In 2010, American historian and former Harvard University President, Drew Faust, said: “As the world oscillates between openness and insularity, many worry that we are entering a more inward-looking period, when states begin to resurrect old boundaries, and national concerns trump international aspirations.”
Although these words were spoken 14 years ago and we went on to see a boom in international education, after this past year it is easy to be drawn into these worries again. After all, a year is a long time in higher education.
During the past 12 months, we have faced several challenges including policy changes, student caps and an increasingly negative rhetoric about international education.
Despite this, I have never felt prouder to work in our sector. More than ever, our purpose is clear – we help people transform their lives. More than ever, there is a spirit of collaboration, unity and resilience as we band together to show how our communities are better places thanks to international students.
While we’re still at a crossroads for international recruitment, governments are broadly supportive of international students and acknowledge the rich and valuable contributions they make communities around the world.
At the same time, governments want the sector to be responsible with their international student growth plans. They expect us to step forward with strategies that are both sustainable and compliant.
I have never felt prouder to work in our sector
Simon Emmett, IDP UK
The reality is that our sector wants this too. Many universities have struggled with the boom/bust cycles in leading study destinations. These cycles often leave university planning teams scratching their heads regarding how to predict academic cycles, accommodation provision and student support. When there’s a boom, pressure on ancillary services in communities can often come under undue and unplanned pressure, which can lead to negative perceptions towards international students from the public.
We’ve learnt that when the public perceive there to be a problem, the government quickly comes under pressure to act. This is ultimately what leads to decisions like those in Australia and Canada where international student recruitment numbers were capped (albeit in Australia, the Bill to enact these caps did not pass Senate).
What we have seen this year, more than ever, is the power of partnerships to tackle some of the big issues around perceptions – and not just those of the public.
In the UK, IDP worked with Universities UK to bring evidence to the government as part of the MAC review to safeguard the future of the graduate route. Stateside, IDP has joined forces with AIRC, IIE, NACAC and NAFSA to develop a survey on a national strategy of US International Education.
While in Canada, IDP is spearheading a national brand Canada video campaign, as well as a sector survey to provide a voice to industry colleagues at a pivotal time.
In Australia, IDP partnered with the international education’s peak body to bring more than 1,900 industry experts together for the Australian International Education Conference. In a year where the Australian sector was dealt major blows, AIEC provided a much-needed forum for the industry to connect, regroup and make a plan to move forward.
These partnerships continue to be critical to the overall health of the sector and will remain critical as we look to how we commit to the principles of sustainable and compliant growth.
How might this look in practice for IDP, as we move into 2025?
- Recruit with compliance and transparency
- We will ensure that the advice prospective students receive is informed and accurate, and that there is a clear line of sight to who is providing that advice.
- We will continue to ensure that commercial agreements do not influence student or counsellor choice. Our service model is proudly centred on providing impartial, trusted advice to our students.
- We will guarantee that all students details are verified, including their ability to speak English (via a high stakes test). Our goal is not only for students to be successful and ready for study – but also to ensure they are ready to fit in with their peers and the academic staff at the institution they enrol in. Recent IELTS research found that confidence in English boosts social engagement, reducing isolation and improving mental health among international students.
- We commit to understanding students’ intentions and warn them about potential risks. For example, at IDP pre-departure sessions, we will alert them about unethical operators who might encourage them to switch to work visas or change providers.
- All partners – public and private – must work together to deliver outstanding student experience and outcomes
- This is subject to the advice students receive and expectations they have – we will work with our partners to ensure that student expectations are set appropriately and delivered on.
- It includes the course or research experience, but also broader student experience, accommodation, support with part-time work and then post-study opportunities.
- We should all actively listen to students – we can use their insights to drive best practice and use data to spot patterns and areas for improvement.
- Promoting a quality experience and great outcomes
- By ensuring students are matched with the right programmes, and they are having an outstanding student experience, we can promote this to prospective students with clarity and confidence
- We will continue to promote the great work our clients do to support students after graduation.
- IDP will continue to step forward with key partners and governments including NAFSA, CBIE, UUKi, Education NZ, Education Ireland, IEAA, Austrade and the British Council.
A year might be a long time in education, but a year of international study can change the future of the many students who use IDP to fulfil their study dreams.
At IDP, we take our role helping students make their right decision to set them on a path for success seriously. We’re committed to ensuring those decisions are embedded in responsible practice and driven by the right motivations, with the right focus on quality outcomes. We’ll do this best in partnership with the sector and the governments, whose support we want to protect (and grow) by showing we are listening and responding to their concerns.
