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Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Education Minister Ruairi Quinn today attended the Education in Ireland International Student Ambassador Awards Ceremony.

The event honours the Student Ambassadors for their contribution in supporting the work of Enterprise Ireland in attracting international students to study in this country.

Minister Quinn presented the Student Ambassadors with Certificates of Recognition.

The Student Ambassador programme, managed by Education in Ireland, is aimed at attracting top students from priority markets to study in Ireland and is part of a Government led International Scholarship Scheme.

This programme is only in its third year and has already more than doubled its size.  This year the programme included almost 50 international students from ten countries representing 23 higher education institutions across Ireland.

The Taoiseach said:

I would like to commend the success of the Student Ambassador Programme and the valuable work of promoting Ireland to international students,been .   I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the university and college presidents who are here today but, most of all, to thank the outstanding group of young people from around the world who are playing a crucial role in developing cultural and diplomatic links with other countries and building Ireland’s reputation as an education destination.

Minister Quinn said:

I want to thank the Education in Ireland Student Ambassadors for their great effort in promoting Ireland through social media.  Education in Ireland’s online presence is significant and growing at an exceptional pace.  In January 2012 we had 42,000 interactions with the Education in Ireland brand, as of April 2014 this has increased to over 1 million and we know that your activity on social media has had a lot to do with this.