It gives me great pleasure to contribute to the first issue of this newsletter marking the establishment of the Irish Aid Fellowship Alumni network. Earlier this year I had the privilege of meeting with some of the fellows who came on a visit to the Irish Aid’s offices in Limerick. I listened to some very interesting presentations on their experience of living and studying in Ireland. I was struck by their commitment to development and their strong desire to contribute to the future of their countries on return.

The Alumni Network, by forging strong personal and professional contacts, will hopefully ensure these experiences can be shared more widely and will resonate for many years beyond the period of study. Not only for current and future fellows but for the many hundreds of fellows who have already completed their studies. I am always surprised on my visits overseas as the Minister for Overseas Development by the number of people who tell me that they have studied in Ireland and how much they benefitted from the experience.

As many of you are aware, the Fellowship Training Programme has been central to Irish Aid’s support for capacity building since it began back in 1974. Many hundreds have studied in universities in Ireland and in Africa, gaining skills and knowledge that contribute to the development of their countries.

We hope that through the Alumni Network, fellows will be able to keep in touch not only with one another but also with the Irish Aid programme. Our colleagues in the Irish embassies are willing to support the country networks in any way they can and look forward to working closely with you.

Exchange and learning is, of course, at the heart of what we are trying to achieve through the Fellowship Training Programme. It is your ideas as Fellows, your creativity and your leadership that will help shape the Alumni’s future.

I hope that all of you will benefit greatly from participation in the Alumni Network and I also hope that it helps build a bond with Ireland and the Irish Aid programme that lasts a lifetime.