NUI Galway students ‘left in dark’ over Erasmus

NUI Galway students have been “left in the dark” over whether they will be able to study abroad in the next academic year, NUIG Students’ Union has said.

The Students’ Union called on the Unviersity to offer clarity to those who plan to study abroad or undertake Gaeltacht semesters next year.

NUI Galway accepted incoming Erasmus students this year but cancelled all outward mobility, which NUIG SU says caused disruption for students who were ready to attend Universities across Europe.

President of the Students’ Union Pádraic Toomey said that if the college prevents people from studying abroad or in the Gaeltacht in the coming year, it will have many negative consequences.

“For the university, it will affect grade quality and employability,” said Pádraic. “For students, it will have a major impact on those areas but also on their wellbeing.

“Students should be allowed to have all opportunities in their course given to them and taking this away will have a major impact on the future of their academic career.”

Students’ Union Vice-President/Education Officer Emma Sweeney added that NUI Galway students deserve the opportunity to get the most out of their degrees.

“For language students this means immersing themselves in the language and culture,” Emma said.

“This is also the reason many students will choose their particular course. It is understood why this had to occur this academic year but we must now learn to live with the adverse effects of this pandemic and offer viable solutions to our language students.”