Conversation Insights
Discover the critical issues affecting international education NOW.
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Midway Reflections: The Rollercoaster of International Student Recruitment
As we reach the halfway point of the recruitment cycle, it’s clear that the journey has been anything but straightforward. From navigating shifting government policies and visa changes to managing diverse regional market trends and increasing competition, international student recruitment continues to challenge even the most experienced leaders. Are these changes and emerging trends the new norm for student recruitment?
Read expert speakers’ reflections about adapting strategies and building resilience in a dynamic international student recruitment space.
Expert speakers:
- Rachel Sandison, OBE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement), University of Glasgow
- Andrew Bird, Chief Marketing Officer/PVC, Southampton Solent University and Chair of the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA)
Using data to inform international student recruitment campaigns
This IC Global Café is a critical session for anyone involved in international student recruitment and international marketing.
The Café explores the different types and sources of data that can be used to design and inform international student recruitment campaigns, including internal and external sources, quantitative and qualitative data. The speakers share their experience of using data to make campaign decisions, monitor campaigns and evaluate the success of all campaign initiatives.
Expert speakers:
- Angelina Bingley, Director of UCAS Media
- Inés Teresa-Palacio, Founder and Director, Via Pinnedda and an IC Global Fellow
How to boost international student employability and the benefits to recruitment
In this IC Global Café, we highlight the major changes in the international student recruitment environment, in terms of post-study work and challenges to critical income streams for UK universities; sharing data that highlights the importance of international student employability in offer holder decision making; and discussing ways in which institutions can boost international student employability, including best practice case studies.
Our expert speakers:
- Professor Abigail Gregory MBE, Director of Academic Strategy at Pagoda Projects, an HE Consultant and an IC Global Fellow, and Executive Coach and Mentor (including for The IC Global).
- Andrew Wright, Associate Director (Employer Engagement & Work-based Learning) at King’s College London and Chair of AGCAS Employer Engagement Task Group.
- Noeleen Hammond Jones, Deputy Head of LUMS Careers (Work Related Learning) at Lancaster University Management School
Building (and measuring) your institution’s reputation in key markets
At this IC Café we outline a brand and communications roadmap to raising your institution’s profile and managing its reputation within your key international markets. This will involve leveraging academic, economic, diplomatic and alumni connections and targeting a blend of channels and techniques to deliver tangible impact and success.
Expert speaker:
Michael Lavery, an award-winning international strategic brand and marcomms consultant; Founder and CEO of Brand & Reputation; and an IC Global Fellow.
Michael has worked in higher education marcomms leadership for two decades, and has led reputation and market positioning strategy work for education institutions in Europe, the US, China and South Africa in the last few years. He is a former adviser to the House of Lords on the brand of UK higher education around the world, a CASE Laureate, and The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)’s Global Marketing Excellence Awards Agency of the Year for 2023-24 (for Brand & Reputation).
Michael’s experience and knowledge will be relevant to anyone working in marketing, recruitment, branding, communications and international roles. Join us for this IC Café, open to institutional Heads and Directors and colleagues, and invite your colleagues too.
EAIE Barometer: Capturing the pulse of internationalisation of European higher education
At this IC Global Café our speakers explore the key findings of the EAIE Barometer, which is now in its third edition and captures the pulse of the internationalisation of European higher education as it is today. The report provides detailed insight into current issues in the sector, through respondents’ perceptions in key areas such as their professional roles in international higher education, the institution’s or organisation’s structure and strategy for internationalisation budgets and more.
Our speakers share the main takeaways from the barometer with The IC Community. These include:
- The clear commitment in the face of change
- A move toward more shared responsibility for internationalisation
- The real pressure is felt to deliver impact in relation to internationalisation
This is an invaluable session if you have an interest in the internationalisation of the European higher education sector. Also do invite your colleagues to benefit from the latest finding of the EAIE Barometer which sheds a light on the health and vitality of this sector amidst significant challenges and opportunities.
Expert speakers:
- Laura Rumbley, Director Knowledge Development and Research
- Jody Hoekstra-Selten, Knowledge Development Officer, both at European Association for International Education (EAIE).
Peak performance through coaching: mastering work-life balance for optimal results
We understand the challenging international education climate that you are currently operating in and the feelings you may have of being overwhelmed by the amount of work, meetings and ever-increasing targets for international student recruitment.
- “How can I meet my student recruitment targets?”
- “There is not enough time to undertake all the tasks within my role. I feel overwhelmed and unable to meet my work-related goals.”
- “I’m feeling stressed.”
- “I want to have a better work/ life balance whilst achieving the very best in my role.”
Does the above sound familiar? If you have thought or said one or more of the above sentences, this IC Café is for you.
At this IC Global Café our expert speakers, take you through some easy and practical steps to help you to manage your stress levels, achieve a better balance in your day-to-day work and achieve wanted outcomes whilst also looking after yourself. Learn some practical tips to help you and enjoy some short breathing and stretching exercises that you could incorporate into your daily routine to also help you.
Expert speakers:
- Professor Abigail Gregory MBE (Executive Coach and Mentor)
- Sirin Myles (Executive and Transitional Coach and Mentor)
The role of international marketing in student recruitment: perspectives from the US, Europe and the UK
‘The role of international marketing in student recruitment: perspectives from the US, Europe, and the UK’ IC Global Café delves into the strategies and practices employed by higher educational institutions in these regions to develop their global brands in order to enhance global engagement and attract diverse students from around the world.
Our expert speakers share best practices and reflections on strategic marketing, developing global brands for higher education institutions and international marketing to support student recruitment. They also look at examples from outside the education sector. Expert speakers are:
- Alonda Thomas, Chief Communications Officer and Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Jackson State University
- Inés Teresa-Palacio, IC Global Fellow
Regional Insights: Connecting with China now and for the future
- How do UK universities build secure and trusted research partnerships in China?
- What are the key updates for institutions to learn about in the China market?
- How can your institution balance student recruitment and partnership diversification?
In this IC Café, our expert speakers discuss the current recruitment and partnership landscape, emerging trends, building trusted research partners, engaging with partners, market diversification, transnational education and more – all in the context of China.
If China is one of your strategic markets, is a market you are wanting to continue building, or you are responsible for managing China or South East Asia, this IC Café insights are for you.
Our guest speakers for this Café are:
- Leina Shi, Director Education, British Council China.
- Dr Alexis Brown, Head of Global Education Insights, British Council.
Enhancing International Student Recruitment: Reflect, Collaborate and Act
At various points in the international student recruitment cycle, it is often wise to pause and reassess our strategy and direction.
- What has changed in the external environment?
- Are there any new challenges emerging?
- Are our peers and colleagues grappling with similar issues?
At this IC Café, our speakers, working in similar roles to your own, share their predictions and observations of the current academic year impacting on international student recruitment and partnerships, including Government policy changes, new initiatives and best practice.
The speakers are:
- Catriona McCarthy, Director for Global Engagement at Ulster University and Chair of BUILA
- Francis Glover, Deputy Director – International at De Montfort University
Defining and projecting a distinctive international narrative for your university
At this IC Café we explore how universities around the world are creating innovative ways of defining and presenting their standout strengths and messages, especially when it comes to capturing a unifying purpose and a sense of distinctive global mission and impact.
In particular, we present several interesting examples of global narratives and international brand-building approaches, including one award-winning global brand proposition and campaign (drawn from Monash University).
We also address methods for measuring and monitoring the impact of international brand and reputation resonance – and highlight The IC Global’s own International Influencer Index as a distinctive approach.
Benefit from the expertise and experience of our speakers:
- Caroline Knowles, Director, Global Marketing Monash University.
- Justin Shaw, Chief Higher Education Consultant, Communications Management & and IC Global Fellow.
PVC-I’s Voices: What’s the plan for the new academic year?
This Café focuses on UK institutions’ approaches to internationalisation for the 2023-2024 academic year, predictions for the year ahead and observations on key international education issues from the perspective of senior leaders at UK universities. Our expert speakers are:
- Rachel Sandison, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, External Engagement, University of Glasgow;
- Ben Matthews, Associate Director of Global Engagement at Lancaster University;
- Professor Antonius Raghubansie, Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Keele University.
Has the Foundation market peaked?
With the growth of students studying Foundation Programmes with private providers and the decline of student numbers at in-house programmes:
- What are the future trends for Foundation Programmes?
- How has the foundation market and those that provide them evolved?
- What are best practice models and structures for universities?
- How can international student recruiters best engage with this channel to support their recruitment targets?
This IC Global Café we focus on this key route to undergraduate studies from the different perspectives of our expert speakers.
- Professor Nina-Anne Lawrence, Director of Warwick Foundation Studies, Head of Department and Chair of the University Pathway Alliance (UPA) will share how the Alliance is responding to market changes that have affected international student recruitment to the UK, the innovations introduced to programmes and whether foundation programmes are still valuable for international students.
- Dr Anthony Manning, Director & Dean of Global & Lifelong Learning at the University of Kent and an IC Global Fellow will share insights into the overall Foundation Programme market and observations as an in-house provider at the University of Kent.
If you work in the Foundation Programme market or manage this within your portfolio, don’t miss this insights.
Regional Insights into Sub-Saharan Africa
With the rise of internationally mobile students from Sub-Saharan Africa, foreign exchange and currency instability and the recent UK Government’s decision of international students studying taught master’s courses in the UK not being able to bring dependents, what are the implications of this on international student recruitment and the region?
The imminent launch of the first ever ranking of universities in Sub-Saharan Africa by Times Higher Education (THE) also puts a spotlight on this region. What partnership opportunities are available to institutions? What role does policy play when building collaborations with institutions and increasing international student recruitment? What’s the local context and pulse on the ground?
At this IC Global Café we are delighted to be joined by expert speakers from Sub-Saharan Africa:
- Meekness Lunga Ayidu, Senior Regional Programme Manager: Higher Education (Sub-Saharan Africa), British Council
- Kaozara Oyalowo, Policy Officer (Africa and the Middle East), UUKi
- Stuart Rennie, Managing Director, SJRennie Consulting and Managing Director, AfaraEd and The IC Global Fellow
Recruitment channels and pathways to UG study in the UK
At this IC Café our expert speakers share trends in recruitment channels, pathways and applications for international students studying in the UK, the role of agent aggregators and private pathway providers, and make recommendations to help the UK to strengthen its position as the second most popular study destination for international students in the world.
Our expert speakers:
- John Mcnamara, Global Head of Research, Education Insight Hubs at The British Council
- Jacqui Jenkins, Global Programme Lead-International Student Mobility at The British Council
- Sirin Myles, Co-Founder and Director, The IC Global Partnership
- Chris Kirk, Director of UCAS International
- James Pitman, Managing Director UK and Europe, Study Group
A conversation and discussion with Jamie Arrowsmith
Jamie Arrowsmith, Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) joined The IC Café to discuss UUKi’s recent work on international students, including the economic impact, #weareinternational and recent Government policy changes. Attendees, had the opportunity to discuss pre-arranged topics with peers and colleagues in breakout rooms. Please note that the session was specifically focused on the UK.
In conversation with Professor Sir Steve Smith on global engagement in Higher Education
At this IC Café Professor Sir Steve Smith talks about the changing nature of international recruitment patterns and the evolving relationships between aggregators, agents and universities, and answers The IC Communy questions.
Measuring Global Engagement, Reputation and Influence
At this IC Café on reputation management, our expert speakers, Alistair Jarvis, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Partnerships and Governance), University of London, and Justin Shaw, Chief Higher Education Consultant, Communications Management & and IC Global Fellow, focus on the following questions and many more: What influences reputation? How do and should universities measure reputation? What is the role of partnership and global engagement on institutional brand and reputation?
Are you clear on your next steps to enhance your University’s international reputation worldwide? The IC Global can help with the International Influencer Index
The power of coaching and mentoring in Higher Education Leadership for Internationalisation and Global Engagement
This IC Café in conversation with Professor Abigail Gregory, Sirin Myles and Charlene Allen on the topic of coaching and mentoring, is designed to help you in your personal and professional role to achieve the right work-life balance, support you in transitioning to a new role, help with difficult conversions, build confidence, build your individual professional brand and manage upwards.
How to identify, establish and manage successful externally funded scholarship programmes
Our expert speaker Melissa Abache, Director of the International Office at Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey and an IC Global Fellow gives advice on how to identify and engage with possible scholarship providers; looks into why and how sponsored student/scholarship programmes are beneficial for universities; and shares lessons learnt in establishing and managing externally funded or co-funded scholarship programmes in your institution for undergraduate or graduate programmes.
EU TNE and student mobility: what are the research and on the ground observations telling us?
Our expert speakers Helen Etheridge, Higher Education and Science Lead for the EU Region at the British Council and Maria Tsakali, Head Thessaloniki office at the British Council Greece discuss student mobility, TNE, EU student numbers, British Council’s activities in Europe, and the Greece market.
What's the value and future of TNE?
At this IC Café we discuss with our expert speakers, Eduardo Ramos, Director of International and Professional Services, QAA and Janet Ilieva, Founder and Director at Education Insight, the following themes:
- Will TNE continue to expand?
- What are the drivers and benefits of TNE at the student, institutional, local and national levels?
- What is the direction of travel for TNE partnerships?
- What is the regulatory environment for the provision of TNE?
- How can the risks in TNE be managed?
- How can TNE be appropriately quality assured?
Regional Insights: TNE through the lens of India and Pakistan
Our expert speakers Kholah Yuraq Malik, Global Higher Education Professional (previously Dean of Academics and Internationalisation, The Millennium Universal College (TMUC), Pakistan) and Meena Saxena, Director International Linkages, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), India explore transnational education (TNE) partnerships with the UK, India and Pakistan, consider national regulations, share best practice and discuss case studies.
Creating Sustainable and Successful Partnerships in Latin America
Our expert speakers, Simon Terrington and Jamie Ash of EdCo LATAM Consulting have extensive expertise in the LATAM region. We discuss with them how to build and sustain long term relationships with stakeholders – including agencies and universities, two important recruitment channels within Latin America – to successfully enrol more students to your institution.
Are you ready to influence?
Learn from our expert speaker, Justin Shaw, how universities tend to address and measure reputation (outside of rankings) and how the International Influencer Index can help universities better understand, measure and monitor their international reputations.
Reconnect with Europe: What is the future of European Student Recruitment
In this IC Global Café our guest speaker, Helen Etheridge, Lead for Higher Education and Science for the EU at the British Council provides insights and data on current trends, increased competition, EU agents, employability, TNE and much more.
The Impact of Geopolitical Issues on Internationalisation
Discover how to support each other, our students, staff and partners and learn recent best practice examples from our expert speaker, Charley Robinson, Head of Global Mobility Policy, Universities UK International.
The Value of Alumni for International Education
Our expert speaker, Mario L. Gallo, highlights the value of alumni: with, in, for and through international education. Learn about the importance of alumni as partners, ambassadors, promotors, mentors, innovators, leaders and more.