Week of April 4, 2022

Social Media News

• It is not a surprise that Putin has underestimated the power of social media in this TikTok war he inflicted on the world. He only sees solutions in banning access for his population and sending out his troll bot armies abroad.
• Yes, the pandemic accelerated the role of digital platforms in recruiting international students. This PIE News article shares some eye popping numbers of monthly visitors to these sites, but does that always equal quality?
• Are you searching for ways to improve your conversion throughout the enrollment funnel? If so, check out this Net Natives download to pick up some helpful tips.
• Kudos to the folks at ICEF for putting together this best-practices piece for institutions that still should be using virtual open houses and tours to connect with international audiences.?

International Education News

Big Picture Issues

• One of the bell-weathers of app numbers overall has been the Common App . The good news for intl admissions offices in the US: Intl apps are up 20% YOY, with top 5 countries: China, India, Canada, Pakistan, Nigeria.
• Spare a thought (and if you’re on-campus, some action) for your Russian and Ukrainian students enrolled at colleges outside their home countries: they are hurting on a number of levels.
• One of those high-traffic digital platforms, studyportals released a report showing interest in master’s studies is growing, but not toward the US: “The decline of international students to the US is not a temporary change but a trend. Canada makes it very easy to stay in Canada to work, and the US doesn’t.”
• How did your campus handle campus tours during Covid-19? What lessons did you learn? Have you changed anything or returned to business as usual for prospective student tours, whether online or in-person?
• Glad to see that something is in place, the EQPR (European Qualifications Passport for Refugees) to help those students and future employees displaced by the devastating war in Ukraine.

Solutions Central

• Need a comprehensive resource from a trusted source on world education? Check out this outstanding new guide from HESA examining institutions, students, and funding in 56 countries.
• When looking for solutions to the challenges we face in international education, I always look to organizations like Intead for a broad-ranging cross section of answers to the opportunities we seek.
• I know our field of intl ed has some amazingly talented female leaders, some of which have impacted my life in very positive ways. It’s a shame top institutions don’t see greater value yet in trusting their future to these amazing women.
• Very interesting article about potential opportunities for the US to expand connections with Central Asian countries reluctant to support Russia’s expansionist vision. Educational ties might be ripe for investment here.
• Despite its immigrant history, the US has a lot to learn when it comes to handling successful integration of immigrants into society, especially in areas of family reunification, political participation, and permanent residency.

On Campus Happenings/Test-Optional Debate

• Another likely visa mill university in California has had its business license pulled by the state regulatory agency. Hopefully, SEVP will follow suit and suspend its ability to enroll intl students. Accreditation struggles at the core of challenges.
• And another one’s gone, another one bites the dust. Southern Utah University will close its Confucius Institute and transition to another format that continues to promote Chinese language and culture.
• MIT becomes one of the first elite institutions to reinstate an SAT/ACT requirement for first-year applicants because “a requirement is more equitable and transparent than a test-optional policy.” Discuss.

Global Roundup

• Australia - Looks like Australia is undergoing similar “foreign interference” fears related to China as we’ve experienced in the US: “Chinese students “hoping to get a Western, liberal education in Australia” are “among the biggest victims of foreign interference.”
• Canada - Meanwhile, Canada has rebounded close to pre-pandemic international student numbers with increases from Europe and Latin America, while Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese number decrease.
• Canada - If you’re looking for a “Why Canada?” piece that explains how well our neighbors to the north have done coming out of the pandemic with regards to international student interest check out this CIC News piece.
• Canada - Is the Post-Graduate Work Permit in Canada a “set-up” for disaster as it is not renewable beyond 3 years, assuming students don’t get in the permanent residency stream? In that respect it is no-different than students on OPT not getting H1B sponsorship.
• China - This South China Morning Post article explains a recent survey of wealthy Chinese families still want a Western education for their children, but expect them to return home due to better opportunities in China. Is that a bad thing?
• China - Is this an overreaction on the part of the Australian government by revoking visas on entry of Chinese students who did not disclose mandatory military training student undergo at the beginning of uni studies?
• Russia - Putin’s war will have long-term consequences on intl education. One of those will be the ability of Russian students to prove English proficiency as all major testing companies have ceased testing there.
• Russia - Not sure how I feel about this one: Russian institutions are offering places to international students displaced from Ukraine due to the war.
• United Kingdom - If you’re curious (and you should be) to understand how our competitor nations admit students, check out this article on how UK unis unconditional and conditional unconditional offers work (Early Decision, Early Action anyone?).
• United Kingdom - This partnership between Pearson and UCAS for post-grad applicants to British institutions is very interesting. Could this be disruptive to IELTS relative hegemony for UK-bound English proficiency test takers?
• United Kingdom - The PIE Live 2022 event sounds like it was quite cathartic for intl ed peers to not only meet together but to have some impromptu group counseling on issues that now seem to dominate our profession.
• United Kingdom - Perhaps the hardest hit intl ed sector during the pandemic was the English language training , that simply doesn’t have strong online alternatives. In the UK after two down years, the Q4 numbers show signs of a rebound.

SMIE Consulting Midweek Roundup

If you’d like a more in-depth analysis of the main news stories each week, check out our Midweek Roundup international education live chat on Wednesday at 1pm ET on the SMIE Consulting Facebook page, YouTube channel, Twitter feed , and LinkedIn . A podcast version is available as well on all major podcast provider platforms.