The current pandemic has hit the international education sector hard. And while international admissions and recruitment professionals are faced with a tremendous amount of uncertainty across the board, the impact that COVID-19 and its aftermath will have on Chinese international student recruitment is particularly difficult to assess.
Uncertainty about when and how campuses are going to re-open, a lack of clarity on visa processing times and increasing political tension between North America and China are making it difficult for admissions departments across the country to plan for the intake periods ahead.
Yet, it’s exactly because of these challenges that developing a recruitment strategy for China and adapting the overall approach to digital channels is more important than ever. Relying on reputation alone won’t be enough to drive demand in the current environment.
At the same time, institutions who are just starting to define their strategy in China have an opportunity to position themselves favourably with Chinese international students who are looking for reassurance with regards to their academic futures.
For this fireside chat, we were joined by Marty Bennett who drew on his extensive career in international education to discuss Chinese international student recruitment in North America during and after COVID-19.