 week cultural exchange program in Busan, South Korea. There were 80 people on the programme. There were 40 Korean students from PKNU who wished to improve their English and there were 40 international students. Each group of 40 had 20 boys and 20 girls. For the duration of the programme, the 80 students lived in the dormitories on the PKNU campus. Each international student was paired up with a Korean student and we were in rooms of two. International students came from Australia, USA, Spain, Norway and China. The dorms were basic enough and had everything we needed, a bed, wardrobe, fridge, internet access and a bathroom with a hot shower. I was living with my buddy Lee Hoon-Jin who was a really nice Korean guy. His English nickname was Jim. The programme was for 3 weeks and we had classes Monday to Friday. Classes usually commenced at 9.30 in the morning and we finished at 12.30 for lunch. After lunch, we were back in class from 2 to 4.30. We had special lectures which were on interesting topics such as globalisation, internet addiction, linguistics and culture. In addition to these special lectures, we had Korean language classes which were difficult to say the least. These lectures were

usually in the morning schedule and in the afternoon we often had activities. Some of the activities included Tae Kwon Do, Dado which is tea making, cooking Korean food and Samulnori which is traditional Korean music. All of these classes were great fun. We also went on a day trip to see famous temples in a remote location of Busan. Before classes, we got lunch in the cafeteria in the dormitory; we also got lunch at one clock and then dinner at 5 o’clock. All the meals were fairly similar, all of them had rice, vegetables and usually some protein such as fish. Most of it was served cold and it was very interesting food. Throughout the 3 weeks, amazing friendships were formed with people from countries all over the world. It was an absolutely incredible 3 weeks and a once in a lifetime opportunity. What I feel made the programme so good was the free time we all had in the evenings and the weekends. Usually most of us went out at night and the price of drink and food was very cheap. Such nights out were great fun. Other places we went to we usually all paid 10,000 Won each which is the equivalent to about 7 euro and this would get us plenty of good food and almost unlimited amounts of beer, Soju (Which is a Korean spirit) and Makoli (Which is another traditional Korean drink made from fermented rice and mixed with sprite). Nights out with everyone were great. Overall it was an absolutely incredible 3 weeks which I will never forget and I made friends for life during the programme.Pukyong National University is one of the most prestigious national universities in Korea. It has over 25,000 students, with more than 1,000 international students from 60 countries. Busan is a bustling city with approximately 3.6 million residents, making it the second largest city in Korea.

Four Ul stUdents PartiCiPate in a CUltUral exChange Programme in South Korea

Terri Corridan, Patrick Stritch, Simona Sampaola and Shane Forde pictured in traditional Korean dress at Pukyong National University.