Singapore fellowship plan gets state
funding
23 May 2010
The government is to fund a
fellowship programme allowing Irish graduates to
study and work in Singapore, writes Niamh
Connolly.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin will announce details
of the scheme during a visit to China and Hong Kong this week.
Martin will visit five cities during the five-day visit, which is
designed to help boost trade between Ireland and China.
In Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Martin is to meet with companies
interested in investing in Europe and Irish firms with interests in
Asia. He will also visit the World Expo in Shanghai, where he will
hold talks with members of the Global Irish Network, which was
established following the Global Irish Forum at Farmleigh last
September.
The Singapore programme, known as the Farmleigh Fellowship
Programme, is being based on an internship scheme proposed at the
Farmleigh event.
It will be operated by University College Cork and backed by Irish
businesspeople in Singapore.
A more extensive overseas graduate programme, which will place
Irish students in companies around the world, is at the planning
stage. Martin will also visit the Beijing Foreign Studies
University to deliver a speech highlighting educational
links.
‘‘China is key if Ireland is to continue to develop its Asian
strategy," said Martin. ‘‘It was identified at Farmleigh as a
region where there was further business opportunities for Irish
business.
‘‘There are now 109 Irish firms with a presence in the Chinese
market, an increase of more than 100 per cent in five years. We
must examine how we can build on that."
http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/singapore-fellowship-plan-gets-state-funding-49427.html
