|
St Mary’s celebrated its engagement with two significant programmes in a unique way by combining perspectives on the Belfast Féile an Phobail with those on the European Union's Erasmus key action on higher education mobility.
The celebration was held in the College's Student Centre where the connection between the two thirty year-old 'movements' was articulated by a range of interesting speakers. Guests then enjoyed traditional Irish music, with a Christmas twist, performed by a group of College music students.
The Féile has organised events at the St Mary's campus for twenty-five years and CEO Kevin Gamble spoke about the bond that now exists between the two organisations. The College Principal, Professor Peter Finn, thanked the support staff at St Mary's who work tirelessly every year to support the various events at the Féile.
Attention then turned to twenty-three years of participation by St Mary's in the flagship European Union's Erasmus programme. International and local students spoke about their experience of student mobility and the benefits it brings to everyone involved.
Féile and Erasmus share the common objectives of developing the human spirit, building capacity for change and improvement in society as well as forging life-long friendships. Both programmes have transformed St Mary’s in recent decades and greatly enhanced its status as a leading higher education institution which attracts students from all over the world.
Denisa Neuvirthova from Slovakia and Carolina Sanchez from Iowa, USA
Niamh McGirr, Claire Conlon and Deirbhile Craven
Coralie Dame from Belgium, Helena Bueno Sanz from Barcelona and Sermin Akdag from Austria
Patrick Jianqiang Qiu (China), Alvaro Jimeno Carrasco (Spain), Ana Maria González (Spain), Anna Stoger (Austria), Paloma Silos Martos (Spain), Cristina Castellote López (Spain),
Ana Abellan Solesio (Spain)
 
Armelle Lefebure travelled from Dublin to speak at the celebration. Armelle is originally from France and whilst studying at a Norwegian university was an Erasmus student who transferred to St Mary's and completed a BA degree in Liberal Arts. She went on to study at Trinity College Dublin.
Here are some of her comments on the night:
"It was a real honour to be invited and if I had been given more time I could have spoken for hours. Not enough can ever be said for the kindness of all involved, the academic standards provided and the uniqueness that is St Mary's.
"At the risk of paraphrasing Roddy Doyle, Northern Ireland is unique within Ireland and indeed within Europe. Belfast is unique to all the main cities in Europe. West Belfast is unique within Belfast and St Mary's is at the core of it. With a genuine and forward-looking ethos, it brings to all its students and to the community in which it resides something more than academic credentials. It brings a necessary understanding and respect of the past and it shows first-hand how one can move on and rebuild communities that have been affected and continue to be affected by political uncertainties.
"More than all of this, I now realize what I truly admire about the college and the community is the humbleness that you have towards international visitors who are sometimes only passing for a short time. It is your eagerness for us to become a part of and understand your community. That is what defines St Mary's. In the midst of it all, you remain as ever, humble yet proud, forward thinking yet respectful. You have allowed me to set down my roots here and whenever I return I am no longer a visitor, I am someone who is coming home."
The snow in early December proved to be a huge attraction for the Erasmus students from Spain.
Our Belfast Santa welcomed some Erasmus students to city centre shopping.
|
