A new opportunity for Algonquin students is being ironed out that would make affordable study in Ireland a reality.
KOM Consultants marketing manager, Derrick Willcott and international officer for the Carlow Institute of Technology in Ireland, Eoin O’Brien, held an info session Jan. 19 at the link to J and N building to explain this new prospect.
Renay Dixon, transfer student coordinator, said there are absolutely plans to negotiate further MoUs with the Institute of Technology – an overarching body that has ties to 14 campuses in Ireland, like that at ITCarlow.
“It seems to be quite competitive in terms of cost compared to England and Australia, we offer a good quality alternative,” said O’Brien.
The idea is to create pathways that will bridge graduating students to further education and developmental experience overseas, said Willcott.
“I do in the end want to get a degree later on. I’m just trying to weigh my options,” said Tanvir Syed, first year computer engineering technology student.
Syed is not alone. Transfer abroad programs are gaining popularity.
“Twenty-five per cent of students are now choosing to continue their education after graduating,” said Dixon. This makes studying abroad upon program completion a desirable next step.
The partnership between KOM and international institutions such as ITCarlow is a positive one.
“KOM is our presence on the ground, we’ve asked them to represent us,” said O’Brien. “We need the agents over here to make these connections and get students aware of our presence.”
KOM acts as a third party and liaison between students at Algonquin – and several other Ontario colleges – and international universities.
While the agreements are negotiated between the individual institutions, KOM facilitates the international strategies of the universities they work with by connecting them to students.
“We’re trying to increase synergies between both institutions,” said O’Brien. “We can offer pathways into our programs.”
For students this is an opportunity to continue their studies abroad, with access to fully recognized degrees here at home.
Last year alone KOM helped over 700 students work through the study abroad process, said Willcott. He said their expertise ranges from helping students with the application paperwork to helping them book and organize flights home during breaks.
Algonquin currently has Memorandums of Understanding with two universities in the U.S., two in Australia and one in the U.K. that utilize consulting groups like KOM and their approach to connecting students to programs abroad.
If a partnership between ITCarlow and Algonquin is established, a MoU agreement would offer direct entry into an honours or bachelors degree program in Ireland. Depending on your diploma, this means you could complete a recognized international university degree in one or two years.