Irish Aid meets with study fellows on development priorities
12/4/10 - Irish Aid staff met students supported through its Fellowship Training Programme and other scholarships today to strategise around key development challenges.
In a first-of-its-kind meeting, recipients of 2009-10 Fellowships visited Irish Aid's Limerick headquarters for a seminar aimed at sharing information and strengthening engagement at a programme level. They were accompanied on the visit by a number of Fellows pursuing PhDs in Ireland under the Programme of Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutes. The seminar recognised the potential of Study Fellows to contribute significantly to Ireland’s development efforts on their return to their home countries on completion of their studies.
L-R: Joyce Mpalani Magala, Minister Peter Power T.D., Clement Moonga and Abigail Khonje
The day included sessions exploring development issues in areas such as sustainable agriculture and water, the education and health sectors, governance and human rights.
Partner country strategies for Malawi, Uganda and Zambia were explored and presentations were received from fellows Joyce Mpalani Magala (Uganda), Clement Moonga (Zambia) and Abigail Achiona Khonje (Malawi).
Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Peter Power T.D., hosted a lunchtime reception for the study fellows. In his address, he reconfirmed Irish Aid’s commitment to the Fellowship Programme saying that education was fundamental to development and Irish Aid wanted to do more to build relationships with current and former study fellows as they had a key contribution to make in terms of informing policy and helping to implement Irish Aid’s programmes in partner countries.
Minister Power ended by thanking ICOS for their excellent service over many years in supporting Irish Aid in administering the fellowship programme.
ICOS Director Sheila Power said she was delighted to be associated with the organisation of the seminar and stressed the importance of the event in building on-going relationship with study fellows which would extend beyond their stay in Ireland.
On behalf of Irish Aid, ICOS is currently working toward setting up an alumni network for study fellows, which would provide a platform for continued information sharing.