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By Dinara Joldaspayeva

Dublin is a world city, a globally connected city, according to Lord Mayor, Cllr. Emer Costello, at the International Education Workshop last December.

In 2009, the majority of Ireland’s international students were studying in Dublin. 1,300 were full-time students, most of them coming from the United States, Great Britain and China.

Attracting international students can play a significant part in the city’s economic recovery. The international education sector contributes €900 million to the economy each year and supports thousands of Irish jobs.
 
I asked DIT’s international students what they personally think about their experience in Dublin… No offence should be taken!         
 
The students:
In 2009, the majority of international students in Ireland were studying in Dublin. In that year there were 1,300 full-time international students, 63% studying at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.
Almost 16% of students at University College Dublin were from outside Ireland.
This was true of 12% at Trinity College Dublin; 11% at Dublin City University; and 4% at Dublin Institute of Technology.
In 2009 most students studying in Irish Universities were from United States and Great Britain. Students from China and Canada were 4th and 5th according to the list of the top ten nationalities coming to Ireland to study. Germany and France were 6th and 7th. Among the other top ten nationalities were Indian, Italian and Polish.
At the same time dominating numbers of international students studying in Institutes of Technology in last year were from China, France and India.

 
 
A dense metropolis
Dublin is a very ‘walkable’ city and you might not even have to use the bus at all while you're here. Dublin City Centre is relatively compact: 10-15 minutes to a park, 35 minutes from a beach and 45 minutes to the mountains, said a student from Hong Kong.
Unfortunately, many locals don’t worry about cleanliness in the streets of city: they throw food debris and cigarette butts on the ground. But the local authority does its best, monitoring cleanliness of the streets.
Refuse collectors work throughout the day.
 
‘The big smoke’
Dublin and the Republic of Ireland were surprising leaders in banning smoking in public and workplaces.
But generally smoking is not banned in outdoor areas.
Both tourists and locals enjoy smoking on the streets of Dublin.
At the same time non-smoking persons walking the Dublin streets are always under some stress:  willy-nilly they are passive smokers and smoking persons by their cigarettes can damage others, said students from African countries and North America.
 
A friendly city...
“Dubliners are so warm and friendly,” according to students from Asia and Latin America. “The natives like tourists very much. People would stop and ask you if you need directions. This would not happen in places like Paris or London.” The locals are very polite; a student from Brazil observed that phrases like “pardon me” or “excuse me” can often be heard on Dublin’s streets. “People are free with expressions such as ‘thanks a million’ or ‘have a nice day’.” Most Dubliners would say “hi” and have a smile on their face when they are talking to you. Some would even say “how are you my sweetie?” - which sounds both so informal and gentle.
 
Expensive vs. ‘poor’
Dublin’s cost of living is very high, not only according to people from developing
countries, but also according to European students. “Living and studying in Dublin is only affordable if you have a part-time job. Going out is expensive too,” said a student from Madrid.
 
A cosmopolitan capital
Dublin is increasingly cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic. “It seems that people from all over the world live here. Italian, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Kazakh, Portuguese... Sometimes you could find yourself wondering what country you are in,” according to a friend from my home country, Kazakhstan.
The capital also offers the best of international cuisine. “The Chinese community is big in Dublin, and Chinese ‘take-aways’ are an institution in the Irish capital,” according to a
student from Beijing.
 
Young & wild…?
Dublin has its share of drunks, beggars - and also some young people who appear threatening. The city centre is often crowded and boisterous at night, with many loud teens the worse for drink or drugs. The young girls often dress and act much older than they are. Teenagers’ make-up and dress is very provocative. A Russian student found this distasteful, saying, “some of the girls look like prostitutes. Women in Dublin, for instance, dress up for clubbing as if they're going to the opera, with extravagant make-up, jewellery and evening-type dresses.”
Generally, it should be remarked that most Dubliners don’t appear to care about their wardrobe, and sportswear reigns supreme.
 
Drink, drank, drunk…?
Dublin leaves several strong impressions on foreign people: by its history; its friendly population; and its number of drunken revellers filling the streets.
Today Ireland’s capital is characterized as a having strong drinking culture: you can frequently see drunken people, (even occasionally at lectures!) noted some students from non-European countries.
Dublin’s clubs and bars are crowded with stupidity from Monday to Sunday: it seems liek every night is a celebration of some sort.
It isn’t surprising that Dublin’s main places of interest­­ includes so many pubs.
 
Good public services
Visiting museums, galleries, libraries, archives and other public places is free in Dublin as in a lot of European countries.
Some of these might have only limited appeal, such as the National Print Museum, which I visited recently.
The staff respects their visitors and always will be happy to recommend something for you, to help you to look for necessary information.
Their good mood and responsiveness is consistent and doesn’t depend on the number of visitors, their nationalities, gender and age.

jdinaras@yahoo.com