Study Fellows travelled to Limerick in April for the annual meeting with Irish Aid staff - a day of information sharing and discussion on development priorities.

Fellows were extended a warm welcome to the event by Ireland’s Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello T.D., who reflects on the day in a separate article.

Three fellows presented on their studies and wider experiences in Ireland and the Minister took up comments from agriculture student Dagmawi Melaku, relating them to his own recent visit to projects in the Tigray region of Ethiopia where environmental concerns are being mainstreamed.

The structure of the day reflected Irish Aid’s ‘programmatic approach’, with sessions allowing Irish Aid staff and Study Fellows to engage and reflect further on a number of thematic priorities.

The afternoon began with a question and answer session focused on Ireland’s approach to improving trade and investment linkages with Africa, as set out in a strategy paper launched in September 2011. This document outlines a comprehensive framework for Ireland’s business, political and development relations with Africa over the coming years.
Irish Aid’s Country Strategy Papers were also explored through workships for fellows from Vietnam, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Ethiopia.