Maynooth University is hosting an event to celebrate the work of the National Student & Researcher (NSR) Helpdesk.
The National Student and Researcher (NSR) Helpdesk was established by the Department of Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) in March 2022 as an emergency response to guide and support Ukrainian students and researchers displaced by the invasion of Ukraine who were covered by the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, to explore suitable study options in the Irish education and training system.
The NSR Helpdesk was established by and located in Maynooth University, and staff were seconded from across the sector to support the initiative. The NSR Helpdesk was developed as a single student focused national point of contact and information for potential students seeking to access higher education in Ireland.
A key function of the NSR Helpdesk was to identify, on behalf of the HEIs, the English language proficiency level of prospective Higher Education students as well as their immediate and ongoing English language support requirements. The NSR partnered with Irish Translation Services (based in DCU), along with Duolingo to provide translation services for documentation, and a central resource for the assessment of English Language for academic purposes.
Duolingo provided 3,500 tests free of charge, a contribution of $170,000 to the national project. Duolingo also provided significant support to the NSR Helpdesk to provide training in the test platform and access to statistics on student usage and outcomes.
The NSR has had a positive impact on students and researchers looking to begin or resume their studies in Ireland, as one user of the service stated;
‘People from NSR Helpdesk literally became one of the most significant people in my life. They gave me an opportunity to rebuild my future and to experience happy student years which were supposed to be stolen from me due to the war in Ukraine.’
The event takes place in Renehan Hall, South Campus, Maynooth University and will feature guest speakers from DFHERIS, Duolingo, Irish Universities Association, as well as some of the Ukrainian students who engaged with and benefitted from the work of the NSR Helpdesk.