Recently the Sinorbis team attended the 2016 International Student Recruitment and Marketing Conference. The conference attracted experts and thought leaders from major universities and educational institutes from around Australia. Over the course of the event, the speakers presented research into:
- What international students want;
- What Australia can provide for them;
- And how we can attract them in a very competitive market.
For those looking to gain insights into the booming Chinese student recruitment area, we heard some really pertinent discussion. Below we look at some of the key takeaways from the event and how educational faculties can best harness them to understand Australia’s biggest international student population.
1. Australia is a growth market … but not for the reasons you think
One of the more interesting points that came out of the conference was the forecast growth for international recruitment to Australia will exceed the current growth rate. In his presentation, The future of international markets for Australia, Professor Alex Frino, from the University of Wollongong, predicts that if the projected growth rate continues on its current trajectory then ‘within 11 years there could be half a million overseas students studying on Australian shores. That’s 2% of Australia’s population.’
He attributes this to several key reasons. Firstly, the Australian dollar is weak when compared to the Euro and the American dollar; given that higher education is an investment that spans over several years, finance is an important consideration for prospective students and their parents.
The other, more surprising reason is that the results of Brexit and the recent US election may have the potential to affect enrolment numbers to universities in the UK and the US (Australia’s strongest competition). The Independent cited a recent study undertaken by student consultant company Hobsons. They discovered that ‘thirty per cent said they were not likely to come to the UK, while six per cent said they would definitely not choose Britain as a study destination as a result of the EU referendum.’
After Trump’s election the Washington Post noted that international students expressed fears arising from ‘the xenophobic rhetoric and nativist policies heralded by [the] President-elect.’ There were also concerns that it would be harder for US companies to employ foreign candidates, meaning prospective students could be limiting their options by studying there.
Professor Frino acknowledged that these factors present Australia with an enormous opportunity to attract international students, particularly for the largest international market — China.
2. Creating a meaningful university experiences for international students
However, even though we are seeing record numbers of enrolment, discernment is vital for a university's long-term plan. Ensuring that international students can integrate easily into Australian university life, as well as mix and socialise with other international and domestic students is a key component of a memorable study abroad experience and a strong university brand.
Martin Lock, Manager of International Student Engagement at TAFE Queensland gave a presentation titled Creating Cultural Diversity by moving away from traditional marketing strategy, where he discussed how the overrepresentation of a dominant culture can impact the perception of ‘the Australian Experience.’ To make sure all international students are having a rich experience, he suggests the following steps:
1) Establish your strategy
This involves identifying your cohort mix and establishing whether they work cohesively. If not, you need to consider creating a plan for change.
2) Determine how these students engage with your institutional community
Are groups sticking to their own cultures in classes and tutorials? Are they speaking in their own language? Do they attend faculty and institutional functions? These questions give you a good sense of whether their engagement is good as it could be.
3) Listen to what students are saying and what they want
Profiling them and their peers builds a better understanding of their motivation and can only improve your sales and recruitment.
This strategy didn’t just improve TAFE Queensland’s enrolment numbers, but it also encouraged interaction, diversity and cohesion among the existing students as well as benefitting the institution in the long-term.
For universities looking to attract international students and build a successful brand overseas, this means that they need to adopt a holistic approach to managing, guiding and responding to the student experience from the very first interaction and the recruitment process all the way through to graduation. This observation in the education sector is aligned with a wider trend in marketing and business that has seen an increased focus on providing a seamless and pleasant customer experience at all interaction points.
3. Building long term partnerships and leveraging the power of influencers
If you want to boost student recruitment, you must look at ways you can create long term partnerships. This doesn’t just extend to partner universities, but also local councils, appropriate businesses and tourism boards. For example, The University of Tasmania (UTAS) highlighted their partnership with internationally renowned museum MONA to create university events and to engage students with artists and the local community in their talk about ‘Experiential Marketing to Build Affiliation and Awareness.’
While not mentioned at the conference, UTAS have demonstrated how well-known influencers can also aid international recruitment when Chinese President Xi Jinping paid the university a visit during the G20 Summit. On the surface, a trip to Tasmania seemed like an unlikely choice. However, it turned out that Tasmania has a very strong, decades-old partnership with Fujian Province (the province of which President Xi was a one-time governor). The president’s visit gave the university exposure to millions of Chinese viewers watching the tour at home. In turn, this has driven Chinese interest in the university, allowing them to possibly double their Chinese student enrolments by 2018.
Long term partnerships can help Australian tertiary education to understand and connect with international markets. Over time, these partnerships and ongoing relationships with key influencers can establish a fruitful avenue for international student recruitment.
Conference takeaways
The above points were by no means the only takeaways to come out of the conference, but we felt these were the ones that best encompassed the themes of the event. If you would like to know more about broadening your reach and marketing in China, you should download our free whitepaper, The Learning Dragon today.
