New collaboration in keeping with St. John’s goal of expanding global partnerships
October 2, 2017
Through a new academic and international collaboration, St. John’s University and a fellow Catholic institution of higher learning, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in Limerick, Ireland, announced a new strategic partnership.
The new partnership allows for St. John’s students to study at MIC as part of the University’s signature Discover the World: Europe program. Beginning with the spring 2018 semester, St. John’s students will spend five weeks each at St. John’s Rome, Italy campus and Paris, France location, as before. With this new collaboration, St. John’s students will now spend a third five-week module at MIC in Limerick, Ireland.
“St. John’s University’s Discover the World: Europe program and our new strategic partnership with Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland will open many new exciting opportunities for students of both institutions to live and learn together,” said Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., President of St. John’s. “St. John’s is ranked 31st in the nation in study abroad undergraduate participation rates which translates to a third of our students studying abroad before they graduate. The addition of Mary Immaculate College to our study abroad academic programming will greatly enhance global learning for our students.”
Marked by academic rigor, service learning and cultural immersion, Discover the World: Europe at St. John’s has always allowed students to study in unique locations, completing core course requirements while engaging with historic cities through field trips, site visits, academic service-learning and independent exploration. With the addition of MIC as the program’s latest partner, students will benefit from an English-speaking environment, allowing them to immediately immerse themselves in Irish culture. This collaboration also marks the Discover the World: Europe program’s first embedded collaboration with a fellow Catholic institution of higher education, allowing for students to grow in their faith as they study.
Professor Eugene Wall, (Acting) President of MIC welcomed this initiative and said, “We at Mary Immaculate College are proud and excited to have been chosen by St John’s University as a partner location for its students on the Discover the World: Europe program. MIC offers exceptional opportunities for academic and personal growth and has put world-class supports in place for our international students, who find a home away from home here with us in Limerick. We look forward to welcoming students from St John’s University to our campus. Their interaction with our students and staff will significantly enhance the global outlook of our community, which is a core pillar of Mary Immaculate College’s 2017–2021 Strategic Plan."
Located in picturesque and historic Limerick— Ireland’s third-largest and one of its oldest cities—St. John’s students will reside in a city-center hotel located a 15–20-minute walk from MIC’s leafy campus and may take classes in art and design, philosophy and theology with top MIC faculty.
About St. John’s University
Founded in 1870, St. John’s is a Catholic and Vincentian university that prepares students for ethical leadership in today’s global society. There are three New York City campuses—in Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan. The University also has a campus in Rome, Italy. St. John’s has academic locations in Hauppauge, New York; Paris, France; and Seville, Spain.
Students come to St. John’s from 46 states and 127 countries. The University offers more than 100 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the arts, business, education, law, pharmacy and the natural and applied sciences. Students benefit from academic service-learning activities, extensive global studies opportunities and 17 NCAA, Division I men’s and women’s athletic teams.
About Mary Immaculate College
Founded in 1898, MIC is Ireland’s premier Catholic college, and leading college of education and the liberal arts. The College is renowned for educating 40% of Ireland’s elementary teachers and recruits from the top students in Ireland. With a keenly research-active and student-focused faculty, MIC offers a wide range of highly desirable programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, which greatly benefit the subsequent lives and careers of its students. Over 5,000 students are engaged in studies at MIC across two campuses in Limerick and Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
The College warmly welcomes over 250 students each year from all over the globe on short-term and degree programs. The College has built a reputation for its care of these students through intensive pre-arrival support, comprehensive orientation and high-level, ongoing pastoral care. In 2014 and 2016, MIC received the StudyPortals Award for Outstanding International Student Satisfaction based on reviews submitted by thousands of students throughout Europe. MIC consistently scored above 9.5 out of 10 in all of its reviews. While the StudyPortals Awards are only presented every second year, 2017 saw MIC recognized at the Irish Education Awards, when the College received the national award for Best International College Achievement.
For media inquiries, or to conduct an interview with Matthew Pucciarelli, Associate Provost of Global Programs at St. John’s University, please contact media relations at [email protected].