International Student Recruitment Conference 2025

Thursday 27th March 2025
9:30 am - 3:40pm
Virtual Conference

This Conference will explore how universities can support a robust model for international student recruitment built on market diversification, sustainable growth and a long-term strategic approach led by evolving international demand.

The Conference will:

  • Assess the state of international demand and the core data trends for 2025/26

  • Examine how to move towards stabilisation and sustainability in international student recruitment

  • Evaluate the next steps in diversifying international enrolment and driving growth with new sending countries

  • Explore practical examples of how universities are developing resilience in a turbulent international student recruitment market

  • Look towards how the sector can rethink approaches to internationalisation and what a robust model for international recruitment should look like in the long term

Why attend the conference?

Gain vital data insight on the development of the international student recruitment market

Learn from universities building resilience into their approach

Embed long-term sustainability into your international recruitment strategy

Agenda

09:30 am

Chair’s Welcome Address

Graeme Tong
Head of International Recruitment
University of Greenwich (CONFIRMED)

09:40 am

A Shifting Policy Context: How Do We Stabilise the International Student Recruitment Market?

  • A year of volatility: What the policy context meant for international student recruitment in 2024/25

  • What the government’s ambition to reduce net migration will continue to mean for the state of the market

  • The necessary steps for shifting from volatility to a position of stabilisation

  • How the sector can build recovery within the policy context

Charley Robinson
Head of Global Mobility Policy
Universities UK International (CONFIRMED)

10:10 am

What Really Matters? Insights into the Attitudes and Needs of International Students

  • Decision making insights from Study UK

  • The power and potential of social media analysis

  • The importance of longer term engagement in support of both institutional & national strategies

Catriona McCarthy
Global Head, Student Mobility & Internationalisation of UK Education
British Council (CONFIRMED)

10:40 am

International Students' Perception of the UK as a Study Destination - How a Positive International Student Experience is Key to Long-term Success

  • Evidence of student perceptions and what they look for when choosing a place to study

  • Reflections on results of student experience surveys

  • Exploring the #WeAreInternational Student Charter and how it can support institutions in their strategic objectives

Anne Marie Graham
Chief Executive
UKCISA (CONFIRMED)

11:10 am

Break and Networking

11:30 am

The Data Deep-Dive: The Future of International Market Demand

  • The shape of international demand and where opportunities for growth exist

  • How the sector can drive towards building resilience, diversification and risk profile management across international markets

  • Assessing the decline in international postgraduate recruitment and how demand will stabilise

  • What visa applications can tell us about the shape of the international market

  • The big trends on source countries and where stable supply trajectories exist

Greg Moody
Consulting Data Scientist
DataHE (CONFIRMED)

Jason Streets
Lead Data Scientist
DataHE (CONFIRMED)

12:10 pm

From Immediate Recruitment Pressures to Developing a Strategic Plan for Resilience

Universities have faced a turbulent 12 months in the international student recruitment market. From political uncertainty on the Graduate visa route to the impact of student dependent visa rules, the sector has faced a marked decline in international student numbers, placing significant pressures on the financial sustainability of the sector.

So, what next? How does the sector stabilise from here and develop a more resilient approach to long-term international student recruitment.

This expert panel will assess how to make that critical gear change from short-term survival mode to long-term planning that supports sustainable growth. It will consider the building blocks for setting a strategic direction that reflects what demand will look like up to 2030.

Jenny Zhou
Deputy Head of International Student Recruitment
Queen Mary University of London (CONFIRMED)

Victoria Isherwood
Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions
University of Exeter (CONFIRMED)

Shivani Bhalla
Head of International Student Recruitment
Brunel University London (CONFIRMED)

1:00 pm

Break and Networking

1:40 pm

Ensuring Sustainable International Student Recruitment

  • The overreliance on forecasting rapid growth in non-EU recruitment as the basis for financial stability

  • Analysing long-term growth trends on international enrolment: setting expectations on incremental growth

  • Assessing how global trends on mobility are changing with a move towards intraregional mobility

  • How can universities enhance their resilience in the long-term to global market trends?

  • Rethinking the international recruitment model: Building a long-term internationalisation agenda based on partnership, collaboration and student choice

Vincenzo Raimo
International Higher Education Consultant
Visiting Fellow, University of Reading (CONFIRMED)

2:10 pm

Where Are We On Diversifying International Student Recruitment?

  • The risks of over-exposure to core source countries and how to reduce excessive dependence

  • How geopolitical trends and economic decision making are defining the shape of international enrolment

  • Are we going backwards? Overcoming declines in priority countries including India and Nigeria

  • What are practical ‘must haves’ for enhancing diversification whilst tackling a sector-wide decline in international numbers?

Patrick Cosh
Deputy Head, International Recruitment
University of Bath (CONFIRMED)

2:40 pm

Break and Networking

3:00 pm

Supporting Robust Agent Partnerships: Growth, Quality, Compliance

  • Managing expectations and responsibilities of agents through the Agent Quality Framework

  • Approaches to agent governance, accountability and driving ethical practices

  • Supporting quality when working with agent aggregators or sub-agents

  • Examples of improving agent practices through effective training, oversight and benchmarking

  • Making decisions on agent resourcing and deployment to drive diversification and support growth objectives

Karen Blackney
Head of International, University of East Anglia
Executive Committee Member, BUILA (CONFIRMED)

Stella Sibbit-Johnston
Global Recruitment Manager (Agents)
University of Dundee (CONFIRMED)

Luke Huo
Director of International
University College Birmingham (CONFIRMED)

Jake Duffin
Head of International Student Recruitment, Global Engagement, Queen Mary, University of London
Executive Committee Member, BUILA (CONFIRMED)

3:40 pm

Conference Close

*Programme subject to change

Audience

This Conference is designed for all roles engaged in international student recruitment across the higher education sector. Those in attendance will include:

  • Directors of International

  • Directors of International Recruitment

  • Directors of International Development

  • Directors of International Partnerships

  • Directors for Global Engagement

  • Directors of Marketing

  • Directors of Student Recruitment

  • Pro Vice Chancellors for International

  • Heads of International Student Recruitment

  • Heads of International

  • Admissions Managers

  • Regional Managers

Secure Your Ticket

HE and Public Sector

£195 + VAT

Private Sector

£395 + VAT

HE Team of 3

£526.50 + VAT

For group discounts and enquiries about your registration please contact us on enquiries@heprofessional.co.uk