Why Ireland? Why UCD?

Study Abroad Landscape

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Australia, UK, Canada, Germany and the US are the most popular study abroad destinations.?

The most interesting data I believe is that of the UK. Before beginning, I just want to mention that I am only presenting my opinion and am in no way against any specific country.?

Has the UK really been a blessing in disguise??

While most countries saw a drop in number during the pandemic(i.e 2020), the UK witnessed an increase of about 22%. Ireland, it's neighbour on the other hand has been welcoming approximately 5K-6K Indian students each year.

Factors which led to such a rise

1. The announcement of a 2 year post study work visa in September 2019 is believed to have benefited the country immensely.?
2. Students who were facing visa rejections from Canada were being advised to look for greener pastures. The UK turned out to be ideal for a lot of them with it having a higher visa success rate.?

What after graduating in the UK??

I believe, people didn't anticipate what will happen once they complete their studies. Everyone eventually has to re-enter the workforce/will be joining fresh out of college.?

Unlike Canada/Australia, the UK is not really a PR friendly country and requires you to have a skilled worker visa if you want to stay longer. Moreover, there is a cost associated with obtaining that visa which is usually borne by the employer. Having interacted with my acquaintances in the United Kingdom, a lot of them have faced troubles landing a job having gone through multiple rejections(even over 100+) and also feeling dejected at times. I don’t have data to back it up, but people with significant work experience(>5 years) of having worked in multinationals back home have had it relatively easy.?

Ireland set to dominate EU while the UK faces challenges dealing with its own mess

Moreover, According to The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Britain has had the lowest growth rate among G7 countries and the IMF forecasts that the economy will shrink even further. The UK labour market has been in a bad shape of late.

Linking the article which states 7 reasons which led to such severe impairment. https://www.institute.global/insights/geopolitics-and-security/three-years-brexit-casts-long-shadow-over-uk-economy?

Point No. 4 and Point No 5 are the most important and should be read carefully. The GDP hit has been more than double the mean forecast. Imports and exports of goods have been hit significantly and so has been the? investment. Ireland has a strong footing here. According to The European Commission's forecast, Ireland is said to top EU GDP growth for 2023(4.9%) as well as 2024(4.1%). The Irish labour market is said to remain resilient/buoyant despite layoffs all over the world.?

Desperation can be harmful

Going abroad is one thing, but the motivation of why we want to go to a specific country, do a particular course from a certain university is totally different. And the latter is what is much more important than blindly trusting a counsellor who might be unaware of what’s going to happen to you once you are out of college, on your own desperately on a job-hunt.

You might have gotten late in deciding to move abroad for further studies and also might have missed some key application deadlines. But, that should in no way mean that you settle for something less/go to a university which is not what makes no sense at all.?

You can choose to differ and I am all for opposing viewpoints and a healthy conversation. Am eager to know what you have to say on this topic and your participation in the comments section would be appreciated. Let’s discuss.?

Coming back to the point : Why Ireland??

Why macroeconomics is important and Why I am choosing to study in Ireland this fall and you should too.?

I have been actively researching Ireland for 4 years now. And, last year, in October 2022 is when I finally decided to apply. I am elated to have gotten into my dream university, i.e Smurfit Business School(University College Dublin), the one I was aiming for. And, look forward to an exciting chapter of my life which begins this fall.?

Listing down a few reasons on why I choose Ireland and specifically UCD.?

Why Ireland (macroeconomically)?

1. Ireland is a dynamic, knowledge based economy. Ireland’s Education System is ranked 6th best in the world and is reputed for producing high quality graduates.? The educational qualifications gained in Ireland are highly recognised throughout the world and are highly sought after by the employers. Ireland has a deep history of educating international students and offers a level of educational achievement that ranks 1st in terms of how employers rank its graduates.

2. No.1 country which is attracting, retaining talent and has an attitude towards globalisation. Ireland has the fastest growing tech worker population in Europe since 2017. Also, the international share of the workforce is the 4th highest in the EU at about 17% just after Luxembourg, Switzerland, Malta and Cyprus.?

3. Home to over 1200+ overseas companies including 10/10 world’s top pharma companies, 13/15 world’s top medtech companies, 20/25 world’s top financial services companies, 16/20 global software companies.?

4. Pro-business, low corporate tax rate : Ireland’s reputation as a destination of choice for FDI is unrivalled. Best country to do business in the Eurozone due to its accommodative and flexible tax regime. Newer facilities lead to job creation which in-turn leads to job creation.?

5. Ireland ranks third as the most peaceful country in the world and ranks 5th as the most friendly country.??

Why Ireland?

1. India-Ireland has a 4? hr time zone difference which keeps you in touch with friends and family throughout the day.?
2. It is an english speaking country, the only one along with the UK in Europe which is for sure a blessing. Atleast, language is not a barrier.??
3. It is a small peaceful country away from the hustle and bustle as is the case in India. It is a tiny country with over 5M people out of which 50,000+ are Indians(studying, working, settled).?
4. Being a part of Europe, there are so many countries(45 to be precise) which one can visit for leisure purposes. Am certainly looking forward to this.
5. Ireland is the Silicon Valley of Europe with major multinational companies such as Intel, Google, Facebook, eBay, Twitter having their European headquarters in the country.

Why UCD’s Smurfit Business School?

1. Accreditation(Benchmark of Excellence) : UCD Smurfit Business School is triple accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA.?
2. Globally Ranked : Internationally indexed institute of learning and leadership. The?
3. Holistic Course Structure : The school conducts simulation exercises, practical projects, industry guest lectures, case studies and workshops which will help engage, stimulate and inspite.?
4. Global Alumni Network : An opportunity to tap into a dynamic ecosystem of over 102,000 graduates (contacts, advisors, mentors) spread across the globe.?
5. Global Leadership Programme : experiential learning which will help develop leadership capability(student leadership, workplace skills and career planning).?
6. Intercultural Development Programme : Will help develop key 21st century business skills essential for academic achievement, employability and career advancement on a global stage.?
7. Capstone Project : The opportunity to work with an organisation to bring some kind of change - to a process or a program is what I was looking to do and that is exactly what is being offered.

P.S : If you are planning to pursue higher studies from Ireland, I have made a "Study in Ireland Complete Guide" video which has received over 21,000+ views and over 1100+ hrs of watch time. It is an exhaustive 10 minute long video which you can bookmark and watch as per your convenience.

Apart from this, there are 2 more videos which you should definitely watch.

1. Top Scholarships in Ireland for Indian Students :

2. Study in UK vs Study in Ireland :

Thanks for reading it through.

Ciao!