Diverse Voices: International Students in Irish Higher Education - Report

The 2007 students’ forum entitled “Diverse Voices: International Students in Irish Higher Education”, organised by ICOS, aimed to build on the success of previous student forums. As the number of international students who choose Ireland as their study destination is constantly increasing, there is greater need than ever for students themselves to be afforded opportunities to openly discuss issues which impact on their lives in Ireland. By bringing together over 130 students from 30 countries studying at 20 different higher education institutions in Ireland, the 2007 ICOS’ students’ forum uniquely achieved this aim. The forum was also held for the first time outside of Dublin and UCC proved to be both a very popular and excellent venue.

In order to give the forum direction and scope, a number of representatives from student groups such as FOSIS Ireland (Federation of Student Islamic Societies), Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the Erasmus Society Network (ESN), officers from students’ unions and various representatives from ICOS Council Members participated in the planning meetings. From the outset, it was decided that integration would be the main theme of the forum.

Over a number of months, ICOS assembled an interesting and diverse panel of guest speakers to focus on the different aspects of higher education and integration in Ireland. Some who came to Ireland as international students offered personal reflections on their experience. Institutional support, living arrangements and availability of cultural peers are just some of the issues which affect integration. A significant number of international students have a tendency to only mix with students from their home country. This can really limit their experience in Ireland. People can forget that integration is a two way process. Simply engaging in conversation with people from different cultures can kick-start integration.

The presentations were followed by workshops which focused on integration from both the international student and home student perspectives. Another workshop looked at institutional and Irish government policies regarding international students and explored how international students themselves can become more involved in decisions which affect them.

“Most international students both expect and desire contact with home students but research findings suggest there is low interaction” according to Sheila Power, ICOS Director. “This forum was beneficial for all attendees, as it allowed them to explore the issue of integration more fully - both from the international and home students’ perspectives. Participants included Irish student leaders, researchers and international students both at undergraduate and post-graduate level.”

Councillor Rotimi Adebari, Mayor of Portlaoise Town Council, reflected on how the forum provided an opportunity to celebrate our cultural differences.

Mike FitzGibbon, Centre for Sustainable Livelihoods, UCC shared his expertise on the multicultural campus.

Neo Zhang, Northern Ireland’s International Student of the Year 2007, and Diane Nititham, PhD student, UCD, shared their experiences on being international students in Ireland and illustrated how they both overcame various barriers which were preventing their full integration into Irish life.

Kris McElhinney, President University College Cork Students Union, Gary Lanigan, Vice President and Welfare Officer, Students Union, ITT Dublin and Manuel Yoacham, President Erasmus Student Network, UCD, provided insight into how Students Unions are promoting diversity on campus.

By becoming a representative for international students in her college, Loice Kashangura, Student Representative for International Students, Milltown Institute, demonstrated how international students can become actively involved in campus life.

DCU PhD student, Ciaran Dunne’s presentation provided insight, derived from his research, regarding the main obstacles and facilitators of integration from the home students’ perspective.

Sarah Holt, International Study Coordinator, UCD, shed some light on the complex area of policy affecting international students and highlighted how students themselves might best attempt to influence policies especially at institutional level.

Hamidreza Khodabakhshi, USI President, illustrated how the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is committed to promoting equality.

Feedback from the forum was overwhelmingly positive. 100% of attendees rated the event as being beneficial and 38% said that the forum should be an annual event. One attendee said that the forum provided “an opportunity and moreover a platform for the various international students all over Ireland to meet up and exchange their ideas.”

We have compiled the main papers and findings from the forum in this publication and we hope, it will provide useful insights for international students, as well as those who work with them. The findings are rich and diverse, as all of our guest speakers and attendees brought their own unique perspectives and ideas and contributed to making the forum a great success.