TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT FESTIVALS AIM TO REVOLUTIONISE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RECRUITMENT
London, 29 April 2021
Times Higher Education (THE) today announced the launch of THE Student Festivals – a new event series aimed at revolutionising international student recruitment.
With the global events industry moving to online delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic, and through focus groups and surveys with some of the 14 million annual student visitors to its website, THE recognised that Gen Z prospective international students want audience-led, interactive digital events that shake up the traditional university fair model.
In the most recent survey, conducted earlier in April, only 55% of respondents believed they would be able to gather all of the information they require to make a decision about where to study at a traditional, in-person university fair. 90% of students value the idea of being able to speak to a range of universities at one event, from home with the same percentage saying that having the option of video on demand is important.
THE Student Festivals will bring a global audience of prospective students and world-leading academic institutions together on a scale never seen before, to provide a holistic experience of upcoming life on campus. They aim to help them choose the right university not just in terms of the academic experience but the cultural, social and community offers that define your time at university and set you up for your future career.
The April survey also revealed that when it comes to content prospective international students are most interested in having one-to-one conversations with university representatives and hearing from experts in their subject area (both 90%). They also value hearing from current students at their preferred universities (82%) and students and alumni from their home country (77% and 74% respectively) when deciding where they want to study.
THE Student Festivals plans to bring all of this content together through a range of diverse speakers, sharing insight on life during and after study. Prospective students can also immerse themselves in virtual campus tours, meet with the resident e-sports association, and more. The Festivals will explore everything university life has to offer by putting community-building and peer-to-peer connections at their heart.
THE Student Festivals will be free to attend with a focus on study in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.
Jamie Ramacciotti, Head of Content – Student Events, at THE commented,
“The pandemic has been really tough when it comes to attracting international students. Traditional university fairs have always been an important part of the decision-making process for those looking to study abroad. But the last year has seen these disrupted, and it’s clear that our Gen Z audience want to be able to engage with their prospective universities online as well as in-person, both now and in the future.
“Launching THE Student Festival provides an accessible, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way to connect a global audience of students with prospective universities in a memorable and engaging way, so they can walk away knowing exactly what it would be like to study abroad in their chosen country.”