Strategies to mitigate the impact of global events in the International Education Sector

Paulo Coelho once said "education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world", but how do we mitigate the impacts when global events bring changes to the world and to the educational sector as we know it??

Events like political changes, visa policies, immigration laws, pandemics, diplomatic conflicts, economic crises or natural disasters can often lead to a sharp decline in international student enrollment. Such challenges can deter students for applying due to cuts in government funding and scholarships that support international students, travel restrictions, stringent application processes, reduced visa approvals or health concerns.?

While thinking about helping students but also understanding our sector's continuous and urgent role, we have come up with a list of strategies you can take to mitigate the impact of global events in the international educational sector.?

1. Institutions should always offer flexible learning options that combine online or/and in-person instruction to accommodate students during crises.
2. Implementing comprehensive health protocols to ensure the safety of on-campus students, including providing mental health services to support them during uncertain times.
3. Advocating for favorable visa policies and support from government bodies including analyzing how changes in visa policies (e.g., Brexit, US travel bans) affect student mobility.
4. Fostering collaboration between institutions globally to share resources and best practices, including discussing the economic, cultural, and academic benefits, travel restrictions, health concerns, and online learning limitations for host countries and institutions.
5. Creating funds to support students facing financial difficulties due to global events and securing funding to offer more scholarships and financial aid.
6. Explore how economic downturns in home countries affect students' ability to afford international education. Highlighting specific measures taken by universities to retain and support them.
7. Discuss the long-term changes in international student recruitment strategies post-pandemic.
8. Investing in robust online platforms and digital resources ensures continuity in education?
9. Guarantee your recruitment partners understand the challenges, changes and orientations in those global events using TrainHub to create and upload your training and keep track of your recruitment partners with our compliance tools.

Resilience and adaptability are fundamental characteristics for an educational worker in the face of global challenges and that's why we encourage our partner institutions and recruitment partners to implement the suggested strategies to ensure the sustainability of international student recruitment.

To? book a demo or discuss how TrainHub can help your institution or agency in the face of challenges fill out our contact form.?