Ireland boosts higher education facilities to woo Indian students

Ireland has made attempts to enhance its higher education facilities in a bid to woo Indian students to pursue academics in the country.

More and more Indian students are pursuing higher studies in foreign countries; hence several institutes across the world have made it easier to gain admission to their programmes.

Ireland has also joined the bandwagon of foreign institutes which are providing more facilities to Indian students.

According to reports, as the value of Euro has come down, the Irish government is aiming to attract more students and business travelers to Ireland.

The falling Euro makes living/studying in Ireland a more reasonable option for Indian students now, compared to many other foreign nations.

At present, there are around 1,800 postgraduate (PG) Indian students studying in Ireland.

Ireland is mulling extending the student visa for one year after the students graduate, so that the candidates can gain placement - as a result they can stay back for a longer period.

Institutes from Ireland hold various education fairs, etc. in India for promotion. The overall number of Indian students studying in Ireland has seen a twofold increase in a mere three years. The Irish government is striving to make the numbers 2,000 to 5,000.

The measures adopted by the Irish government to improve tourism will also boost the reputation of Ireland as a global destination for education.

Through the British Irish visa, candidates are able to visit the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland via the same single visit visa. This facility is expected to result in increased applications from Indian students at Irish institutes.

Last year, Ireland received 24,000 Indian visitors. The trend has seen a 20% increase (annually) in the past four years. The country is aiming to receive 36,000 Indian visitors during 2016-17.

Ireland is one of the most sought-after study abroad destinations today, favored by students from all parts of the world. Ireland's climate, its student-friendly policies and various other opportunities draw a lot of Indian students too.

A number of Scholarships are awarded by the Irish universities and the government of Ireland to attract Indian and other overseas students. Moreover, few institutes offer some India-specific courses as well.