Prominent Irish universities visited India last week, with 21 institutions joining Education in Ireland’s annual roadshow across major cities to engage with students and parents on programs, scholarships, research, and other opportunities.
The roadshow came amid growing concerns over a string of targeted attacks in Ireland, with the Indian Embassy issuing an advisory in August urging nationals “to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours”.
“There has been an increase in instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently. The Embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard,” the advisory said amid reports that two separate attacks on Indians were “racially motivated”.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins also condemned the incidents as “despicable attacks” that “diminish all of us and obscure the immeasurable benefits the people of India have brought to the life of this country”.
With over 10,000 Indian students choosing to study in Ireland last year, one of the highest per capita in the EU, Irish universities hope to continue attracting them by offering support services to ensure their safety.
Safety is a big concern at the moment, but Ireland is genuinely an embracing country. Students generally feel safe, and they should feel like they have the support they need
Danielle Fallon, Technological University of the Shannon
“For us, it’s very disappointing to see that these things happen – something that we definitely don’t honour or have any ties with. However, we always make sure our students feel safe, that they are happy, that they don’t feel any stress,” Danielle Fallon, global admissions officer, Technological University of the Shannon told The PIE News, adding that the institute has dedicated student experience teams addressing students’ physical and mental well-being.
“Safety is a big concern at the moment, but Ireland is genuinely an embracing country. Students generally feel safe, and they should feel like they have the support they need. It’s something that we strive for.”
Sudipto Das, senior lecturer and vice dean for AI and digital/connected health at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), and a former Mumbai native who has lived in Ireland for the past 18 years, said these instances have “never happened before”, maintaining that vigilance on such incidents has increased in the country.
“The communities are quite intertwined in Ireland, there’s a lot of similarities, and that relationship has been built over a number of years. That’s why the Irish community is also quite shocked,” stated Das.
“We advise students not to go out late at night alone, especially in unfamiliar areas. It’s really about creating awareness. But in general, these are isolated incidents.”
Has the issue affected the demand to study in Ireland? Das doesn’t think so. “We haven’t seen any impact this time. Yes, we are visiting schools and meeting students, but I’m getting a lot less concern than I expected, which is reassuring.”
Indian students eyeing critical fields in Ireland
Indian students now form the largest international cohort in Ireland, where international enrolments reached a record 40,400 in 2023/24, a 15% rise from the previous year, amid critical labour shortages in fields like engineering and healthcare.
The trend bodes well for Irish universities, which have reported growing demand from Indian students for programs in computer science, AI, health sciences, and data analytics, with interest in studying in Ireland now having a “mainstream element to it”, according to Kilian Dooley, head of academic affairs (postgraduation and internationalisation), University of Galway.
“I’m definitely seeing the trend very much towards courses that have future employment. Right now, they [Indian students] are really concentrated around computer science,” stated Dooley, adding that about “70–80% of the questions” he received were related to computer science, with half of those focusing on AI.
“AI is here, in my opinion, for the next ten years, because organisations still don’t know how much it can do for them. There’s a huge need for skilled professionals, and Indian students are very clued in to understanding where the employment opportunities are in the field.”
Health sciences are also attracting India-bound students. “We’re seeing really strong applicants with strong educational backgrounds expressing interest in our programs. Ireland has a great ecosystem, particularly around health sciences, pharma, and the tech space,” stated Ben Ryan, deputy head of school at RCSI.
This year alone, nine out of 30 students in RCSI’s School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (PBS) program – a master’s in technologies, analytics, and precision medicine – were recruited through last year’s roadshow in India.
While Ireland offers a two-year post-study work visa, Das believes the demand for Indian and other international skilled workers in shortage areas makes sponsorship possible even after the two-year PSW visa ends.
“Compared to other programs, it shouldn’t be that difficult to get sponsorship, because the skill sets our students bring are so specific and in demand,” stated Das.
“When you’re coming with that, it makes it much easier for the industry to justify to the visa office that this is somebody we need.”
While Ireland’s PSW visa is gaining momentum, neighbouring UK is set to cut its graduate route visa from two years to 18 months from January 2027.
Irish minister notes importance of international students
At his keynote at The PIE Live Ireland, Ireland’s minister for further and higher education, research, innovation and science, James Lawless, highlighted the importance of the country’s international education sector, noting that Ireland “benefits socially, culturally, and academically” from the presence of international students.
The question now remains how Ireland can continue attracting high-quality students while sustaining demand, an issue that has led major study destinations to introduce policies restricting international students.
“Our policy has always been to maintain close collaboration between our in-market officers and agents, who help guide us and ensure we connect with good students,” stated Fallon.
“Maintaining quality is key – quality over quantity. Having students who know what they want is very, very important,” she added.
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