My favourite travel destination has to be to the Sultanate of Oman. With pristine beaches, magnificent deserts, rugged mountains and a fascinating history that spans over 7,000 years, the Sultanate of Oman truly is a wonderful place to visit. It is a beguiling blend of the ancient and modern. Marhaba Oman!
Staff Spotlight: Patrick Lynch
Title:
Head of International AffairsPhotos
Patrick is the Head of International Affairs at IT Sligo. He is a former career banker and also an ex-professional soccer player who has even played in the UEFA Champions League. Patrick holds UEFA soccer coaching certifications which he has put to good use coaching kids (aged 8-15 years) over the past 10 years. Having spent thousands of hours in planes, buses, trains, rickshaws and boats Patrick is very good at figuring out how to make a study abroad experience a truly memorable one.
What is your favorite travel memory?
What position do you hold at ITS?
I am the Head of International Affairs at IT Sligo. Essentially I have overall responsibility for the co-ordination of all international activities at IT Sligo, be it student or staff exchange, new strategic partnerships and student pastoral care provision. I love it because I get to hear first-hand the great experiences people have when they study or teach abroad. I also get to speak with our worldwide network of partners on a daily basis. Did I mention I get to travel too?
How do you think study abroad and international education will change over the next 10 years?
There is a greater shift towards transnational education provision. This is being driven by technology and a greater desire for some nations to increase their capacity to deliver programmes through the medium of English. Most importantly it is reflected in the type of institutional partnerships IT Sligo is forming in South-East Asia.
What is the best story you've heard from a study abroad student?
In 2011 IT Sligo received its first cohort of Omani students into our ESL programme. The students privately confessed they thought they would last no more than 6-8 weeks given the diverse culture and radically different climate in Ireland. We now have over 60 students from Oman studying at IT Sligo! There truly are “no strangers here, just friends you haven’t yet met”. (WB Yeats)