Dr. Attracta Halpin:

I will address one of the points made about the NUI adopting an arm's length approach to the situation in Bahrain. That is far from being the case. We have had direct contact with Bahrain since 2006. Our external examiners have visited the country annually; they have visited the hospital and reported back to us. I have also visited Bahrain annually since about 2006. Therefore, we have plenty of direct evidence. Nobody is trying to pretend that Bahrain is an ideal society or that its human rights record is enviable. I go back to a basic principle that underpins much of the NUI's policy on international engagement dating back to Thomas Davis - "educate that you may be free". Education is a very powerful weapon in improving matters abroad. To refer back to the numbers in Bahrain, we have graduated over 600 students, about half of whom are doctors and half of whom are nurses. Some are postgraduates. I understand a high proportion of the nursing graduates are from the Shia community and would be first-generation graduates. They have been given tremendous life opportunities through their studies in RCSI Bahrain.

We list seven criteria for the accreditation of programmes. There are general criteria that apply across the board and relate to learning outcomes, curricula, student support, resources, assessment procedures and professional requirements. In the particular case of transnational engagement, we also make reference to human rights issues. We would withdraw accreditation if we were to receive evidence from those whom we appoint to monitor our standards that standards were not being met. Our external examiners have been visiting Bahrain every year and the reports have universally been positive. Therefore, we can stand over the education provided there.