Press release
Minister Brophy approves award of 180 fellowships to candidates from Irish Aid partner countries
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy TD, today approved the award of 180 Irish Aid fellowships.
The Ireland Fellows programme awards fellowships to professionals from countries that have special partnerships with Ireland through the Irish Aid programme. In 2021, Fellows will study for a Master’s-level qualification at a University or Institute of Technology in Ireland in programmes aligned with Ireland’s Policy for International Development, A Better World.
Minister Brophy said:
"As we have seen from our own history, access to education is of fundamental importance to a society’s development and economic wellbeing. My ambition for the Ireland Fellows programme is that it enables high-potential individuals from our partner countries to study in Ireland, so that when they return home they can make a full contribution to their countries’ development.
"The Ireland Fellows programme has run since 1974, giving thousands of people the chance to develop new skills and to get to know Ireland and its people. The level of talent among this year’s recipients is outstanding and I am confident that they will be an enormous asset to their home countries."
The aims of the Ireland Fellows programme are to nurture future leaders, develop partner countries’ capacity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to build positive relationships with Ireland. The 2021 Fellows are from African partner countries, the occupied Palestinian territory, Vietnam, Laos, and Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean and Pacific.
The Ireland Fellows programme promotes gender equality, equal opportunity, and welcomes diversity. The next application round, for 2022-23, is due to launch on 5 July 2021. Programme implementation in Ireland is supported by the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS).