With deep gratitude to the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Schools Council and Irish International Education Center, I had the chance to experience life in Ireland with my fellow Hong Kong educators last March (2015). We did school visits and sight-seeing for eight days to see why had Ireland become a new destination for overseas studies for international students. And it certainly did not take long for me to find the answer.
There are several things about the country that I like. In terms of education, the universities that we visited gave me a strong impression that they were nothing short of high quality, global and vibrant. While the school fees are comparatively more affordable against other popular European schools, the Irish universities are ready to support international students in terms of bridging and mentoring. The broad range of subjects and their acceptance of DSE results are particularly helpful to the students from Hong Kong, not to mention the stunning scenery of the campuses! Scenically my personal favourite schools are the University of Limerick and the University College Cork for both of them have a river running through the campus. It was mesmerizing viewing from the many bridges.
Another observation that impressed me was the patriotism of the Irish people. The St. Patrick’s Day (17 March) was part of our trip and thus we had the fortune to witness the biggest festival of Ireland’s. It is a day when everybody puts on green clothing and get to the streets to join the crowds and watch the parades! We couldn’t help buying several pieces of St. Patrick’s Day merchandise and had ourselves decorated the way we would never do in Hong Kong. Tourists and local Irish alike were of a big family for the celebration. This sense of harmonious globalization is perhaps yet to appear in Hong Kong today and this very spirit of cancelling regional differences is something everyone should learn and exercise.
Last but not least, the Irish people’s hospitality makes Ireland a great place to live in. As I have shared with my students, you can literally grab anyone in the street to seek information and they would be nice and helpful to offer assistance. We visited the Mayor of Galway, Cllr Lyons, who was so down-to-earth as if he were just your neighbour. We met local students at universities who would come to you enthusiastically to make friends. And I personally approached a random shopkeeper who told me that Irish people are curious about other people’s culture and that Chinese people are witty and humorous. All of these touched me a lot as these qualities, being humble, accepting, welcoming, understanding, appreciating…etc, are the very qualities that our youngsters need to possess as global citizens!
The trip was short but the memory will stay long. I am glad that the beautiful country of Ireland is opening up herself further these years for Asian students and I think we visited the place at the right time. I foresee that sooner or later, Ireland will become one of the frequently mentioned locations where Hong Kong students have fantastic learning and cultural experiences. I strongly encourage you to put this place on your travel list and, if you are planning for overseas studies, research the country for learning opportunities.
Dr Ho Cheung LEE, Ying Wah Primary School
(p.s. My complete travelogue of the Ireland tour available at http://englishywps.weebly.com/news/archives/03-2015)
