Aoibh and Ryan to go Stateside in ‘amazing’ Study USA scholarship

31 July 2024

TWO local students will be jetting off to the United States as part of the prestigious Study USA scholarship programme.

Sports Studies student Ryan Smith, from Downpatrick, will swap Ulster University for King University in Tennessee, while Loughinisland’s Aoibh Smyth, who is studying Business Management at Queen’s University, will spend the next academic year at Lyon College in Arkansas.

They will join 52 students from across Northern Ireland, who will spend the next academic year studying in American universities and colleges across 22 states.

“I found out about the Study US programme through my careers department at Queen’s and after Covid I felt I really needed to come out of my comfort zone,” Aoibh explained.

“I applied to the programme as I thought it was an amazing opportunity to build my confidence and develop interpersonal skills.

“I hope to work in international business and I feel the Study US programme will allow me to explore a different culture and build my networks.

“I hope my time in America will allow me to gain important skills while promoting Northern Ireland positively to my peers.”

Starting in 1994, the flagship programme was originally designed to assist with the Northern Ireland peace process, with the White House providing an endorsement of the programme in 2014 in a letter written by President, Bill Clinton.

Since then, the programme – which is managed by the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations – has enabled over 2,500 students studying in Northern Ireland to spend a full academic year at one of 140 partner institutions spread across the US.

Study USA is open to pre-final year students studying at Northern Ireland higher education and further education institutions.

The programme has adapted over the years and now extends beyond businesses and STEM related subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), giving students the opportunity to study a combination of subjects related to their home degree, as well as modules in entrepreneurship, leadership, communications, marketing and PR, human resources and foreign languages.

The immersive nature of the programme helps students to develop a broad range of academic and interpersonal skills, as well as a global outlook, which enhances their career prospects when they return to Northern Ireland.

Study USA continues to receive significant support from the US government, with an annual funding of over $2 million.

Economy Minister Conor Murphy said that the Study USA Programme has continued to strengthen the cultural, educational and economic links between the US and the province.

“It provides young people with employability skills and an international outlook that are vital in developing our economy,” he said.

“Through their ambassadorial role, Study USA participants promote positive perception of the North, which in turn helps attract visitors from the US.

“I wish our students taking part this year all the very best on what I’m sure will be a great experience.”

Applications for Study USA for 2025-26 will open in September 2024. To find out more about the programme visit https://nireland.britishcouncil.org/opportunities/study-usa.

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