About ICOS

Our Vision

All international students in Ireland achieve their educational goals, are treated equitably by the education providers that host them and are valued by wider society.

Our Mission

Protect and enhance the rights of international students in Ireland while championing their contribution in the places they study and in the communities in which they live.

Our Values

• Student-centre
• Inclusive
• Supportive
• Collaborative
• Solutions-focused
• Dependable

What we do

We continually strive to ensure that the benefits brought about by international education are recognised, the barriers faced by international students in Ireland are minimised, and that these students are integrated into Irish academic life and wider society. We apply a determined diversity, equity and inclusion approach to all of our activities.

Throughout its history, ICOS has also been invited to provide practical and administrative support to a number of study fellowship programmes bringing international students to Ireland. In particular, we have played a long-standing role in managing aspects of the Ireland's Fellows Programme on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

How we're governed

ICOS has 26 institutional members, including all of the universities and technological universities in the Republic of Ireland, many of the Institutes of Technology and all the major independent third level colleges. Our membership also includes the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).

Members decide on broad strategy, policy and membership issues, but delegate day-to-day management to a professional staff based in Dublin, overseen by an elected Board of Directors.

Key objectives are developed in our 2022-2024 Strategic Framework. Out activities are reflected in our annual reports and policy publications, all of which are available on our Publications page.

ICOS subscribes to the principles and standards of the Charities Regulator's Governance Code

Our Members

See a full list of our members here.

Our Board

Aoife Hynes, Union of Students in Ireland
Adam Crowther, Dublin Business School
Harriet Le Good, National College of Ireland
Holly Cowman, Mary Immaculate College
John Joe Farrell, Atlantic Technological University
Karen McAvinue, Technological University of the Shannon
Kevin Geoghegan, Griffith College 
Louise Kelly, National University of Ireland Galway
Michelle Hogan, Trinity College Dublin
Natalie O'Byrne, University College Cork
Shamiso Chigorimbo, University College Dublin
Suzi Breslin, University of Limerick

Our Team

Laura Harmon 
Executive Director

Niamh Keely
Finance and Operations Manager

Brian Hearne
Policy & Communications Manager

Laura Pohjolainen
Programme Manager

David Redmond
Senior Programme Officer

Marjorie Laville-Pain
Programme Officer

Chi Mai Nguyen
Programme Officer

Linh Hue Duong
Communications and Alumni Officer

Luis Dias
Training and Activities Officer

Rodrigo Domingues
Finance and Administration Officer