Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan announced that the implementation of a “new educational mark” called TrustEd Ireland will begin this month.
TrustEd Ireland will serve to promote higher education institutions and providers of English language education to international students by way of formal certification.
“[TrustEd Ireland] is a significant milestone in our mission to position Ireland as a destination of choice for international learners, researchers, and innovators,” said O’Donovan.
State agency Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) will administer the TrustEd Ireland awards and is responsible for maintaining high standards in Irish higher education.
“TrustEd Ireland will build on and enhance the existing quality assurance infrastructures,” O’Donovan shared, “[It] will be one of the most robust schemes for the regulation of international education in existence globally.”
New statutory processes will regulate this educational benchmark, including: codes of practice, a ‘due diligence’ evaluation for institutions’ capacity to deliver quality education, and a new “Learner Protection Fund” to protect international students enrolled in Irish higher education and English language programmes.
Speaking on the new statutory safeguards, O’Donovan said they will “serve as a message to international learners that the education experience they will receive in Ireland is secure, of the highest quality, and globally recognised”.
Applications will open later this month and institutions will have the chance to receive this “quality mark” certification provided they meet national standards for a “high-quality experience” from student enrolment to programme completion.
TrustEd Ireland will be formally launched on September 25 with applications opening shortly thereafter.
