Do you know why Ireland is called the Land of Saints and Scholars?
When I first wrote my scholarship essays, I answered that question academically.
I spoke about Ireland’s rich history of educational excellence, tracing it back to its Golden Age when it became a centre of learning after the fall of the Roman Empire. I wrote about globally ranked universities, cultural vibrancy, and why it stood out as my preferred destination.
At the time, it was a well-researched answer.
Today, it is a lived experience.
As a recipient of the Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES), I now find myself not just studying in Ireland, but living within a system that is intentionally positioning itself as a global hub for international education.
Each year, thousands of applicants from across the world compete for the GOI-IES. Yet only 60 scholarships are awarded. In the 2025/2026 cohort, 12 of those were awarded to scholars from 11 African countries, a reflection of Ireland’s growing engagement with the continent.
When I applied, I wrote about becoming “Irish educated and globally connected.” It sounded aspirational, almost like a tagline.
But being here, I now understand that it is a deliberate national strategy.
Ireland’s international education framework, Irish Educated, Globally Connected, alongside the broader Global Ireland 2025 strategy, is not just about attracting students. It is about building long-term global relationships through education, positioning Ireland as a destination for talent, ideas, and cultural exchange.
And in many ways, African students are becoming central to that story.
Before arriving in Dublin, I also wrote about what I hoped to gain from the experience, intellectual curiosity, global exposure, and the opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives. I imagined travelling across Europe, building networks, and broadening my worldview.
As someone who has lived and worked in both Kenya and Tanzania, my experience has shaped how I engage in the classroom. Language, culture, and lived realities are not abstract concepts, they are part of how I interpret conversations, contribute to discussions, and understand global issues.
And this is where Ireland’s model of education becomes particularly powerful.
In lecture rooms, diversity is not performative, it is participatory. You are not just present as an international student; you are expected to contribute. Your perspective is not supplementary; it is essential.
That, perhaps, is the real meaning of being globally connected.
In my essays, I also spoke about what I hoped to contribute, to Ireland and to my home country. I wrote about knowledge exchange, about strengthening bilateral ties, about using media and communication to tell stories that matter.
Those ideas now feel more tangible.
Through my current studies in MA Journalism and Digital Communication, particularly modules like Social and Digital Content Creation, I am beginning to understand how storytelling can shape narratives at scale. Not just personal stories, but national and global ones.
This aligns closely with the Global Ireland vision of enhancing Ireland’s international presence, not just through policy, but through communication, culture, and people.
At the same time, my involvement with platforms like Proudly Made in Africa has deepened my understanding of Global Citizenship Education (GCE).
It has challenged me to think critically about how Africa is represented in global discourse and how education can play a role in shifting that narrative. Because studying abroad is not just about access. It is about exchange.
It is about moving from learning about the world to learning with it.
Looking back, my scholarship essays were filled with intention. I wrote about becoming an ambassador, about building bridges between Kenya and Ireland, about contributing to development through knowledge and storytelling.
At the time, those were goals.
Now, they are responsibilities.
Ireland, in positioning itself as a global education hub, is not just investing in students, it is investing in future connectors. People who will carry these experiences beyond the classroom and into the world.
And perhaps that is the most profound shift of all.
What began as an essay, an answer to a question, has become a journey.
One that continues to unfold, not just in class rooms, but in how I see the world, how I tell stories, and how I understand my place within a global community.
And now, when I hear Ireland described as the Land of Saints and Scholars, I no longer think of it as history alone.
I see it as a future in motion, one that I am now a part of.
Here below is my YouTube video summarising my experience has been like since I arrived in Dublin for my master’s after winning the scholarship.
