Education Ireland

University College Cork will host the World Universities Debating Championships.The event will be held from December 27th 2008 - January 4th,2009. The World Universities Debating Championships is the biggest non sporting student event in the world. The event consists of over 700 debates on topics including social affairs, economics, international affairs, the environment and business issues. 

Ireland has topped a list of the World's Friendliest Countries in a survey drawn up by the Lonely Planet travel guide group.

The Lonely Planet Bluelist books are annual collections of the top trends, destinations and experiences around the world. In the latest survey, Ireland comes in above Fiji, Indonesia and Malawi as the friendliest travel destination.

People were said to have 'a deliciously dark sense of humour'. The Emerald Isle has 'a welcoming attitude towards strangers' and the Irish can find craic in boom or bust eras, Lonely Planet said visitors are always in for a treat.

This year, the total number of Irish students who have taken part in the Erasmus Programme since its inception twenty years ago will top 25,000. The European Union initiative allows third level students and staff to spend a year or part of a year studying in another EU country.

Under the Programme, over 50,000 EU students have come to study in Ireland over the past two decades.

France remains the most popular choice for Irish Erasmus students (30%), followed by Spain (18%), Germany (17%) and Italy (6%) while Business students are the most likely group to avail of the opportunity to experience life at another European college (32%).

Females outnumber males by two to one (66% to 34%) in participation rates.

The HEA plans to double the number of Irish students taking part in Erasmus over the next decade and will focus in particular on students from socio-economic groups that are normally underrepresented in higher education.