Representatives from Marshall University, BridgeValley Community and Technical College and Ireland’s Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) met last week with members of the West Virginia-Ireland Trade Commission at Leinster House in Dublin to discuss the early success of a new international study abroad program and explore opportunities for its expansion.
Launched in 2024 through the Office of Global Education and with support from a $50,000 U.S. Department of State IDEAS Grant, the program offers short-term, faculty-led international experiences to students from both two-year and four-year institutions, with a focus on STEM and first-generation students. Seventeen students are currently in Ireland as part of the inaugural cohort.
“This partnership is doing exactly what it was designed to do by connecting West Virginia students to global opportunities in a way that’s accessible, relevant and sustainable,” said Dr. Brian Hoey, dean of the Honors College at Marshall and the program’s academic director. “What began with a simple conversation when I was in Ireland in July 2023 is now a functioning, replicable model that brings real value to our students and our institutions. It’s gratifying to see such strong interest in taking this further.”
Hoey met with West Virginia legislative representatives Bob Leslie, Mike Hornby and Dr. James “Jamie” Field, along with DkIT faculty and administrators, including Joyce O’Hara and Dr. Conor Brady, director of the certificate program in which the students are enrolled. The meeting, arranged with the assistance of Senator Mark Daly, chair of the Irish Senate (Seanad Éireann), explored potential state-level support for the program and plans for expanding the model to additional West Virginia institutions.
The program aligns with Marshall’s strategic efforts to strengthen international learning opportunities and the mission of the West Virginia–Ireland Trade Commission, established by state legislation in 2023. The IDEAS grant and partnership was initiated in 2023 through the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Office of International Programs. A formal memorandum of understanding was signed between Marshall and DkIT in July 2024.
For more information about the study abroad program and upcoming opportunities, visit Marshall University’s Study Abroad website.