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IT Tralee agricultural engineering students will have the option to continue into an international postgraduate programme from September 2019 if the course is accredited as planned, lecturer Chris O’Donohue told the Irish Farmers Journal.
The masters degree developed by the Co Kerry college with the University of Burgundy in France and Bologna University in Italy will include three months of lectures in each country and a three-month work placement.
While French and Italian universities want their students to learn technical English, Irish participants will get a chance to study in countries where major manufacturers such as John Deere and Agco have factories. Listen to “New courses in ag engineering” on Spreaker.
They will also discover agriculture in major markets served by Ireland’s machinery exporters: “France and Italy have the most diversified farming and soil types in Europe,” said IT Tralee lecturer Michael Gillen.
The importance of international experience is evident from the comments of final year ag engineering students at the college.
Placement
Matthew Wilson did his work placement with a French company. “Then an opportunity came up to do training in Ghana,” he said. He has now been offered an international job with an Irish manufacturer after graduation.
“I did my experience with McHale – they said they would offer me a first job travelling the world,” added his classmate Christopher Morris.
Meanwhile, Chris Joughin, a student from Zimbabwe, said he came to study at IT Tralee because of the reputation of good connections between agriculture and industry in Ireland.
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