Northern Ireland has a long tradition of sending students to United World Colleges, with a growing alumni base across the world.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Northern Irish students regularly took up places at UWC Atlantic College, Wales, and UWC Pearson College, Canada.

The National Committee was re-founded in 2017 after a prolonged hiatus. It is our key goal to ensure that Northern Irish young people are offered the chance to attend UWC, and to represent Northern Ireland during their time there.

Since 2018, UWC Northern Ireland has sent students to UWC Atlantic in Wales (2018, 2020, 2021), UWC Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2018, 2019), UWC Mahindra in India (2018), UWC-ISAK Japan (2019), UWC Robert Bosch in Germany (2020, 2021), UWC Thailand (2020), UWC USA (2019, 2020). Our most current scholar will graduate from UWC East Africa (Tanzania) in 2024.

No selections were held in 2023 and 2024. However, we are pleased to announce that a selection process will be open in late 2024 for entry in August 2025 for students resident in Northern Ireland, who have attended secondary school in Northern Ireland for the past 3 years and who were born after 30 June 2007 and will be under 18 years of age on 30 June 2025.

We believe that the unique history, political status, and social make-up of Northern Ireland makes the UWC experience especially pertinent to our young people. After all, UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.