| |19 NOVEMBER 2022HIGHERReviewThe Hands-on ApproachMoving to a different country for your higher studies is a great experience but at the same time, transitioning to the new surroundings and campus life might be a challenge for students. Ensuring the smooth transition of Indian students to Ireland and their wellbeing is a top priority for the Irish government. Education in Ireland with the Embassy of Ireland and Visa Office New Delhi, did organize a pre-departure briefing for the students recently. These in-person briefings were held in Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai and it was for the Indian students of the 2022-23 academic year.Representatives from Irish HEIs were joined by the visa and government officials to provide important information to the students. This also included information regarding different accommodation options. Ireland's Ambassador to India, Brendan Ward said, "In order to be more accessible for Indians, a number of Ireland's higher education institutions have been very active in India and have invested in an on-ground presence". This hands-on approach made by the Irish government and HEIs have shown results with the number of Indian students going to Ireland to pursue their higher education increasing 10 percent every year. The New International Education StrategyMinister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science of Ireland, Simon Harris recently published a report. It was about the country's international education strategy and it examined Ireland's strategy from 2016 to 2020. The next strategy will be about the goals and objectives of the country to 2025 and it will play a crucial role in the recovery of the country's ERI sectors after covid19. The Minister also stated that he wants to see Irish educational institutions increase their reputation and welcome a more diverse student population. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science or DFHERIS is a department of the Government of Ireland and policy makers as well as educators in Ireland has high hopes for entity as it has the potential to bring together international education strategy as well as researchand innovation.The new international education strategy of Ireland will be formulated incollaboration with all the different stakeholders and DFHERIS has identified multiple strategic priorities for the new education strategy. This includes: improving the role of higher education and research in supporting Ireland's crucial external relationships, supporting the `share island' policy in enhancing research and education collaboration across the island, strengthening the country's position as a global innovation hub, and creating environmentally sustainable approaches for internationalization to name a few.Learner-centric education is also a top priority for Irish HEIs going forward. Many of the institutions in the country acknowledge the importance of student-centricity and creating a flexible and individualized model of education for the learners. Another aspect that many HEIs in the country should aim for is to view the students as co-creators of knowledge which will help in enhancing the quality of education even more. The collaboration between HEIs across the island should also be a top priority as this will create a more informed and inclusive learning environment for the students.
< Page 9 | Page 11 >