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UK HE agent management needs reform, lacks transparency

A charge of naivety has been levelled against some UK institutions dealing with education agents. A recent study of UK HEI agent policy clarifies a need for improved self-regulation in university-agent management, to avoid imposed government regulation, reduce chances of agent fraud, financial loss and reputational damage, the report’s authors claim.

Vincenzo Raimo, pro-vice-chancellor for global engagement at the University of Reading and Iona Yuelu Huang, senior lecturer at Harper Adams University present their study at the HE and FE Show in London.

“In the financial sector it’s nice and transparent, so why isn’t that good for education?"

The report, undertaken with support from the British Council, was written by Vincenzo Raimo, pro-vice-chancellor for global engagement at the University of Reading, Christine Humfrey, special professor in international education at the University of Nottingham and Iona Yuelu Huang, senior lecturer at Harper Adams University.

Having interviewed 57 staff from international offices in 20 UK HEIs, analysts found extensive inconsistencies across recruitment processes, training of staff, financial agreements, supervision of agents and agent incentivisation.

“The notion that ‘gentleman’s agreements’ absolve you from responsibilities and legal consequences is just a nonsense”

“I’m genuinely shocked about how naïve some of our approaches to agency management are,” Raimo told The PIE News. “The notion that ‘gentleman’s agreements’ absolve you from responsibilities and legal consequences is just a nonsense.”

Raimo considers putting future and current students at the heart of all agent strategies as one of the most important recommendations yielded from the report, and this, he concludes, will inevitably lead to increased transparency.

“In the financial sector, it’s nice and transparent, so why isn’t that good for education? Most of us are afraid to tell our students that we pay agents for the work they do,” said Raimo.

“And instead of making students go underground, they’re more likely to demand a better service,” he added.

In fact the report acknowledges UK universities are estimated to spend in excess of £60m annually on agent commission costs without much support in the way of professional, legal or financial advice from the sector.

UK universities are estimated to spend in excess of £60m annually on agent commission costs

The British Council currently produces lists of agents that have undertaken approved training, and while Raimo believes that this is important, he believes this approach is not enough on its own, particularly as staff may change within an agency, and he therefore recommends a thorough process of continuous due diligence.

Diagram 8 from the report: Due diligence is a continuous process

Diagram 8 from the report: Due diligence is a continuous process

Raimo also warned that many universities do not consider the drivers of their agent use, whether income, diversity, or subject spread-related and he advises ensuring agents themselves understand these drivers so they can work accordingly.

Among its other recommendations, the report advises pro-active approaches to agency sourcing and to even consider tendering where appropriate.

Internally, universities are also advised to train international office staff on working with agents and to carry out audit processes annually to assess agent activity.

Referring to the London Statement which was formed in 2012 and consists of seven principles for education agents, Raimo noted that this shirks responsibility from HEIs and is too agent-focused.

“I would like to see increasing attention on how universities work with agents, rather than training that’s just for agents”

“Putting this all against the agents is not bad but is not right either. We also have to take responsibility and I would like to see increasing effort and attention on how universities work with agents, rather than training that’s just for agents,” he remarked.

Raimo, who commends the regulatory frameworks for agency use across Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, regards similar regulatory framework as not entirely necessary for the UK, rather an overhaul of agency management as the appropriate way forward.

Raimo also warned that a “high-handed, arrogant approach” to handling agency relationships is likely to destroy the arrangement, reminding universities that the use of agents is a “two-way partnership.”

A further report on the power relationships between universities and agents is expected to be released by Raimo, Huang and Humfrey by the end of the month.

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