Brief descpription: Due to increasing global and local competition and changing geopolitical concerns, recruiting international students is becoming more and more complicated. In this session we will focus on the trends in the target group, the shift to generation Z and how to map out the student journey from start to finish. Based on the implications of these issues, recommendations will be offered regarding how to optimise online marketing campaigns and measure return on investment.

Objectives/ learning outcome: Participants will leave the workshop with an understanding of the changes that are occurring in the target group, the student personas and how to rethink online and offline student recruitment campaigns.

Target audience: Managers and officers working in international student recruitment, seeking to further their knowledge of strategic online marketing and optimization.

Trainers: Carmen Neghina and Levent Gaşgil

Bio: Carmen Neghina holds a PhD in Services Marketing and has been working in international higher education and research for 9 years. Carmen in experienced in understanding international student mobility patterns, the shifting global marketplace of international education and regularly conducts research on various topics related to international students such as motivation to study abroad, generational shifts or university marketing benchmarks. She is currently the Thought Leadership Manager at Studyportals and regularly presents at conferences such as EAIE, Going Global, NAFSA, IHEF.

Bio: Levent Gaşgil holds a Master’s degree in Educationcal Sciences and has been working in consultancy and research for 10+ years. Levent is experienced in international student recruitment processes and optimisation, having worked as the Deputy Director and then Director of the International Office of Yaşar University between 2012 and 2016. Levent is currently working at Studyportals on the implementation and management of online student recruitment campaigns for international universities in Türkiye and a range of other countries.

Brief descpription: International students who connect with local students and faculty are more likely to feel a sense of security and belonging and more likely to achieve academic success and personal growth. In the case of the UK, more restrictive visa rules and Brexit are making overseas students feel less welcome and it is now even more crucial for institutions to help them settle in. Bringing together home and international students, raising awareness among domestic students of different cultural needs, and providing pre-arrival information for international students are just a few examples of how the challenges of successful integration can be met to enhance the experience for all students. This workshop will first look at contexts, practices and trends in international student engagement and then shift to institutional-level discussions. Participants will share experiences from their own institutions with others. The workshop will cover how successful international student integration can be measured and evaluated through various student feedback tools.

Objectives/ learning outcome: Participants will gain new ideas and inspiration on how to engage their international students on both academic and social levels and how to motivate their domestic student population to interact with them.

Target audience: International Office staff, Vice-Rectors, managers and academic faculty at higher education institutions and everyone who is interested in student engagement and enhancing the (international) student experience.

Facilitators: Dr William Lawton and Saskia Jensen

Bio: Bill’s interests are in transnational education, mobility, digital learning and government policy. Recent projects for the British Council, European Parliament and others have included quality assessment, mobility, TNE in Southeast Asia and HE policy in Pakistan. Bill was Director of the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education from 2011-14 and a founding member of Universities UK International Unit. He was a political analyst and Head of Academic Relations at the Canadian High Commission in London. In the 1990s he taught politics at the University of Hull. He is co-editor of Exporting Transnational Education: Institutional Practice, Policy and National Goals (Palgrave 2018).

Bio: Saskia Jensen is Market Intelligence Manager at Goldsmiths, University of London and responsible for the development and implementation of market research plans and the coordination of student feedback surveys. Prior to her role at Goldsmiths, Saskia was a Senior Researcher at i-graduate and a regular contributor to the work of the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and a Master’s degree in International Migration and Intercultural Studies. Her current research explores migration patterns and trajectories in higher education, mainly focussing on China and the UK.

Brief descpription: This practical and outcome focused workshop will focus on Higher Education teaching partnerships and it aims to bring attendees up-to-date with the context, future trends and most successful TNE models and strategies.
The workshop will cover:
TNE strategies, context, emerging trends
Why TNE? Step by step guide to TNE partnership development including initiation, partnership selection criteria, development and sustainability A Case Study

Objectives/ learning outcome: Participants will leave the workshop with an up-to-date understanding of TNE trends, impact of TNE on institutional global engagement strategy and how to select and develop sustainable TNE partnerships. The workshop will create a great platform for you to interact and discuss do’s and don’ts of TNE and learn from experienced and knowledgeable speakers and each other.

Target audience: Senior leaders of universities, managers and officers of international office seeking to further their knowledge of TNE from leaders and the practitioners’ viewpoint.

Trainers: Sirin Myles (SMyles Consultancy and Coaching) and Olgun ÇİÇEK (YODAK)

Bio: Sirin MYLES is CEO of SMyles Consultancy and Coaching, providing specialist independent solutions to client institutions. Sirin is a highly experienced International Leader, Leadership Coach and specialist in Higher Education.

Sirin designed, delivered and chaired British Universities Liaison Association’s Transnational Partnerships Workshops for four consecutive years. Sirin was previously Director of International Office, University of Reading; Regional Director for East and South East Asia, University of Southampton and Director of Education Marketing Services, British Council Turkey.

Bio: Prof. Olgun ÇİÇEK has completed his BSc at Uludağ University, Türkiye, MSc at Surrey University in the U.K, and his PhD at Dokuz Eylul University in Türkiye in 1998. Since 1992, he has been continuing his academic career both as an administrator and faculty member in Business, Management and Tourism fields at different universities namely in Türkiye, Singapore, UK, Switzerland, Dubai and North Cyprus for the last 25 years.

Currently he is an Executive Board Member of the Higher Education Council in North Cyprus, YODAK.