Publisher Times Higher Education has signed a series of partnerships signalling an expansion into the study abroad sector as it strives to support prospective international students in their global study options.
The higher education data specialist and publisher has announced agreements with international education agency SI-UK and student accommodation marketplace Casita in the last few months, as it boosts content directed towards students on its site, beyond its traditional academic readership.
“This partnership will surely be a significant catalyst for THE’s new venture into the student market”
THE has also partnered with online platform Libereka (now known as MasterAS) in a bid to support international students’ journey into higher education via on-demand video guides and micro-courses, as well as tools including its Student Recruitment Marketplace and its initiative providing scholarships on the Blockchain.
The compiler of THE World University Rankings has also said it would also invest “in an exciting new comprehensive student proposition, including a redesigned website and content series that will appeal to students at every step of their pre-study journey”, as it advertised an international student content curator role.
In May, THE agreed to work with SI-UK to provide free placement and consultation services, information and support to students looking to study in the UK.
Combined THE and SI-UK resources will provide “unparalleled guidance” to tens of millions of prospective and existing international students, the partners said.
Similarly, the partnership with accommodation platform Casita – providing over 750,000 rooms in 27 countries – seeks to offer students and university staff “reliable and first-class” guidance at a time when the global pandemic has created market volatility.
“This partnership will surely be a significant catalyst for THE’s new venture into the student market,” said THE CEO, Paul Howarth.
“Finding the right living environment during studies – particularly as an overseas student – cannot be understated in terms of the student’s overall success in their degree,” he suggested.
“With THE’s global reach of university search and rankings, and Casita’s online distribution of high-quality purpose-built accommodation, THE Casita partnership has unlimited potential,” Casita’s chief marketing officer Leigh Pulford added.
THE’s move into student advising comes at a time of almost unprecedented competition in the international student landscape.
Adventus is a AUS$12 million-backed student recruitment platform which has launched globally in the last few months.
ApplyBoard is another well known platform serving global agents to improve their access to a network of university partners, and therefore student counselling operations – it appointed former UK Universities minister, Jo Johnson, as chairman of its advisory board.
Just this month, MSM Unify was unveiled as a new edtech product from M Square Media.
