Last week UCOL | Te Pūkenga hosted a panel discussion with attendees from around the world, addressing what the future of international education will look like under COVID-19’s affects. Participants from 14 countries took part – New Zealand, Australia, China, USA, Canada, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, and Japan.
COVID-19 has resulted in a tectonic shift in New Zealand’s higher education landscape, and around the world. There have been calls to reconceptualise the culture of learning, its role in society and reassess the business models which underpin many institutions. The ongoing viability of international education has also been called into question.
The free ninety minute webinar was well received. “The impact of COVID-19 on internationalisation of education and learning in general, should not be underestimated,” says Arthur Chin, the UCOL | Te Pūkenga Executive Director of Business Development and the panel’s facilitator. “The decision-making process for why students go overseas for their education is different for each country. Understanding the motivating reasons and how COVID-19 has influenced those reasons is crucial, and will ensure that education providers are able to develop appropriate recovery plans for their institutions.”
“It was an excellent session, and participants asked a range of questions including on learning and pastoral support, critical success factors that institutions should consider, and the viability of education agencies.”
Arthur’s credentials in this space are extensive - he has developed over 30 international articulations and was the banking lead that developed the Funds Transfer Scheme. Joining him as speakers were three international panellists: Francisco Marmolejo, Keri Ramírez and Chris Strods.
Francisco is Education Advisor at the Chairperson’s office of Qatar Foundation. He served as World Bank’s Lead Higher Education Specialist for India and South Asia after a long career on International Education based in several different countries.
Keri Ramírez is an Economist with 15 years’ experience in International Education. He is responsible for the largest benchmark analysis of international education strategies in New Zealand.
As Market Research and Data Manager at QS, Chris produces the QS International Student Survey and Domestic Student Survey, as well as bespoke market research projects for educational institutions across the Australia–Pacific region.
Topics discussed during the session included:
- COVID-19: Re-crafting the narrative for the global economy (focus on China & India).
- What is the ‘New Normal’? A crystal ball gaze into the future of international education.
- Success factors required for institutions to ensure the future international enrolment pipelines.
UCOL | Te Pūkenga is also releasing a recording of this webinar in full. You can watch it here.