Canada’s Illume Student Advisory Services has signed a “significant partnership” with Australian investment fund Larsen Ventures International as it seeks to scale internationally. LVI is led by the co-founder of Navitas, Peter Larsen.

The Canadian marketing and recruitment company says the partnership with the education investment fund will allow sustainable and valuable growth across its services.

Its services range from targeted international student recruitment strategies and implementation to funnel management, marketing and agent relations.

“This is an important step in the evolution of Illume as a company,” said Mike Henniger, CEO and president of Illume.

“It allows us to scale our services and to continue to add value to our clients. Illume has seen significant growth over the past 18 months, and the investment by LVI provides us the resources to continue to grow while ensuring that we provide the best service to the institutions we serve.”

“It allows us to scale our services and to continue to add value to our clients”

With institutions “placing emphasis on student body diversity both in terms of nationality and fields of study”, the investment will focus on market expansion starting with the recent addition of business development managers in Bangladesh, Brazil, Nigeria, Philippines and Vietnam, Henniger added.

“The decision to invest in Illume developed organically,” said Peter Larsen, LVI executive chairman and co-founder of Navitas.

“We spent considerable time building a relationship with Mike and some of his leadership team. We see the potential of the business and it fits our DNA.

“Together we will build on Illume’s growth and leverage LVI’s extensive background in education technology and administration to make Illume a global player in the recruitment space,” Larsen continued.

“Illume is a company with a founder and a team that we strongly believe in. We look forward to working together to bring life to their vision.”

The post Canada: Illume set for global expansion appeared first on The PIE News.

The head of the peak body for English language education in Australia has said that the current confusion surrounding different visa programs for international students leads to “misconceptions”, amid a comprehensive review of the country’s migration system.

“The report notes the vast number of current visa classes and subclasses, which is complex,” Brett Blacker, CEO of English Australia, told The PIE News.

“Unfortunately, it also leads to confusion around different visa cohorts.

“The lines between student visa holders that are considered ‘temporary’ entrants and other migrant pathways can lead to misconceptions about international student social integration and their English language proficiency,” he explained.

The report from the Department of Home Affairs, scrutinising hot topics in Australian international education, saw the presiding panel express its concern regarding slipping English language proficiency among them.

“There’s an underlying expectation that at the end of a degree in Australia a student’s English will be enhanced,” the report read.

“However, many students are starting from a low base – [IELTS] 5.5 is relatively low (somewhere between ‘modest’ and ‘competent’).

“It would be worth examining whether raising the level of English proficiency required under these visas would help ensure that graduates have better chances of success in our labour market. Such a move might also help safeguard educational quality,” it continued.

Blacker, whose organisation represents many English language course providers in the country, said that this approach leaves those “world-class” providers “unrecognised” – despite being a “cornerstone of our international education ecosystem”.

Phil Honeywood, chief executive of IEAA, also pointed out a similar omission.

“[There is an] apparent lack of recognition of English pathways which currently allow overseas students to come to Australia with IELTS 5.5 equivalent level and, through studying more English here, then reach the required English entry level for their course,” Honeywood told The PIE.

The proposal of a possible federal raise of the English language proficiency score and general requirements for incoming students comes with other key recommendations, such as the reworking of the Genuine Temporary Entrant system.

“Resetting the framework to focus on genuine students, regardless of whether they hope to stay or return home, will provide much-needed clarity and a system which will be much easier to navigate,” the Australian Technology Network of universities said in a statement.

Other recommendations include an overall simplification of the visa framework – including identifying “high-quality” graduates for skill gaps, instead of the current system, and minimise the graduate visa’s duration.

“The migration system creates incentives for non-genuine students”

Troy Williams, chief executive of ITECA, said that the recommendations provide a “framework for migration” more closely aligns Jobs and Skills Australia’s work with “the sector’s output”.

While it will not be an overnight method, the plan that resonates throughout the review is that “hundreds” of visa routes will be simplified.

Also featured in the report is the idea that “high-quality” education should be provided, both to domestic students and internationals.

“The panel notes the migration system creates incentives for non-genuine students and unscrupulous profit-seeking education providers; the student visa can be used by international students who seek a credential, rather than an education, or can be used solely to gain access to the Australian labour market.

“Secondly, some institutions have a profit motive to enrol greater volumes of international students at the expense of quality applicants or learning outcomes,” the report shared.

It mentioned that the proportion of international graduates going for permanent residence “far exceeds the limited supply” of permanent residency permits – an issue that is also prevalent in Canada’s migration system.

While the report relents that steps were taken to dull perception that there is a “seamless pathway to permanent residence” in 2010, the issue still remains.

In the new recommendations, “there would be an option to, in a very narrow set of circumstances, provide a more certain direction to the permanent residence pathway”.

“It would be best to constrain this opportunity using a mix of indicators, including student attributes, performance and level of study (e.g. postgraduate research),” the report noted.

It also examined the issues of exploitation around international students and their work rights while studying – especially in terms of employer conduct.

“The next eight weeks are crucial”

“The [work] cap has been found to create vulnerabilities for students who wish to work longer hours and fear their employer may report them to the Department of Home Affairs.

“The panel suggests the cap’s role in the student visa program be reviewed,” the report also read.

This follows public hearings that took place in April, where Honeywood said the current work rights setup in the country was “becoming a bit of a Ponzi scheme”.

“International graduates do not perform as well as might be expected in our labour market – former students are among the largest cohort of ‘permanently temporary’ migrants,” the report noted.

Overall, the recommendations are being received well, but with a pinch of apprehension.

Blacker called it “encouraging” that the department will be consulting on the strategy’s outline and “critical policy shifts over the coming months”.

“For independent skills training and higher education providers, the next eight weeks are crucial as ITECA is consulted on the details of the recommendations and what these will mean in practice for onshore international students completing their courses,” Williams told The PIE.

The post Australia: English requirements could rise amid immigration shakeup appeared first on The PIE News.

A new survey has analysed the perceptions of the international applicant experience among students and professionals in a bid to improve operations at US institutions.

Student support platform Interstride partnered with NAGAP to expand research previously published last fall on utilising technology to address gaps in international admissions.

Key findings from the report were debuted at the recent NAGAP GEM Summit in NYC last month.

“By identifying alignments and misalignments between graduate enrolment management professionals and international students, possibilities emerge on how to better support international students,” Interstride’s Judy Chen, who specialises in strategic partnerships, told The PIE.

“With international student enrolment rebounding to pre-pandemic levels, GEM professionals must understand how to better attract and engage international applicants.”

Chen led a breakout session at the GEM Summit with Julie Deland, director of administration in health policy and management at Harvard University.

They reviewed the survey process and identified the top three challenges of the 345 international graduate students from 56 countries who completed the survey. The central concerns were finances, visas, and finding the best fit institution.

Deland challenged delegates to ask themselves, “To what extent is a socio-economically diverse international student population important to your school? Because certainly there are many students who are able to pay for degrees and many other students who are not.”

Of the 84 GEM professionals who took the survey, nearly half overestimated the challenge of the application process (48% of professionals versus 27% of students). And they underestimated the challenge of choosing the best fit institution and program (13% of professionals versus 43% of students).

Results also indicated that while 43% of students found the selection process arduous, having better information on certain topics, such as scholarships and finances, may have an influence on students’ HEI selection.

Deland underscored the importance of advising students to prepare an application for financial aid while they are preparing their application for admissions. “For as much as we try to encourage students to think about funding, many had a hard time internalising the process and then [completing] it.”

Regarding institutional selection, Chen shared with the PIE, “Notably, the report found that international graduate respondents named better information on career outcomes as a key factor that would have influenced their choice of institutions.

“This highlights opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration to drive international student enrolment,” she continued.

In addition, other recommendations in the publication included making international students’ admissions experiences a strategic priority, suggesting delegating staff to be responsible for the entire spectrum of the student journey.

“We can help make the process more clear”

“This means painting a picture of their international education journey from before they apply, to their educational experience, to career outcomes and life after the program,” Interstride said.

Findings indicated that international graduate students and GEM professionals shared some commonalities in their perspectives about the student admissions journey. However, there were certain aspects of the journey in which their perspectives significantly vary.

“The topics on which students’ and professionals’ perspectives were misaligned showcase an opportunity for universities and professionals to reflect on their strategy and action plans, and consider refining them to align better with what we now know is important to international students in their admissions experience,” according to the company.

“We can help make the process more clear,” said Deland. “We know it’s high stress and anxiety producing, and we know how important this is. It’s a complicated process and we can help students get through. That is something within our control.”

She suggested coordinating better with colleagues, speaking to students about career outcomes, and recognising that no one person has all the information about every service or opportunity. Therefore, “it will take a coordinated and collaborative approach,” she concluded.

The post Finances, visas & best fit challenge int’l grad students appeared first on The PIE News.

Thousands of Nigerian students being evacuated from Sudan are to compete their studies at universities at home with support from the government.

With there being no sign of when the situation in war-torn Sudan will normalise, the Nigerian governments and local universities are making plans to admit some of the estimated 5,000 students, in a move that could ensure they complete their studies on time.

The Nigerian in Diaspora Commission, the body mandated with handling the affairs of the country’s citizens living abroad, is leading the efforts liaising with the universities to ensure continuation of education at home for those willing to complete their studies there.

The commission was following in the steps it took during the Ukraine crisis when some of the 4,300 students in the country last year were absorbed by local universities after returning with the assistance of NiDCOM chairperson of the Nigerians Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

“When evacuees come back and want to continue their education here, they can contact the universities”

“In fact, universities are already offering and have reached out to us so that when they [evacuees] do come back and want to continue their education here, they can contact the universities,” she is quoted saying to a local television channel.

Giving an assurance that the returned getting placed in local universities would not be a problem, the official said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had created a division so that those who are interested in completing their studies were given an opportunity to do so.

But even as evacuation of some 5,500 from the north African country commenced over the weekend, the exercise has been marred by reports of Nigerian embassy staff in Khartoum allegedly extorting money to facilitate repatriation.

Relying on testaments from two sisters said to be former students of International University of Africa in Khartoum, online sews site Sahara Reporters reported that they were asked to pay over US$100 in order to be evacuated.

Two affected Nigerian sisters told the news website that some embassy staff in Khartoum first asked them to pay $75 each, which they requested from their families in Nigeria, before they were later asked for an additional $50 each to facilitate their evacuation.

“The staff collected over $250 from us in the name of evacuation,” one of them reportedly told the publication on Sunday.

The news came as it emerged that another 2,500 ‘undocumented’ individuals could not be rescued because the embassy could not issue them with identification and travel papers as of last Sunday. The students said that as a result they were trapped in the country in the midst of fighting without food or water.

Thousands of students from Egypt, Nigeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Chad, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia have been caught up in the fighting that began on April 15 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The post Nigerians return from Sudan to study at home appeared first on The PIE News.

On February 13 of this year, three students were killed and another five were injured in a shooting on the Michigan State University East Lansing campus. The US reached 100 mass shooting incidents in just 64 days this year, with a 75% increase in the number of people killed during this period.

Stakeholders have previously suggested that gun violence is correlated with the increasing concerns of international students studying abroad in the US.

In a study conducted by World Education Services in 2019, in which over 1,900 international students participated, approximately a “quarter of respondents [were] concerned about gun violence at their institution”. In addition, according to the 2021 QS International Student Survey, safety was the second leading concern to international students following cost of living.

After the shooting in early February on the Michigan State University campus, Quinnipiac University – a private, four-year university located in Hamden, Connecticut – announced a new requirement to complete mandatory active-shooter training.

Tony Reyes, chief of Public Safety, revealed that such increases in active shooter incidences prompted the creation of a “more individualised training module for the community”. An email sent to the study body on February 16 outlined these upcoming changes.

Sarah Driscoll, the director of International Student Services at Quinnipiac University, shared with The PIE News that Quinnipiac previously had general active-shooter training.

However, the new requirement is an “enhanced version” that is more “institution-specific”. This personalised course instruction is in addition to the presentations that Quinnipiac Public Safety presents to “all incoming students at Orientation about safety on campus and emergency preparedness”.

Reyes said in The Quinnipiac Chronicle, the university’s student-run newspaper, that numbers may be the most salient when discussing crime and violence on university campuses. However, “the greatest indicator of a community’s safety is not crime stats but rather how safe the community feels”.

Domen Bozic, a senior at Quinnipiac University’s School of Business, knows firsthand how important community is – particularly as an international student.

Originally from Slovenia, Bozic participated in the international student community at Quinnipiac through teammates on his soccer team. He also works at the International Student Services office. He describes the international community at Quinnipiac as many cultures coming together to “work in symbiosis”.

Bozic said he has “never felt unsafe here at Quinnipiac”. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the potential dangers of neighbouring areas in Hamden or New Haven. In addition, one of his parents “was a little skeptical” as he elected to live off campus during his first year.

In the May 2019 issue of NAFSA’s Trends and Insights publication, William Pruitt, assistant director of global collaborations at the University of South Carolina, shared how universities can address the concerns exhibited by many international students and be proactive in their communications.

One of the first suggestions Pruitt suggests is to “promote transparency”.

At Quinnipiac, Driscoll communicates with parents and families of these international student communities through Quinnipiac’s Parent and Family Newsletter, particularly with parents who are concerned.

The type of information disseminated in these newsletters typically consists of deadlines, visa-related notices and upcoming cultural programming.

“We bear a responsibility to communicate to our population about events that may impact their experience, studies or wellbeing”

“I believe that we do bear a responsibility to communicate to our population about events that may impact their experience, studies or wellbeing,” Driscoll said. “We also want to make sure that students are aware of and take advantage of the various counselling and support services across the institution that is available to them.”

She also recognised the “understandable concern” that international parents face when sending their kids to the US, particularly among the “coverage of America’s gun culture and frequency of mass shootings”.

In recent years since the pandemic, there have been changes to typical enrolment trends at Quinnipiac, such as a decrease of the number of students from China.

Relayed by a representative from NAFSA, the Institute of International Education’s Fall 2019 Enrolment Snapshot demonstrated that approximately 46% of institutions in the US believe that declined enrolments are the result of safety concerns, even though “nearly half of these institutions also reported that international students felt welcome on campus”.

Quinnipiac has mitigated further loss of international students by investing in international recruitment. The director of International Student Services told The PIE News that they expect the international student population to grow “greatly over the next few years”.

While the MSU shooting and other violence this year have stunned the US, the tragic events have not shaken the international student community at Quinnipiac. Students such as Bozic will participate in Quinnipiac’s revised safety protocols.

However, they will continue to gain support and guidance through the university’s resources, such as the International Student Services.

As noted by Pruitt, while not every tragedy at an institution may be completely preventable, there are actionable steps that universities can take to alleviate the concerns of the international student community. Such a strategy may take the form of revised active violence measures, or increased transparency about difficult topics.

The post Institution taking steps to alleviate safety concerns on US campuses appeared first on The PIE News.

University College Birmingham was voted the UK’s top international university in this year’s Whatuni Student Choice Awards.

With Nottingham Trent University scooping the University of the Year at the 2023 awards, UCB was recognised in the international category – with the awards voted for by over 35,000 verified student reviews at 240+ higher education institutions across the country.

“These awards showcase the quality of higher education in the UK and its creativity, resilience and innovation,” said Simon Emmett, CEO at IDP Connect.

“With the continuing cost-of-living challenges, we’re proud to focus on all the good universities do and celebrate their successes.

“Each of our winners and finalists has gone above and beyond to positively impact students’ university experiences,” he continued, adding that scores in 2023 are significantly higher than previous years.

Michael Harkin, vice-chancellor and principal at UCB, pointed to the “outstanding work” of the international team in building the overall student experience and support for “our overseas cohort from even before they arrive in the UK to their welfare while studying with us”.

“As an extremely diverse community, we are also proud to have such excellent integration between our international and domestic students,” he added.

“We are proud to have such excellent integration between our international and domestic students”

UCB supports over 9,000 students from more than 90 countries, with the majority staying within the region once they graduate. It has developed a reputation for its industry leading culinary arts courses over the past two decades, the institution noted.

It also claimed silver in the University of the year category.

Other winners included Aberystwyth University in both the Student Life and the Lecturers & Teaching Quality categories, The University of Sheffield in the ‘Students’ Union’ category, NTU in the Postgraduate category.

Harper Adams University secured the Career Prospects award, Bishop Grosseteste University the Halls and Student Accommodation and Student Support awards, Loughborough University the Facilities award and Norland College the Small or Specialist award.

Buckinghamshire New University was also recognised in the Submission Award ‘Cost of Living’ category.

“We know that no one is better placed to judge universities than their students,” Camilla King, director of client partnerships at IDP Connect, added.

IDP Connect owns Whatuni.com, which is behind the awards.

“We will continue to ensure that the student voice is always heard when it comes to students making their university choices.

“After a challenging couple of years, it’s important to recognise the universities going above and beyond to support students and give them the best university experiences possible. The institutions recognised have successfully adapted, created and implemented fantastic initiatives to support and engage students, which our awards are thrilled to celebrate.”

The full list of 2023 WUSCA winners is available here.

The post UCB voted top UK international uni at WUSCAs appeared first on The PIE News.

Higher education leaders and those working in international strategic planning should integrate international strategies with digital transformation strategies, according to a recent report from Jisc.

The report seeks to highlight “alternative perspectives” and consider issues that might impact the digital experience of international students in the UK.

The not-for-profit organisation said the report aimed to summarise data relating to UK international student numbers and diversity trends and discuss various issues relating to international student digital experience, including potential language, cultural differences and associated digital ‘shocks’.

A key finding was that international students are likely to experience digital systems and tools differently from domestic students.

Jisc suggested that institutions should be prepared to invest in resources, staff training and additional support for students.

“Given the pervasive nature of technology in western HE it is vital to consider the role of – and assumptions surrounding – the use of digital in order to deliver the best experience to international student learners.

“Digital technologies are woven throughout the international student experience: they are the conduit through which students appraise countries and institutions, they are a vital component of the application process, induction and on-boarding, and integrated into common pedagogic practice and learner analytics.”

Jisc noted that full-time international students represent 17% of the undergraduate and 67% of the postgraduate-taught student population in the UK.

“They contribute approximately £26bn per year to the economy and provide an important and valued contribution to cultural and intellectual diversity and talent,” the report reminded.

Analysis of Jisc’s digital experience insights survey data from 2021/22 highlighted a number of differences between the digital experiences of international and domestic students.

Jisc said one notable difference between domestic and international students studying in the UK occurred when students were asked the question “Have any of the following made it difficult for you to learn online?”

One answer option was “mobile data costs”. Some 21% of international students identified this as a barrier to online learning compared to only 12% of domestic students.

“This suggests that mobile devices may be of more importance to international students when it comes to accessing digital learning materials; something that is identified as a potential issue in other research,” the report said.

Other differences included the higher proportion of international students who reported having received support or training for learning online (54% international versus 37% domestic), and the lower proportion of international students who reported receiving support or training relating to plagiarism (52% international versus 58% domestic).

Jisc made several recommendations in the report, saying there is a “clear need” for HEI leaders and those working in international strategic planning and delivery roles to integrate international strategies with digital (transformation) strategies, as well as with EDI, curriculum design and Technology Enhanced Learning support.

“Institutions should be prepared to invest in resources, staff training and additional support”

“For example, a strategy to increase international student diversity can provide great benefits in the classroom but is also likely to lead to a broader diversity of previous TEL experience and may increase the diversity and/or levels of support needed,” the report said.

“Institutions should be prepared to invest in resources, staff training and additional support in response.”

Jisc also said staff involved in international strategy and delivery, as well as staff designing and delivering courses, should be actively aware of the digital journey that international students are making when they travel to study in UK HE.

“They are bringing their previous experience and cultural expectations with them, which may vary greatly from those of domestic students,” the report said.

“Discussions between staff and students are likely to lead to better understanding on all sides.”

The post Jisc report explores international students’ digital experience appeared first on The PIE News.

A significantly higher proportion of EU-born international students are employed in the UK compared to non-EU-born students, according to data recently released by the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS explored the international student population in England and Wales using data from the 2021 Census.

The data showed that some 47.1% of EU-born international students were employed, compared with 24.6% of non-EU-born students.

The ONS said that some of this will be explained by EU citizens historically having a right to work in the UK.

A higher proportion of EU-born international students were in employment in England (47.5%), than in Wales (36.7%).

One in three international students were in employment; Eastern European countries had the highest proportions in employment alongside studying (Romania, 73.9%; Bulgaria, 62.3%, Poland, 56.7% and Lithuania, 56.0%).

“I suspect it’s right that this is a legacy issue to do with EU rights. We should be able to test that in our own student experience results in due course,” Nick Hillman, director of HEPI, told The PIE.

Universities UK International noted that while the employment rates between EU and non-EU students differ significantly, the unemployment rates show less difference according to the ONS data (8.3% for EU vs 11.5% for non-EU).

Such data would suggest that the proportion of non-EU students who are actively looking for work is not that much greater than the proportion of EU students doing so.

The fact that a larger proportion of non-EU students are economically inactive, i.e. not in employment or actively looking for a job, than EU students may be explained by several factors.

For example, non-EU students are more likely to be on one-year masters programs than their EU counterparts.

These programs can be more intensive and leave less time for part time work alongside studies. EU students are more likely to be undergraduates.

“The census is a valuable data source and contributes to our understanding about the make-up of the international student population in the UK, alongside other complementary data sources such as the Home Office visa data and the HESA student record,” a UUKi spokesperson told The PIE News.

The ONS report showed that there were 373,600 non-UK-born, non-UK passport holding international students in England and Wales at the time of Census 2021.

The number of non-UK domiciled full-time higher education students estimated as enrolled by HESA for the academic year 2020 to 2021 was 562,995, as seen in HESA’s Higher Education Student Statistics.

This number is far larger than the estimate of the population size produced using census data (373,600) – reasons for this included an increase in the number of first year students not at term-time accommodation in the 2020-2021 academic year.

The post More EU students employed in the UK than non-EU appeared first on The PIE News.