At its Annual Orientation Day held on September 20, 2024, the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) received 216 awardees from different strands of the Ireland Fellowship Programme. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishment, the Programme welcomed its largest cohort to secure this fully funded award from the Irish Government, offered under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The award provides an opportunity for eligible early to mid-career professionals with leadership potential to pursue a one-year Master’s level degree in a range of disciplines at Higher Education Institutions across Ireland. Through access to a world-class quality education, the Programme contributes to capacity building and equips fellows with critical skillsets that can be utilized to further the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda in their respective regions.

Among awardees from the Ireland SIDS Fellows Programme – Caribbean 2024/25 cohort is Dominican national Ms. Tricia Jno Baptiste, who is actively pursuing a Master’s Degree in Finance at Trinity College Dublin – The University of Dublin.

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Ms. Jno Baptiste has a diverse background in the finance profession including roles in Audit, Accounting, Banking and Risk Management. As a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) with a BSc in Applied Accounting, Ms. Jno Baptiste will strengthen her competencies in the field, particularly Sustainable Finance, through this educational opportunity. Her awareness of the challenges Small Island Developing States, including the Commonwealth of Dominica, face in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, drives her enthusiasm for this area of focus and eagerness to assist in tackling these challenges on completion of her studies.

The Ireland Fellows Programme initiative demonstrates the Irish Government’s continued commitment to ‘Leave No One Behind’, acknowledging education as a building block to further the transformative agenda.