Sylvia Katete Gav-igan, from Uganda, has been living in Ireland for the last 14 years. Gavigan came to Ireland to further her studies with a Master’s degree in Management Consultancy from UCD’s Smurfit School of Business, and she is currently pursuing PhD research on Ethnic Entrepreneurs in Ireland at DCU. Her company, International Educational Recruitment Consultancy, specialises in bringing prospective students – like she was – to Ireland for further study. She explains to Metro Eireann how she got started.

“With my studies I was lecturing at third level,” she says. “I saw that Ireland’s colleges and universities were in need of third level students from countries outside the EEA (European Economic Area) as these students were able to pay fees. I saw that colleges could use the services of one who knew the colleges well and also had contacts in other countries.

“There was a niche there. I spoke to the colleges and to students. It was very encouraging. I started finding the best way to bring international students into Ireland to do their third level studies.”

Gavigan already has a good network of contacts around the world in the education sector. She also had some good experience with First Step, an entrepreneur support association in Ireland.

“I am working with First Step as a consultant, and although I have had no financial set-up from them, their support has been good,” she says. “Seeing other ethnic entrepreneurs setting up, against odds, is inspirational. But more needs to be done.”

Gavigan encountered some problems in setting up her own business: “Lack of information, bureaucratic requirements for ethnic start-up business and Government policies in relation to business permits for minorities are not clear and balanced. While Africans can sell African food to Africans and run a good business, it turns into a different story when the immigrant wants to run a mainstream business. There are still gaps in this market. It is still not open enough.”

Gavigan travels to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and Malawi giving presentations to prospective schools and students about the universities and colleges in Ireland. “I asked my contacts to be my business partners in this project, which has worked well,” she notes. “They help with marketing around the colleges in their countries.” 
She explains about Ireland and the qualifications required to enter as a student, the level of English necessary and other details. The university and college then pay Gavigan a fee for recruited students.

At the moment Gavigan is recruiting students for the College of Business and Service Management on Upper Fitzwilliam Street in Dublin, and she has also supplied students for Portobello College in Dublin. She brings prospectuses from other Irish colleges too, and if the students are interested she will let that institution know.

So how does Gavigan react to the perception that international students are paying over the odds for the privilege to study here, that it is unfairly expensive for them?

“I tell the prospective students that the fees are justified as the level of education and the standard of their degree will be very high,” she responds. “It will put them into the global marketplace for jobs. The universities here offer more than just education too, they offer excellent support networks and the social side of college life; the extracurricular clubs and societies are world class.

“But I also tell students that it will not be easy. Although their families can afford to pay the college fees, the student will more than likely have to work to pay for their living expenses here. I explain that living in Ireland is not cheap.

“The experience they gain by studying overseas is wonderful, it opens the mind. I will open up Ireland to the world as a place to learn.” 

Gavigan’s own spare time is spent developing her charity the Children’s Educational Development Fund, which has been set up to raise funds for children in her home village of Lwanunda Masaka.

“We are running a Christmas event at the Teacher’s Club on Parnell Square, Dublin on Saturday 15 December to raise money for these children, many who have been orphaned by Aids.

“Anyone who can come please contact me at skgavigan@yahoo.com.”