BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
STUDENT RECRUITMENT
“There is likely to be a wider market for shorter, non-degree courses” there seems to have been a lot more demand for flights to the UK. Hopefully, this is the last time we will need to get involved with chartering flights for students. More airlines seem to be planning to restart flights to and from China from around March 2023 so we are optimistic for next autumn. Do you think universities and business schools should do more to assist international students with relocation and integration for the duration of their studies and beyond? And, if so, why? Students do seem to like the idea of travelling together, so perhaps as a longer-term initiative, institutions could help connect those who are travelling from the same country for the same intake who may wish to co-ordinate their travel arrangements. Several universities already hold pre-departure activities in China and these seem to be appreciated by students. Advances in the use of technology during the pandemic have removed barriers for international students who were unable to travel to attend programmes but could participate online. How can universities and business schools factor this into their plans for international school recruitment? Although short-term exceptions have been made during the pandemic, it is likely that once it is over, the Chinese authorities will stop recognising foreign degrees that have been obtained through online or distance-learning courses (as was the case before Covid. Therefore, [online education from overseas] will most likely go back to being a fairly niche offering at degree level. However, there is likely to be a wider market for shorter, non-degree courses that don’t need local validation in China. This might be an area business schools could look at for China. They could perhaps focus on pre-sessional courses that could be completed online prior to arrival for the main degree programme. Universities and business schools can meet the demand created by this increasing appetite for online learning by investing in facilitating access to this market through improving online provision and creating more pathways from online to face-to-face learning. This might allow students with limited finances to obtain a high-value qualification, as well as some experience of being overseas at a significantly lower cost to studying entirely face to face. Recent research from INTO suggests that international student numbers are increasing once more. Do you think they can reach pre-pandemic levels? Although it varies by country, with some markets bouncing back quicker than others, we are hopeful that overall things will be back to pre-pandemic levels by 2024 and we predict growth beyond that.
How, in your opinion, have the motivations of those looking to study abroad changed over the past three years (in light of the pandemic’s restrictions on travel)? I don’t think the main overall motivations for Chinese students studying abroad have changed significantly since before the pandemic. However, there are longer-term trends to be aware of, such as the amount of local provision available in-country, as well as the demographic changes we will see in the years to come as different cohorts finish high school and start looking at higher education. We also see students making different choices about where to study, with the UK and Asia (particularly places such as Hong Kong) being in high demand as overseas study destinations at the moment. Covid-19, and geopolitical dynamics between China and the West more widely, have also played a role behind the trend towards considering Asian destinations. In your opinion, is it important to look at trends in international student motivations at a regional, or even country level, rather than globally? I’m mostly familiar with the mainland China market, but I know from my colleagues at INTO around the world that the things students look for vary a lot between countries with different factors such as rankings, affordability and job prospects being of varying significance in different markets. Aside from chartered flights, what other services might facilitate international student recruitment in the next three years? We have been involved in a number of special one-off initiatives during the pandemic, such as running online courses and opening campus centres in China, in addition to the chartered flights, but hopefully this will not be required again. It’s hard to predict what the future holds right now, but the main factor is likely to be offering courses that students want to study, at institutions they want to study at, and having an efficient marketing, recruitment and admissions process so students can find out about these courses, apply, get accepted and enrol. Improving the relevance of education-to-employment opportunities is another key theme at the moment. Those institutions that can evidence improved outcomes in the employment market can lay claim to having certain USPs. In turn, these will speak strongly to students who have made their overseas study programme a top priority.
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Sam Clews is operations director for China at INTO University Partnerships (INTO). Originally from the UK, he has been working at INTO’s Shanghai office for more than 14 years recruiting students for the UK, US and, more recently, Australia
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