“The university experience is totally different now, so we need to create content that reflects this new world.”
Interview with Helena Thompson, International Marketing Manager at Aston University.
The “What education marketers are saying” series shares insight from marketers working in the education sector, whether that’s for universities, agencies or student communities.
Interview
Education Marketer (Kyle): What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever experienced while on an international trip?
Helena: I could talk about weird and wonderful cuisines, or tales of lost luggage and woe, but instead I'll mention the time that I was given a pigeon to hold while standing on a street in Delhi. I quickly gave it back, stormed off and doused my hands in sanitiser. (I later found out that it was part of an organised crime ploy). You live and learn.
Kyle: What tactics have you introduced since restrictions have been placed on international travel?
Helena: One silver lining of the pandemic has been the wider integration of digital activities into our marketing, which allows us to provide better opportunities to international applicants. Unless you were resident in the UK, or a major overseas city, the chances of you previewing our teaching were low (something usually only accessible via traditional on-campus open days, or occasional overseas tours).
This year, we’ve invited more people to real online lectures than ever before. We’ve also improved the experience of our virtual tours, and we’re connecting prospective students with academics, alumni, and our current students on a much larger scale.
Kyle: What will your international student ambassadors be focusing on this year?
Helena: Creating lots of authentic content. The university experience is totally different now, so we need to create content that reflects this new world. Since the pandemic continues to be a source of apprehension for international applicants, I find that connecting them with current students and showing them what life is really like ‘on the other side’ can help alleviate their concerns.
The more information that people can get, the better, and this needs to be from a wider range of sources than just official marketing content.
Kyle: Do you think the boom in remote working will threaten the traditional on-campus teaching model for international students over the next five years?
Helena: Blended learning could open up British universities to a new subset of international students. Whilst I'm a firm believer in the benefit of studying abroad for a whole year (since there is so much to learn outside of the classroom), it is also very expensive to do so.
Perhaps blended learning will allow for international students to spend shorter periods on campus. Surely living in the UK for one term, or even a few weeks each term, is better than not studying overseas at all?
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