By Charlotte West

Diversifying International Recruitment By Charlotte West THE TOP DESTINATION COUNTRIES for study abroad have become largely dependent on the same major sending countries: China, India, and South Korea. However, in recent years increased attention has been paid Tto the need for institutions to diversify their recruitment bases. The general consensus among international enrollment management professionals is that while numbers are expected to remain strong for the next several years, no other country currently has the potential to become the next China or India. To compensate, institutions need to broaden their approach. “Few UK universities can afford to lose the Chinese market. But can we find another country to replace China or India? Probably not. We are still looking to those countries to maintain market share, but to diversify the risks, we are develop- ing the smaller markets,” says Sky Zheng, director of international recruitment at the University of Sunderland in northeastern England. A May 2015 report from World Education Services (WES) concluded that institutions should develop more sustainable international student enrollment strategies by pursuing a diverse portfolio of source countries—especially those from emerging markets. WES identified four countries—Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Vietnam— as emerging markets that institutions should focus on in the near-term.1 Other recruitment experts have also pointed to smaller countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa as emerging markets with a strong potential for growth. For the last decade, China, India, and South Korea have remained the top three sending countries to the United States. While growth from India and China has remained strong, the number of South Korean students in the United States dropped by 3.7 percent in 2013–2014, marking the third consecutive year of decline (IIE, Open Doors 2014). Despite the decline, South Korea has nevertheless maintained its third place ranking since the early 2000s.2 Experts agree, however, that China and India will remain major source countries, at least for the near term. 2 iNterNAtioNAl educAtor September+OctOber.15 • International enrOllment Supplement Diversifying International Recruitment Finding emergent sources for international students is becoming an important issue for higher education institutions in the United States and other major destination nations. Photo ILLustrated by ChEryL D. COLLINS Components ShuTTErstock iNterNAtioNAl educAtor September+OctOber.15 • International enrOllment Supplement 3 Diversifying International Recruitment “The past five years of international student makeup in the U.S. have consistently shown us who the top feed- ers are, namely China, India, and South Korea. However, while Chinese student enrollment in the United States grew exponentially—from 14.6 percent in 2008–9 to 31 percent in 2013–14 per IIE Open Doors data, the rest of the top 10 list remained within a 5 percent growth margin where growth was observed,” says Jia Jiang, director of graduate enrollment management at American Univer- sity’s School of International Service (SIS). She says institutions are starting to move beyond the traditional top three markets: “As U.S. universities welcome international students to their campuses, it becomes evident that the challenge is no longer how to fill a class with international students, but how to attract international students from more than just the top sending countries.” k stoc r “as u.S. universities welcome international students to TTE their campuses, it becomes evident that the challenge : Shu is no longer how to fill a class with international EDIT Cr students, but how to attract international students from oto Ph more than just the top sending countries.” vative, global curriculum models that make study abroad Marjorie Smith, associate dean and director of inter- less necessary. national student admission at the University of Denver, “In both instances, without leaving China, Chinese confirms that institutions are starting to look beyond students can easily have an integrated international ex- the traditional markets in order to develop sustainable perience both culturally through their American or other recruitment strategies and not be so dependent on single international classmates and academically through their countries. “Most campuses are working hard to ‘diver- global curricula,” Jiang explains. sify their diversity’. Simply put, because Chinese students At New York University Polytechnic School of represent such large portions of our enrollments, we must Engineering, 50 percent of its international graduate en- concentrate our resources on increasing representation rollment currently comes from China and 30 percent from from other countries. We are seeing a shift away from sim- India. Around 85 percent of all of its graduate students ply increasing the numbers of international students, to are international. increasing the variety of countries represented,” she says. Raymond Lutzky, senior director of graduate enroll- Jiang says that China will likely remain the largest play- ment management and admissions, is not as optimistic er for the foreseeable future. After a decade of investing in as some of his colleagues about the persistent streams of its physical infrastructure, the country is now turning to students from these two major sending countries. human capital, positioning itself as an attractive destina- “I believe that India and China are more volatile than tion for international students. However, she adds that most enrollment managers would like to believe,” he says. the U.S. higher education system is still hugely attractive He explains that enrollment from India is tied closely to Chinese students, especially at the undergraduate level to the exchange rate between the rupee and the U.S. dol- today, although more students intend to seek employment lar, as well as U.S. immigration policy, including the ability back in China after graduation. for students to stay and work in the United States after She predicts that the trend will change in the long term graduation. because of the increasing number both of U.S. universities Chinese enrollment, on the other hand, is dependent that are now opening branch campuses or field offices in upon factors such as Chinese public opinion about the China and of Chinese universities that are adopting inno- value of U.S. education and brand sensitivity. He notes 4 InternatIonal educator September+OctOber.15 • International enrOllment Supplement Diversifying International Recruitment that both countries are also building up their higher edu- country. “Unless there are surprises (and there always cation systems. are), these countries will remain strong markets for the “Getting in now should be a short-term strategy. It will foreseeable future. The next frontier will be to target the be 10 years before things start breaking down. India, I be- ‘second tier’ cities in these countries—those with substan- lieve, will fade less quickly than China,” Lutzky predicts. tial interest and resources but less exposure and access to Other experts expect continued growth from India, study abroad information,” Smith says. with some shifts in the market. According to Rahul Chou- daha, WES chief knowledge officer and senior director of economic Growth and Government strategic development, the demographics of Indian stu- Scholarships in latin america dents coming to the United States will change in the next More recruiters are starting to turn their attention to several years. Latin American countries due to a combination of eco- “While India happens to be the second largest source nomic growth, a young population, and government country, a majority of the students are enrolled in STEM support for study abroad. International mobility in the master’s programs. The new growth opportunity is the region as a whole has gotten a boost from U.S. President undergraduate students from India… The economic lib- Barack Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas program, eralization and growth of new sectors like the IT services an initiative launched in 2011, as well as funding from Lat- industry during the 1990s has created a new class of well- in American governments to send their students overseas. compensated white collar professionals,” he says. JoBeth Brudner, managing director for Linden Edu- Choudaha explains that the children of these profes- cational Services, has led many educational tours in the sionals are now getting ready for college. “(They) will region. She believes Latin American countries—which become the main drivers of international mobility among currently send 8 percent of all international students Indian students,” he adds. studying in the United States (IIE, Open Doors 2014)— Canada has also seen an upswing will remain steady markets for international student in the number of Indian under- recruitment. graduates. The University of British Jiang concurs: “Commitments and ini- Columbia (UBC) has seen an in- tiatives taken on all parts tell us that the crease in Indian students in the Americas will remain promising and enter- last few years. “We’ve seen a prising and that the region as a whole is well resurgence from India over positioned to become a tremendous sending mar- the last two years, but we’ve ket in the long term.” k stoc also been focusing our efforts John Eriksen, director of international ad- r there a bit more. Indian students mission at Bryant University, says that TTE and their families are

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