International students in Irish Higher Education: Key issues and challenges

There have been a lot of changes over the past three decades and especially over the last 10 years not least the dramatic increase in the numbers of international students choosing Ireland as an educational destination. In 2006, IEBI statistics [1] revealed that there were over 25,000 international students registered in Irish third level educational institutions and that the number is likely to grow by about 10% each year.

The value of this sector to the economy is currently estimated to be in excess of €335 million annually and the Government has acknowledged that the continued growth and success of the industry could only be guaranteed if it is underpinned by a coherent and committed partnership approach involving all stakeholders. Unfortunately, this welcomed approach which is outlined in the 2004 Interdepartmental report on the Internationalisation of Irish Education Services [2] has not been followed through by relevant action and there is deep frustration in the sector regarding the lack of policy coherence across different government departments on important issues which impact on international students. These issues include visa and immigration regulations and procedures, working rights of students and access to state services such as health and education for children of international students.

There is particular frustration regarding the Government’s failure to establish a single statutory agency to advise the Government on policy and also develop and implement quality standards to support Ireland’s ambition to become an internationally recognised centre for educational excellence as well as offering some protection to international students from the operations of rogue educational providers.

Key issues for international students

Many factors will have an impact on international students’ overall experience of Ireland. Early impressions of the country will be gathered from information they receive abroad; from the visa and immigration process as they enter the country; from the quality of the reception and orientation services delivered by the host institution and this is all before they have a chance to sample the quality of the academic product and attendant services for which most will have paid very dearly.

It will also be very important to international students that the state will allow them to work while studying and also to gain some work experience post graduation to add value to their Irish qualification. Each individual student will have a different measure of success but for most the quality of their contact with the host culture through their interactions with teachers, administrations and home students as well as with work colleagues outside the campus will have a huge bearing on their level of satisfaction with the whole experience.

ICOS

Among the ways ICOS works with its member institutions to improve the quality of the students’ experience is to contribute to policy development and the promotion of good practice in institutions in terms of service delivery. The concept of the intercultural campus is one which the organisation has long supported and among the practical actions which ICOS has engaged in to support this concept is the development of training interventions in the area of cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication skills. Since 2006, when the programme was launched, ICOS has delivered over 25 training workshops in third level educational institutions across the country and participants have included a broad range of college staff from librarians to academics, student advisers and receptionists to housekeeping and security staff. There is no shortage of demand for courses suggesting a recognition in institutions that international students, like other non traditional groups of students have special requirements which institutions need to take into account when planning services and allocating resources.

ICOS has also been a contributor over the past 18 months or so to a coordinated initiative under the auspices of the Irish Higher Education Quality Network (IHEQN) to draw of up a Code of Practice and Guidelines for Irish Higher Education institutions on the Provision of Education to International Students. This Code will shortly be published and it is hoped will be widely adopted by institutions active in international education in an effort to maintain and promote high standards.

ICOS also offers a locus where the diverse voices of international students can be heard. Students are welcome to approach ICOS to highlight individual problems which they have been unable to resolve at institutional level. The organisation also organises an annual international students’ forum where international students are encouraged to network and discuss the issues which are affecting them. The most recent forum was held in University College, Cork (UCC) in November, 2007 and focused on the issue of integration of home and international students as well as promoting the active involvement of international students in college activities including student unions. A keynote speaker at the forum, and excellent role model for participation and integration, was Hamidreza Khodabakhshi, a former DIT student from Iran who is currently President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). ICOS hopes to produce a publication including some original research on this issue as part of its contribution to European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008.

References

[1] "International Students in Irish Higher Education 2006”, International Education Board Ireland (IEBI) publications

[2] Internationalisation of Irish Education Services, Report of Interdepartmental Working Group, Department of Education and Science, November, 2004