NOTE: In order for your EUSA study abroad credit to count toward your degree at UAB, you MUST meet with the UAB Study Abroad Program Director to discuss independent study plans.
Overview
Dublin is the center of Irish industry. Therefore your students will be working with people from all over Ireland, and, very likely people from all over the world. The last several years have seen a huge influx of people from the new EU accession states, particularly Poland. In addition, Irish people are generally eager to travel and explore. Students will find that Dublin is extremely cosmopolitan and international compared to US cities of similar size.
Housing
Shanowen Square is a new apartment complex designed especially for student use. The fully furnished apartments consist of 3-5 single bedrooms with a shared kitchen and living area. All bedrooms have a private bathroom and include linens, pillows, and duvets. Students must bring their own towels. The kitchen is fully stocked with cutlery, crockery, cooking utensils, as well as an iron and ironing board and microwave. The common area has a TV access point, but students must rent their own television if they wish. There is a laundromat on-site, and nearby shops for essentials.
Students may be sharing their apartment with students from their own university, students from other EUSA programs, or students from schools in Europe and further a field. In general, the apartments are co-ed, but every effort will be made to provide single sex accommodation if there is sufficient demand. During the summer months, there may be some residents who stay for shorter periods of time who are not associated with a university program.
Working in Dublin what is it like?
For your students part of the thrill of an internship abroad will be discovering the cultural differences between themselves and their co-workers relate to each other. They will hopefully return with new perspectives and new ideas about how to negotiate in cross-cultural situations. While there are many similarities between the Irish and Americans, there are, however, a few key things they should be aware of about the Irish when it comes to the workplace in Dublin:
How far can students expect to commute?
Shanowen Square is located approximately 3 miles from Dublin city centre, across from the campus of Dublin City University in the Glasnevin/Santry neighborhood. Although Dublin is a small city, it has terrible traffic and a public transportation system that is still trying to catch up to massive population growth. Shanowen Square is well served by public transportation with a number of buses running frequently to the city center, as well as connection services to the DAR commuter train service. Although it is a 15 minute bus ride to the city center, during rush hour it is not unusual for a commute to take at least an hour each way. A taxi costs approximately 13 Euros.
