IRELAND

IRELAND: University defends fee for five-star rating
Two Irish universities have said tens of thousands of euro paid to receive their recent top international ratings was worthwhile for the potential to attract more overseas students, writes Niall Murray for the Irish Examiner.University College Cork and the University of Limerick were the only two Irish colleges to undergo the QS Stars evaluation, a new international benchmarking tool by the same firm that undertakes one of the world's most prestigious university rankings.
Cork paid almost EUR22,000 (US$30,200) for its evaluation, which includes a EUR7,035 audit fee and three annual licence fees of EUR4,893. It was awarded five-star status, which it can use for marketing purposes for the next three years. About 3,000 international students from more than 100 countries earn the college approximately EUR19 million a year.
Full report on the Irish Examiner site