The Irish Times Profiles the Mitchell Scholarship Program

The following article is reprinted with permission from The Irish Times

The George J Mitchell scholarship, set up five years ago by Trina Vargo to allow US students to come to Ireland to study, has grown to become one of the most prestigious 'foreign fellowships' in the US, writes Gráinne Faller

Many people will have heard of the Rhodes scholarship. Extremely prestigious, it offers outstanding students, from the US and elsewhere, an opportunity to study for two years at postgraduate level in Oxford University. The list of Rhodes alumni is impressive. Bill Clinton was a Rhodes scholar, as were No Logo author Naomi Wolf and astronomer Edwin Hubble. Other alumni include Olympic medallists, Nobel prizewinners and countless politicians and scholars.

While working as foreign policy adviser to Sen Ted Kennedy, Trina Vargo, now president of the US-Ireland Alliance, was struck by how many people in the Clinton administration had been Rhodes scholars in their student days. Vargo spotted an opportunity for Ireland.

She says: "I thought it would be great if Ireland had something like the Rhodes - something where future leaders in the US would have a real and positive relationship with the country."

The George J Mitchell Scholarship was thus established in 2001. Within two years, it had been listed in the New York Times as one of the six most prestigious scholarships that young Americans could receive. Word has spread in the US: as many as 250 applicants compete for the 12 places each year. The scholarship enables US students to do a one-year course of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by higher education institutions on both sides of the border in Ireland. Tuition, flights and accommodation are all supplied free of charge and scholars are also provided with a living expenses stipend of $12,000 (€9,140). There is no requirement for applicants to be Irish-American or interested in Irish studies. The selection committee is simply looking for academic excellence, community involvement and an indication that the scholars have real potential to become leaders in the future.

The US-Ireland Alliance raises funds for the Mitchell Scholarships. In 1998, the Irish Government set up a £2 million endowment fund (currently worth around €2.5m) to support the scholarships in the long term, but, thanks to funding from the US State Department, comparatively little has been drawn from that endowment so far. In addition to this money, the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland sponsors two scholarships, and the programme has received significant sponsorship from US and Irish businesses.

The current Mitchell scholars are an impressive group. Graduates of universities such as Harvard and Berkeley, their range of postgraduate studies varies from International Politics and Journalism to Biomedical Science and Creative Writing.

But are we being realistic? Can Ireland really measure up to the American system, bearing in mind that most of our universities are struggling to even feature in the top 200 in the world? Mitchell scholar John Velasco, currently in the University of Limerick's (UL) International Studies Masters programme, says: "The Mitchell programme stood out as my top choice in foreign fellowship programmes in the US because of its reputation, the strong personal relationships that scholars forge, and the unique opportunity to study in Ireland and learn first-hand about Irish history, culture, and economy."

"The fact that it is only one year was an advantage for me," says Sarah Wappett, a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington DC, who is currently in DCU doing a Masters in International Security and Conflict Studies. "Also, the programme of study that I wanted didn't really exist over in England. The academic system is a little different to what I'm used to," she says. "We spend a lot less time in class so the education is very much a self-driven process."

Time and again, scholars comment on the comparative reluctance of Irish students to participate in class. Velasco explains: "In my graduate program at MIT, peer discussion and debate was an essential cornerstone of learning. While it exists at UL, at the masters level it is not as vigorous as it was at MIT."

Funding for education in Ireland is obviously an issue and, despite recent improvements, Irish universities simply cannot compete with the US system in terms of research opportunities or facilities.

"The primary concern I hear from both Irish and international postgraduate students," says Velasco, "is that the university organizational structures are designed to educate large numbers of undergraduate students, not to facilitate and support rigorous research at the graduate level."

There is, however, little outright dissatisfaction. Velasco points out that, despite the physical shortcomings, the staff at his faculty in UL are no less qualified or distinguished than those in MIT, and he cites the diversity of his fellow students who come from different countries and backgrounds as a major advantage.

A key point to remember is that the Mitchell Scholarship is not just sold on its academic opportunities. The programme is attractive and competitive because of the whole experience it offers. The small size of the programme is seen as an advantage, and expanding the number of places on offer is not a priority.

"I'd rather provide a quality experience for fewer people," says Trina Vargo. "Because the programme is small, if the President wants to meet the scholars or a TD wants to have them over for lunch, it's very easy to organize."

The students are afforded opportunities that a larger group may not have. Sarah Wappett explains: "Trina Vargo was very upfront about the fact that if anyone wanted to do an internship, she had contacts that could make that happen." Wappett's research is in organized crime and she is just about to start an internship with the Garda Síochána. "I'll largely be shadowing people," she says. "I think it will give me a great insight into how investigations are conducted here."

"I was struck by how extensive the Mitchell experience was designed to be," says John Velasco. "Not only does the scholarship support one year of postgraduate study, but each scholar is also given a €1,000 travel stipend to be used for travel throughout the island as well as Europe.

"The size of the class of scholars and the extent to which the US-Ireland Alliance works to build strong relationships amongst the scholars are the most appealing aspects of the Mitchell programme; these two components set this programme apart from its peers and will continue to help it grow in popularity and prestige."

The Mitchell stars talk about their Irish year

Three US students talk about their time in Ireland

Daniel Preysman

Course: Journalism at DCU

"Being a journalism student in Ireland is a mixed blessing. Everyone wants to talk to you, but nobody wants to be quoted. Before coming here, I reported for several US newspapers. In the US, the surest way to get someone to tell you a story is to tell them they'll be in the newspaper. In America, everyone wants to be a star. In Ireland, they'll talk to you for ages and then say, 'Now, you don't have to put any of that in your article, do you?' I interviewed one woman for half an hour before she asked if I could quote her anonymously - about her musical tastes.

"When I told friends in the US that I would be studying in Ireland, many would remark on the rich literary tradition. People think of Joyce, Yeats, and Shaw, and they talk about how rich Ireland is in stories, and storytellers. I've seen how easy it is to lose track of time, listening to people. I'm working on an oral history project about Finglas, and I've sat with people in their 60s and 70s as they weave stories about what it was like to move out to Finglas in the 1950s. One woman told me her family lived in two rooms in a tenement house, and when they moved to Finglas they suddenly had this big house with three bedrooms - to them it was like a mansion, with a back yard like a huge park.

"In the few months I've been here, I've learned to sit a little longer and listen more intently. In Ireland, the most colourful stories often come out after the second cup of tea, and that's a good lesson for a journalist. I've also learned that people are more willing to be quoted if I spend more time talking to them and tell them some of my own stories. Perhaps the Irish talk to journalists because they want to have a good chat and to hear a few great stories that they might pass on to someone else. And that's also a good lesson to learn as well."

Matthew Haney

Course: Human Rights and Criminal Justice at Queen's University Belfast and NUI Galway

"With my interest in post-conflict issues, including brief stints studying and working in Vietnam, South Africa, Israel and Bosnia, I thought the year would be a great opportunity to learn from the situation in the North. But I didn't know much about Belfast, and was hesitant to forsake the opportunity to spend at least some time in the Republic. The cross-border option seemed ideal. Galway's Irish Human Rights Centre and Human Rights LLM are world-renowned. Plus, everyone I talked to seemed to think that Galway is God's gift to man, so how could I pass that up?

"Belfast is a fascinating place to study human rights and international law. Many of the professors are practitioners themselves, leading to hands-on learning opportunities such as an internship at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Being in a human rights course as an American abroad is an interesting experience. Needless to say, a lot of the heat is directed at us nowadays. Yet the criticism of US politics is always polite. That said, it was refreshing to be in Belfast, a place where active American engagement has played such a positive role, and to witness first-hand the fruits of tremendous political courage, from all sides. Surprisingly, Belfast is also a vibrant place, and the 'craic' was quite good.

"The students in the Galway course are tightly knit and come from all over the world. Our discussions about the latest International Criminal Court decisions often spill over from class to a pub and a pint of Guinness. Besides the weather, which is a bit of an adjustment from California, I'm definitely loving my life here. Spending time in both the North and the Republic has also helped me gain a more keen perspective on each place."

Kathleen Claussen

Course: International Politics at Queen's University, Belfast

"I believe we can all make a positive difference as responsible citizens - locally, nationally and internationally. So, when I had the option to enter law school immediately after my undergraduate studies or to apply for the Mitchell Scholarship graduate programme, which would allow me to pursue my intellectual as well as my service goals, I did not hesitate to learn more about the Mitchell Scholarship.

"I was inspired by the example of former Senator George Mitchell and found that his message resonated with me. Moreover, I was attracted to the small size of the scholarship programme and the fantastic networking opportunities it supports. The programme helped me to secure valuable internships with local community organisations, and this work has transformed my thinking about the ways in which individuals and groups can collaborate and create partnerships to bridge generational, racial, and cultural gaps.

"Before coming to Belfast, I had considered the Troubles to be a closed chapter in the region's history. Somehow, I had conceived that I would be studying in a "post-conflict" environment (as in, one where residents had forgotten about their differences). Though I was of course naive in thinking this, I have found that many of my friends here share a great deal of confidence in the future. It is refreshing to hear their optimism and their pride in the city. My volunteer work at nearby churches and charities moves me to further explore the complex perspectives on what it means to reconcile differences in a meaningful way.

"I'm not sure I can put into words the impact studying at Queen's has had on me. The experience of this year has become a part of my life that I will treasure always."