Conway welcomes increase in Erasmus students

Fine Gael Clare Senator, Martin Conway has today (Tuesday) welcomed the announcement new statistics from the European Commission which show a 10% increase in Irish students participating in Erasmus programmes over the last academic year.

“I am delighted to see that more and more Irish students are participating in Erasmus programmes.   The contraction in the labour market has meant that for many young people studying abroad is more important than ever, so they can expand their skills and be job ready when they leave university. The international experience gained by Erasmus students makes them more employable and more likely to be mobile on the labour market.

“I am particularly pleased that the University of Limerick was placed in the top 100 higher education institutions receiving Erasmus students. UL saw an intake of some 499 Erasmus students in 2011/2012.

“Erasmus has played a tremendous role in improving the quality of higher education in Europe

by opening up our universities and colleges to international cooperation. I am delighted that Erasmus+, the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport, due to be launched in January 2014, will build on the legacy of Erasmus by offering opportunities for four million people to study, train, teach or volunteer abroad by 2020.”

ENDS