For the first time in the 35 year history of the Irish Aid Fellowship Training Programme, women make up the majority of the 45 fellows commencing programmes in 2010-11.

At an orientation day on 25th September, Irish Aid and ICOS welcomed a total of 26 new fellows to Ireland, 14 of them female. Six different partner countries were represented amongst these awards - Ethiopia (3), Malawi (4), Palestine (1), Uganda (7), Vietnam (2) and Zambia (9).

In addition, 18 fellows will be studying in-region at universities in Africa and Asia - 2 from Ethiopia, 1 from Lesotho, 1 from Malawi, 4 from Mozambique, 1 from Tanzania, 1 from Timor Leste and 8 from Uganda. One further student from Lesotho is undertaking a specialist programme in Britain.

The range of courses being studied by fellows includes law, health and nutrition, education, environmental science, economics, gender studies and development. Subject areas have been aligned with established development priorities for each country in keeping with the programmatic approach favoured by Irish Aid.