The company announced its first two clients in the region would be the University of Adelaide in Australia and pathway provider, Bradford College.

Grok’s CEO, Kim Morrison, observed that North American and Irish institutions were also interested in getting a foothold in southeast Asia, which is already a region that many Australian and British counterparts have built up strong links with.

The region is the “next frontier” after the big markets of China and India, she observed.

“It’s not so much that it’s an alternative to China or India,” she told The PIE News. “But I do think southeast Asia will become sort of a mandatory element in the institutions’ recruitment agenda, in addition to China and India.”

“We’re able to offer not just dedicated representation, social media, but also access to country specific resources over time”

Morrison noted the region had a rich culture of transnational education too.

“Malaysia and Singapore are fascinating hubs for large scale TNE. And there is a really great talent pool, especially in KL, that’s especially expert on TNE.”

“This an opportunity for [our clients] to expand their scope and capability in that regard.”

“We’re able to offer them not just dedicated representation, social media, but also access to country specific resources over time,” Morrison added.

The company has worked with over 120 universities, colleges and governments over the last decade, and also works in international education markets in China, India, the US and Brazil.

At University of Adelaide, regional manager Jane Copeland commented, “We see this model as an effective way to pursue our objectives in relation to student recruitment, the strengthening of partnerships, and the promotion of the university in Malaysia.”