Mayor believes agri-food education is key

THE success of the Shannon College of Hotel Management in bringing in students from China can be replicated in the agriculture/food science sector if a new education hub is developed in the Mid-West, according to Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes.

THE success of the Shannon College of Hotel Management in bringing in students from China can be replicated in the agriculture/food science sector if a new education hub is developed in the Mid-West, according to Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes.
“There has been much talk and conjecture since the visit of the Chinese Vice Premier Xi Jinping as to how we can capitalise on our Chinese links here in this region. To me, we need to look no further than the Shannon College of Hotel Management and replicate what it has achieved in terms of breaking into the Chinese market,” he said
“We need to take what they are doing in terms of educating Chinese students and replicate it in agriculture/agri-foods area because that’s the area of expertise and excellence that we have in Ireland and this region, which is really interesting to the Chinese.
“I believe there is a huge opportunity for us to develop an off-shoot of UL or LIT that specialises in food production to sit side by side with the College of Hotel Management in Shannon. They have a road map for how you break into the Chinese market and I’m sure they would be willing to share it,” Councillor Hayes added.
The Feakle man is a part-time farmer and he met with Xi Jinping when he visited Clare earlier this year. The Chinese Vice-Premier was fascinated by Irish agriculture, he felt.
“He was very interested in the whole green economy, in how crops are grown and in cattle and I see this as a great opportunity. They want to import our products but they also want to learn how to do what we do well.”
Almost one-third of students at the Shannon College of Hotel Management are from China and Councillor Hayes said  the Chinese are happy to look abroad for education.
“The one-child family rule means that each child born ends up with a huge responsibility – to support its parents in the years ahead.
“Families are, therefore, willing to send their children across the world to get the best possible education and we can provide that here in terms of agriculture and food.
“International education is huge business and such a centre here could attract hundreds of Chinese students annually. That would be a big investment in the area in its own right but it would be hugely beneficial in terms of developing trade links with China as education is, of course, a feeding ground for industry. We are already way ahead of the rest of the country in terms of ties with China, as evidenced, by the recent visit. We need to capitalise on that now but really need to act fast.”
Councillor Hayes has already written to the Department of Enterprise regarding his proposal.