THE Ireland-U.S. Council’s student work experience scholarships for 2007 were presented at a lunch in New York last week. Also at the lunch, the Chairman of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Len O’Hagan delivered a keynote address describing the positive economic outlook for Northern Ireland. A sponsor for the luncheon meeting were council members Invest Northern Ireland.
“The council’s scholarship awards program provides opportunities to student undergraduates from universities in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland, to undertake travel to the United States and to work temporarily in American corporations,” said council president Michael J. Gibbons.
“These scholarship opportunities provide project-oriented, meaningful work assignments in U.S. business corporations of all sizes. The assignments are directly linked to the fields of study and academic disciplines which the undergraduate scholars are pursuing in Ireland.”
The council partners with Fordham University on this program for those council scholars based in New York City. These are accommodated in the residence halls of the Lincoln Center campus of the college during their time here.
In addition, the council works with Fordham University on a separate program of internship placements for U.S.-based postgraduate scholars in corporations in Ireland.
“The council cherishes its established links to Irish universities and educational institutions through this scholarship program. To the extent that future economic and social development in Ireland will be influenced significantly by the quality of education, the council’s participation in this program reflects its interest in underlining the excellent educational infrastructure which has been developed throughout the island of Ireland,” Gibbons added.
The council’s scholarship candidates are typically undergraduate university students in their junior year of college, the third year of their four-year bachelors’ study programs. The term of the scholarship runs from May through September each year.
The candidates for the scholarship awards are chosen by the faculty members of the participating colleges in Ireland and represent the best that Ireland’s university education system can offer.
“The council, for its part, provides a cash award toward each student’s travel expenses. The project-oriented employment assignments, which the council arranges for the students, enhance their learning experience in America, linked as they are to their field of study. We are indebted to the universities in Ireland and in Northern Ireland for their support and assistance in mounting this program.”
This year’s scholar students are Kevin Mooney from Dublin, who will work at Mutual of America in New York; Linda McAlinden from Co. Down, who will work at Allied Irish Bank in New York; William Aherne from Dublin, who will work at News Corporation in New York; Peter O’Toole from Co. Galway, who will work at Merck & Company in Pennsylvania; and Richard O’Connor from Co. Cork, who will work with Pfizer in New York.
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