WIT honours public servant for promoting Irish education

A FORMER Enterprise Ireland executive has become the 10th honorary fellow at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) in "recognition of his effort and achievement" in "the promotion of higher education to overseas students" during his 40-year career in the public service. A Dublin native, Frank O'Conor, who was the manager of education services within Enterprise Ireland's international services division, used the role to market Ireland as a learning destination to students from key global markets, a WIT spokesman said yesterday.

WIT director, Prof Kieran Byrne, said: "Frank O'Conor is a fitting recipient of this distinguished honour for his championing of Irish higher education around the world.

"His record of achievement is all the more laudable against a backdrop where there was no long standing tradition of overseas students coming to Ireland in large numbers or of higher education institutions working together to promote Ireland as a learning island.

Prof Byrne added: "This institute and the entire Irish higher education sector benefits tremendously from the diversity brought to our campuses by overseas students."

In response, Mr O'Conor said he was "totally stunned, very honoured, humble and grateful" to receive the honour which he said was the "highlight of my career".

"There are immeasurable financial, social and cultural benefits to colleges and the wider communities who receive these students. Only education can bring the sort of positive relationships that will benefit us all for a long time to come, " he said.