On International Migrants Day we highlight some of the researchers who have availed of EURAXESS Ireland services.
EURAXESS Ireland offers free advice and assistance to migrant workers coming to live and work in Ireland as researchers in our Univeristies, IOTs and Industry. The office gives researchers and R&D personnel information on immigration, naturalisation, work permits and other practical matters like schooling, housing, healthcare, banking etc. One of the key services of EURAXESS Ireland for migrant researchers from outside the EU is a Fast Track Work Permit for R&D. To date, over 4700 highly specialised migrant researchers have been hired on a fast track permit called a 'Hosting Agreement'.
“Removing obstacles to the mobility of researchers is a key element of Ireland’s science and technology policy. It can be daunting moving to a new country to work and live and we provide practical support and guidance to researchers and their families making their transition easier, and in some cases, possible.” Dr Magda Wislocka, Head of EURAXESS Ireland.
The Hosting Agreement System is managed on behalf of the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) by EURAXESS Ireland. The benefits of the scheme are many. Visa processing time is shorter with no need to apply separately to DBEI for a work permit. The duration of employment can be from as short as 3 months to a permanent role. The minimum salary level is much lower compared to other work permission schemes in Ireland and the researcher’s spouse and children can join them immediately avoiding long periods of separation from family members.
Researchers from countries as diverse as China, Afghanistan and Africa have availed of the EURAXESS Ireland services as featured below:
JIE KANG, CHINA & TEAGASC
Born and raised in Xi’an, China, Jie Kang is a PhD student at Teagasc Oak Park, where his research focuses on developing better ryegrass varieties with genomic information.
Jie moved to New Zealand after high school and completed his undergraduate studies in mathematics and statistics at the University of Otago, Dunedin.
It was while enjoying beautiful landscapes in Ireland, Jie recently found his passion for paddocks and decided to apply his research skills to this topic.
"Ireland offers many great opportunities for students and early career researchers to implement their innovative ideas. However, the fact is that moving across the world is still challenging so without the support of EURAXESS, I'm not sure I would have been able to make it happen."
Mohd Salim Saay, Afganistan & University of Limerick
Originally from Afghanistan, Mohd worked as a lecturer in the computer science department at Kabul University. He then became Director of the Information Technology department at the Ministry of Higher Education in Afghanistan and established the Afghanistan National Research and Education Network (AfgREN) that connects 36 public Afghan Universities.
Mohd later began is PhD at Tallinn University of Estonia, designing a reference architecture for the National Research and Educational Networks (NRENs). Currently, Mohd works on a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship to develop the system with Lero - The Irish Software Research Centre based in the Computer Science and Information System Department of the University of Limerick. The benefits of the Fast Track Work Permit scheme mean that Mohd's wife and five children are able to live with him here in Ireland.
"I am grateful to EURAXESS Ireland and all relevant organisations for supporting me and my family to come and work in Ireland. Working at the University of Limerick is a big opportunity for me to improve my knowledge and skills to be useful to society. Now Ireland is my second home, my children go to school and are safe here and I can work in a nice environment."
SALLY OCHOLA, KENYA & TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
Born in Kenya as the fourth of six children Sally Ochola self funded her undergraduate degree in marketing, followed by an MBA. She realised that studying abroad would give her the skills and qualifications needed to be considered for senior management positions, and eventually become a digital entrepreneur.
Upon researching the best universities for digital marketing in the world, she learned of Trinity College Dublin. She applied and was accepted to MSc in Digital Marketing at Trinity with a scholarship from the Trinity School of Business.
Sally - "Education is a big part of my life and I feel everyone should have educational opportunities. I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to study otherwise, I would probably be married at 15 with six kids by 20. That is the reason why I am involved in giving back to my community by supporting kids through school. Recently we went to climb hills and used the money we collected to buy books for an under-privileged school in Kenya.
"I have been privileged to be part of a great community and was recently selected to become a LinkedIn Learning Student Ambassador to champion students into e-learning to incorporate traditional classroom learning with e-learning."
