International students will pick Ireland for its superior pandemic management

While overseas education plans may have deferred for some students, many are still hoping to be able to land in a foreign country soon. However, for students who are yet to decide the university this year or in the years to come, two factors will be added to the list while shortlisting institutions - how well did the country manage the coronavirus outbreak and how did it support international students amid the virus outbreak.


In an exclusive interview to Education Times, Ireland's Ambassador to India, Brendan Ward, says that the country could be viewed as an attractive destination, as compared to the traditional destinations like the US and UK, to pursue higher education due to its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

International students' social security
In March, when coronavirus had first emerged in Ireland, the Irish government had announced that all international students, of all nationalities directly affected by Covid-19, would have access to the necessary parts of the healthcare system at no cost. Besides, any international student who lost part-time work because of Covid-19 would be entitled to an emergency payment of 350 per week.

Ward says that the country has currently one of the lowest rates of coronavirus in Europe and the government's plan is to maintain that over the coming months.

Last year, around 5000 Indian students had chosen Ireland for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Despite the coronavirus outbreak, the number of students who have admission offers from Irish higher education institutes is the same as what we received last year," says Ward.

"Though there is uncertainty because of Covid-19 and higher education institutions in Ireland have seen several deferral requests from students; more than in a normal year. But there is still a significant number of Indian students, particularly postgraduate students, who are eager to continue with their plans to pursue a masters in Ireland in the next academic year," adds Ward.
Post-Covid arrangementsIreland is in the process of re-opening the economy, with social distancing rules in places including restaurants, cafes, libraries, shops, and university campuses. Higher education institutions are also putting in place clear new health and safety protocols.

"Any international student who arrives in Ireland will be fully supported by their higher education institution. This could include the arrangement of temporary accommodation on arrival, airport transfers and online orientations," Ward adds.

In a first, the Embassy of Ireland in India conducted an online event for Indian students with admissions offers from Irish institutions. The session covered topics such as the visa process, accommodation options and the campus experience.

Despite the world vouching for online mode of learning, Ward says that students will still need to interact face-to-face with others. "Blended learning options, where students learn through a combination of on-campus teaching and remote, online learning, will certainly become more common. However, the campus component, which is all about getting as much face-to-face time as possible will continue to be very important for students' mental health," says Ward.

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