Helen Kirrane and Xinyu Wu from the international office attended the Star Education Fair held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 9-10 January 2010. More than 90 higher education institutions from Malaysia, UK, Australia, Ireland, and America were represented at the exhibition. The medical schools from Ireland have enjoyed a very good reputation over the last 10 years in Malaysia, and Irish higher education is therefore not unfamiliar to the local students. It is our first time in Malaysia, but we are confident that Maynooth will attract some Malaysian students in the near future.

We were delighted to meet and talk to the Minster for Health and Children, Mary Harney at the fair, who happened to be on holiday in Malaysia, as well as the Irish Ambassador HE Eugene Hutchinson.  

A one day research seminar was also organised by the Irish Embassy aimed to initiate research and postgraduate education collaborations between the two countries. Prof. Ray O'Neil, VP for Research from NUI Maynooth, spoke at the seminar on behalf IUA and Maynooth. Read some positive articles on the seminar and possibilities for cooperation in the local news paper here.