Representatives from NUI Galway and Ireland's six other universities are this week travelling to New York and Washington, in a joint initiative coordinated by Enterprise Ireland. The aim of the initiative is to boost collaboration between Irish and US institutes of higher learning. The visit is part of the Education Ireland strategy to draw new waves of US students to Ireland for undergraduate and graduate studies and to broaden the network of research partnerships between higher learning institutions in both countries. Enterprise Ireland's Manager of International Education Services Terry McParland said: "Ireland's third level institutions, with the support of the Irish Government are investing heavily in research in strategically important areas such as science, engineering, biotechnology and medical disciplines. It is hoped that increasing the collaboration between higher level institutions in Ireland and the US will foster new and greater synergies that will yield inventive research and breakthroughs. "The initiative also aims to increase the flow of US students to pursue studies in Ireland's higher education institutes. International education is already a high growth sector in Ireland as global demand for quality, overseas tertiary education continues to grow despite the economic downturn. This initiative aims to highlight the quality of third level education in Ireland and attract more American students to study in Ireland." Anna Cunningham, Director of International Affairs at NUI Galway added: "NUI Galway has a long tradition of welcoming North American students for both semester abroad and summer school programmes. In recent years, increasing numbers of US students have chosen NUI Galway to complete their full degree programmes, thus adding to the rich culture diversity already evident on campus. Students regularly comment on how welcome they are made not just at the University but also by the people of Galway City. Every year approximately 800 US students choose Galway for their short-term study programmes, contributing significantly to the local economy. These students return to the US and act as important ambassadors both for Galway and Ireland". This initiative is being coordinated by Education Ireland. Education Ireland is dedicated to the development and promotion of Ireland as an international education centre of excellence. The Education Ireland brand is managed by Enterprise Ireland. The seven universities participating in this pilot visit include Dublin City University, National University of Ireland, Galway, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College, Dublin and the University of Limerick. -Ends-