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Minister for Education and Skills launches a new Irish Universities Masters’ Scholarship Programme for Brazilian Students

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In her St Patrick’s Day speech in Brazil, Minister for Education and Skills, Ms Jan O’Sullivan TD, announced a new scheme of Masters’ Scholarships for Ciência Sem Fronteiras students returning to Ireland to pursue Master’s programmes at the seven Irish Universities.Irish Universities Masters’ Scholarship Programme for Brazilian Students

“The success of Ireland’s first intake of undergraduates from Brazil under the Ciência Sem Fronteiras scheme in 2013 prompted us to specifically encourage some of those students to return to Ireland for their graduate education.  We offer a top quality education in a cosmopolitan and warm environment that opens up excellent opportunities to our Brazilian students.”  Professor Andrew Deeks, Chair of the Irish Universities Association and President of University College Dublin, said.

 

The Brazil Masters Scholarship Programme to Ireland offers scholarships worth a minimum of €3,000 each and are open to all Ciência Sem Fronteiras students who have studied at undergraduate level at an Irish university and wish to return for Masters’ programmes. All students who previously studied in the Irish universities are eligible for the scholarships but minimum entrance requirements of the individual institutions apply.

 

The Irish universities have welcomed over 927 Brazilian students to their campuses since 2012 under the Ciência Sem Fronteiras scheme and a further 614 students are due to arrive in 2015. Brazilian students have made a valuable contribution to enhanced learning, diversity and the overall student experience on our campuses.  Based on the positive experience of Brazilian students in Ireland, the universities are eager to further deepen their relationship with Brazil and see increasing numbers of our undergraduate Brazilian students return to undertake Masters level education in Ireland.

 

‘The Brazilian students at the University of Limerick are excellent ambassadors for their country and play a significant part in the internationalisation of our campus.   The development of the Ciência Sem Fronteiras programme has also fostered new, exciting institutional relationships in Brazil for the University of Limerick.  We look forward to deepening these links through the further sharing of knowledge and ideas.”  Professor Don Barry, President of University of Limerick, said.

 

Commenting on the new scheme, Dr Juliette Hussey, Vice President for Global Relations at Trinity College Dublin said, “Trinity's existing relationships with Brazilian institutions have been enhanced beyond all our expectations by the Ciência Sem Fronteiras programme. We are committed to maintaining those links into the longer term, to build on this success and develop lasting academic and research collaborations with Brazil. We are very proud of our growing number of Alumni in Brazil and we look forward to welcoming some of them back to study with us at Masters Level.”

 

“These scholarships are the positive incentive needed to secure greater numbers of these students returning to Irish universities to undertake Master level qualifications”. Paul Smith, Director of the International Office at Dublin City University said.

 

UCC is delighted to host students under the Ciência Sem Fronteiras programme. They have proven themselves to be great ambassadors for their country through their social interaction with staff and students, through their academic achievements and through the great vibrancy they bring to campus life. They are a wonderful addition to UCC and the relationship with Brazil and with the Ciência Sem Fronteiras programme is one that we are enthusiastic about strengthening and developing further.” Rónán Ó Dubhghaill, Vice President for External Relations, University College Cork said.

 

For further details on the scholarships see www.iua.ie/international