Advertise on podcast: Global Student Marketing Podcast - IDP Connect

Our new episode “Fair access and participation’’ discusses the current picture within the admissions and recruitment landscape within UK universities alongside key learnings from the new OfS (The Office for Students) approach so far. Aaron Porter, Policy Consultant, IDP Connect is joined by Krisha Bainham, Head of Widening Access at University of Derby.

This episode explores global trends in the field of international education through a panel discussion.  The expert panel features four leading women in international education from Canada, the US, and the UK. Speakers Vivienne Stern, Director of Universities UK International (UUKi), Virginia Macchiavello, Associate Vice President of International Development at Centennial College, Livia Castellanos, Executive Lead International Education and Jurisdictional Initiatives at the Government of Saskatchewan, and Sarah Mackey, Director of International Enrollment Management at Northeastern University discuss challenges they've faced during the pandemic, how they have navigated the digital transformation process, and their views on the future of international education. Moderated by Christine Wach, Director of Client Partnerships for North America at IDP Connect. 

We explore the current admission challenges and Clearing in episode 16 of our latest podcast.   Our new episode “Looking ahead to 2022 Clearing’’ discusses the current picture within the admissions landscape within UK universities alongside opportunities and challenges looking ahead to Clearing 2022. Aaron Porter, Policy Consultant, IDP Connect is joined by Paul Woods, Director of Student Marketing and UK Recruitment at Middlesex University London.

Our new episode “Where next for HE admissions reform?” discusses the effectiveness of the current admissions system within UK universities, widening access and participation as well as the government’s response to the Augar review. Aaron Porter, Associate Director, IDP Connect is joined by Liam Owens, Director of Student Recruitment & Administration, Edge Hill University.

The latest episode ‘Exploring the domestic postgraduate recruitment landscape’ explores how postgraduate recruitment has changed across the sector, focusing on perspectives from the January intake and shifts impacting the student experience. Aaron Porter, Associate Director of IDP Connect, is joined by esteemed guests Danielle Fitzgerald, Director of the Future Students Office at University of Leicester, and Dominic Davis, Interim Director of Strategy and Planning at City, University of London. The episode also explores how changes in funding and key policy decisions have impacted demand and discussions on the long-term impacts of these changes.

Episode 13, ‘Where next for EU recruitment to UK universities’ explores how the EU referendum has impacted key policy changes and student recruitment looking specifically at the differing impacts on Scottish and English universities.  Aaron Porter, Associate Director of IDP Connect is joined by esteemed guests Rachel Sandison, Deputy Vice-Chancellor External Engagement at University of Glasgow and Sue Hopkinson, Head of International Marketing and Recruitment at University of Kent.  The episode also explores how English and Scottish institutions are approaching this change in terms of strategic focus and funding and opens discussions around the UK’s altered relationship with the EU. In addition, the panel also discuss the new Turing scheme which takes shape within the UK as the replacement to the Erasmus+ scheme, which has been phased out as a consequence of the EU referendum. 

Episode 12, titled: “Access and widening participation at a time of change", explores how UK institutions deliver meaningful engagement to change approaches and policies for students during key adjustment periods and how these have influenced future strategy.  Aaron Porter, Associate Director, IDP Connect is joined by Rebecca Hollington, Director of UK Recruitment and Partnerships, the University of Wolverhampton and Alex Blower, Access and Participation Manager, Arts University Bournemouth.

Episode 11 of our Global Student Marketing Podcast.  The new episode, titled: “The policy landscape concerning recruitment and admissions”, discusses the knock-on effect of policy changes to A levels and grading systems to institutions, alongside the changing subject choice trends and how institutions can best use data to shape approaches to UK student recruitment. Aaron Porter, Associate Director, IDP Connect is joined by Angelina Bingley, Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing at the University of East Anglia and Samir Shah, Head of Intelligence and Analytics, IDP Connect. 

With record numbers of students being accepted into their first-choice university in Clearing 2021, a number of challenges and lessons have been highlighted for institutions.  Episode 10 of our Global Student Marketing Podcast addresses these themes in more detail. Titled: “Dissecting Clearing 2021”, our latest podcast episode focuses on the reflections and important takeaways of Clearing for institutions. Key themes include analysis of recruitment operation outcomes, the impact of Teacher Assessed Grades and discussions on how institutions have adapted their student engagement strategies this summer.  Aaron Porter, Associate Director at IDP Connect, is joined by Danielle Fitzgerald, Director Future Student Office at University of Leicester and Charlotte Renwick, Associate Director Student Marketing and UK Recruitment at Leeds Beckett University.  

Aaron Porter, Associate Director at IDP Connect is joined by Caroline McDonald (Director of Access and Engagement) at Birbeck University and Alex Blower (Access and Participation Manager) at the Arts University Bournemouth.   Aaron discusses key themes around the delivery of outreach and widening participation in the virtual age. Over the last 14 months the pandemic has presented a huge challenge to universities, most of the focus has been on the experience of current students – the impact on delivering outreach and participation and the fact it needed to transform overnight has been discussed less. The panel will discuss how lockdown has changed their outreach activities including some stand out approaches in relation to virtual engagement.  The panel also discuss the challenge reaching students virtually and how universities have managed to overcome this obstacle. Additionally the panel discuss how virtual opportunities have made it possible to engage with non-traditional potential applicants and the changing way they are interacting with schools and colleges in the sector. 

Aaron Porter, Associate Director at IDP Connect is joined by Charlotte Renwick (Associate Director: Marketing & UK Recruitment) at Leeds Beckett University and Elliott Newstead (Head of UK Student Recruitment and Outreach) at the University of Leicester.   Aaron discusses some key topics and themes relating to engaging with prospective students in the age of COVID-19. There have been huge changes in the way that universities have to engage with prospective students, many of which were developed in a short space of time. Charlotte and Elliot discuss the changes they had to make at their institutions following the lockdown announcements on the 23 March 2021. Many institutions had move to virtual experiences for applicants and non-engaged enquirers. Universities needed to create valuable and high quality virtual events for students.  The panel discuss how they helped students make the difficult decision of selecting a university through virtual experiences to still allow students to get a 'feel' for a university, getting across the personality and community feel of an institution, albeit not in person. The panel also discuss which elements may continue into the future and what universities events will look like in the future. The panel look at how recruitment teams have engaged academics in a virtual environment - looking at how online events may make engaging with academic's diaries and teaching timetables easier - improving facetime for prospective student with academic colleagues at universities.

Aaron Porter, Associate Director at IDP Connect is joined by Becca Hill (Head of International Recruitment) at the University of Exeter Business School, Ben Fowler (Associate Director Curriculum Development) at Goldsmiths University and Samir Shah (Head of Intelligence and Analytics) at IDP Connect. Aaron discusses some key topics and themes relating to undertaking a portfolio review at a Higher Education Institution and how institutions can leverage data and insights to improve their decision.  Aaron hears from the experience of colleagues in the sector as they discuss their own experiences in portfolio development.  Samir Shah talks about the real-time top-of-funnel data available through IDP Connect across the domestic and international channels owned by the organisation. IDP Connect can provide (for international clients) additional bottom of funnel data powered by our recruitment data alongside qualitative data from our 127 offices across the world. Aaron and his panel also discusses the process of undertaking a course portfolio review. The courses an institution offers is probably one of the most important decisions it makes and therefore, the important of a data led approach to course portfolio development is paramount to success.