News 2009
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Tracking the International Student Experience at Further Education (FE) colleges in the UK
January 2010
i-graduate has been commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to examine the expectations and experiences of international non-EU students who undertake an FE course in the UK. The study will highlight areas of good practice and to inform areas for development, with the overall aim of improving the experience for this group of learners. i-graduate have teamed up with the Association of Colleges (AoC), Scotland's Colleges and UKCISA to undertake the study.
What is the study about?
The Prime Minister launched PMI2 in April 2006. It is a five year programme supported by some £33 million, jointly funded by government, the British Council and the education sector. The overall aim of PMI2 is to secure the UK's position as a leader in international Higher and Further education and sustain the managed growth of UK international education delivered both in the UK and overseas. PMI2 already has Higher Education and English Language Teaching student satisfaction indices to measure changes in international student satisfaction levels in those two sectors. To ensure that all sectors are being addressed by the Programme, international student satisfaction levels in the Further Education sector also need to be measured.
How can my college take part?
i-graduate are inviting all FE colleges in the UK to participate in the study, including private and public colleges. The study is fully funded by BIS and you will receive confidential feedback from your students, benchmarked against the sector average.
The study will comprise of a short, easy to complete online questionnaire to be completed by students currently undertaking an FE course in the UK. The questionnaire will ask students about their expectations and experiences of study, including value for money, course quality, accommodation, support and advisory services.
Please note, the deadline for registering your participation is Friday 5th February 2010.
For information on how to participate or further details please contact:
Naomi Kenny
International Graduate Insight Group (i-graduate)
E-mail: Naomi.kenny@i-graduate.org
Tel: +44 (0)207 222 7890
International Student Tracking Study to be announced
November 2009
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is about to ask i-graduate to carry out work looking at the geographic and occupational destinations of non-EU international students who graduate from UK higher education institutions (HEIs).
The main aim of the study is to improve our knowledge of what international students do after they graduate, what affects their decision making on this, what their future intentions are towards the UK and what their experiences of studying in the UK were. The study will also be used to assess the feasibility of including this group within future Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) surveys conducted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
The Department is very keen to encourage all institutions to participate so that the information obtained can build a picture across the nation and allow all HEIs to benchmark their position across the sector.
Over the coming weeks, i-graduate will be making contact directly with all HEIs in the UK to ask them to participate. Any involvement in the study will be on the basis that no individual HEI's results or individual graduates can be identified in any published reports about this study.
The study will be UK wide and will cover those who have studied at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Elements that the study is likely to address include:
- Occupational type and earnings
- Further study
- Location of graduate
- Factors influencing the decision to remain the UK after graduation
- Experience of the visa system
- Expectations/intentions of future links with the UK and with their HEI
- Experience of study in the UK - academic and pastoral
- Wider experience of living in the UK
For further information contact Jess Davison at i-graduate (jess.davison@i-graduate.org or 0207 222 7890) or Geoffrey Shoesmith at BIS (geoffrey.shoesmith@bis.gsi.gov.uk or 0114 259 3502)
i-graduate and UCAS launch International Decliners Study 2010
November 2009
UCAS and i-graduate are to team up to bring you the International Decliners Study 2010. The study will focus on the views and perceptions of international applicants at the decision making stage of the application process - including what factors influence whether they accept or decline a particular course or university - with the aim of helping institutions to improve their conversion rates. For further information about the project, please click here
A warm welcome to new ISB partners in Germany, Italy and Luxembourg
October 2009
We are delighted to welcome higher education institutions in Germany, Italy and Luxembourg to the International Student Barometer partnership. Through collaboration with HRK and DAAD, 49 German institutions will take part in the upcoming Wave, in addition to the participation of universities in Luxembourg and Italy.
The International Student Barometer is now the largest annual study of international students in the world, tracking the perceptions and motivations of students across 5 continents. The ISB is now run in 16 countries across the world and has provided over 270 higher education institutions with valuable insights and benchmarking comparisons. Over 35,000 international students responded to the most recent Wave of the study, providing feedback on their experience and enabling their respective institutions to benchmark the satisfaction of their international students against other national and international indices.
Germany
i-graduate are delighted to have formed a country-wide partnership with higher education institutions in Germany. Through a partnership with HRK (The German Rectors' Conference/ Hochschulrektorenkonferenz) and DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) under the GATE-Germany project, the International Student Barometer (ISB) research process has been adopted by 49 German Higher Education institutions who will participate in the upcoming survey Wave.
For more information about German internationalisation and higher education, visit:
- DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
- HRK (The German Rectors' Conference/Hochschulrektorenkonferenz)
- GATE-Germany
Luxembourg
Founded in 2003, The University of Luxembourg is the first and only university of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, the small state that sits between France, Germany and Belgium. The University of Luxembourg have adopted the International Student Barometer process to track the experiences and perceptions of their entire student cohort; 2384 domestic and 2510 international students will be invited to participate.
To find out more about the University of Luxembourg, click here.
Italy
The ISB tracking and benchmarking process has been adopted by Italy's Universita Bocconi. Founded in 1902, Universita Bocconi is a leading business university teaching economic knowledge to prospective managers and researchers from all over the world. The University will gather feedback on the experience of international students studying at Bocconi, as well as benchmarking responses against a European benchmark.
To find out more about Universita Bocconi, click here.
For further information about the International Student Barometer, please contact Jamie Taylor (jamie.taylor@i-graduate.org) or call +44(0)207 222 7890.
A global index of the English language student experience
September 2009
i-graduate are delighted to be working with English Australia on the ELICOS-Language Barometer, a large scale benchmarking study of the English language student experience in Australia.
The study will provide a unique measure of international student decision making, expectations and experiences across Australia's English language industry.
About English Australia and ELICOS
English Australia (EA) is the national peak body and professional association for the ELICOS sector of international education - with providers offering English Language Intensive Courses to Overseas Students. ELICOS programmes are designed for students who require English language training before commencing formal studies in Australia, with the Australian government offering an official ELICOS student visa especially for these students.
59 English language schools/centres registered to participate in the ELICOS Language Barometer project, and responses have been gathered from over 8,700 students.
The study will enable institutions to track the motivations, aspirations, expectations and experiences of international language students to understand where the Australian education experience excels, as well as identifying the areas that will benefit from additional resources.
For further information about English Australia, please click here.
Careers Guides for international students now available
September 2009
Satisfaction with employability and careers advise is consistently rated as an area of discontent amongst international students responding to the International Student Barometer. In an initiative to address this issue, i-graduate is delighted to announce the launch of a new series of guides for international graduates, produced in partnership with AGCAS and NASES with funding through PMI2. The 'Starting Your Career In....' country guides are aimed at students who have graduated following international study, and offer practical advice about looking for work upon returning home.
As well as providing information for international students and graduates, the guides will be a helpful source for careers practitioners and other professionals dealing with international students and graduates. Each country guide includes information about current trends in job market and sector-by-sector facts and opportunities, information particularly important in the context of the global financial crisis.
Advice is given about seeking employment in each country, as well as hints and tips for making a successful application, for example which personal information to include on a CV and how to approach an interview. The guides also list helpful in-country information sources such as job fairs, vacancy websites, and other recruitment media, in a digestible and approachable style.
"The 'Starting Your Career In...' guides were the result of a joint initiative between i-graduate, AGCAS and NASES, and utilise information gathered through the International Student Barometer, with expert insight from Expertise in Labour Mobility (ELM).
They are currently available for the following nine countries: Australia, China, Russia, United Arab Emirates, USA, Singapore, Canada, India and Japan. The second series of countries will soon be available.
The guides were made possible through funding from the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) under the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education (PMI2).
The series can be downloaded from the AGCAS website here.
For more information about Expertise in Labour Mobility, please click here.
Are your alumni your ambassadors?
August 2009
New data from the Alumni Barometer indicates that international alumni are more likely to give back to their university. Will Archer joined a panel of education professionals at the CASE Europe Annual Conference to discuss approaches to measuring alumni engagement and satisfaction.
Will introduced key topline findings from i-graduate's Alumni Barometer, indicating key differences between the perceptions and motivations of domestic and international alumni.
Staying connected and giving back
Aggregated data from the Alumni Barometer indicates that international alumni are more philanthropic when it comes to giving back to their institution. International alumni are more keen to get involved in events and alumni activities compared with domestic alumni, such as volunteering as a career mentor or starting an alumni association.
Overall, almost two thirds of international and UK alumni felt 'connected' with their university, and overall 81% feel they receive the right amount of communication.
The big earners
The Alumni Barometer study tracks reflections regarding the university experience, as well as collecting information about career progression and status including salary.
Aggregated data indicates that male alumni appear to be earning considerably more than their female counterparts; 57% are earning above £50,000 per annum, compared with 19% of female alumni.
Banking/finance/insurance and the legal sectors are unsurprisingly the highest salaried, compared with education, research and environment/conservation where substantially greater proportions of alumni earning salaries below £40,000.
About the Alumni Barometer
In 2008 and 2009, 15 institutions in the UK and Europe adopted the Alumni Barometer process to receive benchmarked data, with feedback collected from over 33,000 international and domestic alumni.
The Alumni Barometer is a tracking mechanism and comparative benchmark for institutions committed to understanding the outcomes, career progression and reflections of alumni, both international and domestic alumni.
For further information about the Alumni Barometer, click here or to secure your institution's participation, please contact Felice Nightingale (felice.nightingale@i-graduate.org)
Spain and Estonia join our global research partnership
May 2009
i-graduate are pleased to announce two new country-wide partnerships with institutions in Spain and Estonia, which have both adopted the International Student Barometer (ISB) research process. The ISB is now the largest annual study of international students in the world, tracking perceptions and motivations of students in 13 countries across 5 continents.
Spain
i-graduate will monitor the motivations, aspirations, expectations and experiences of international students in Spain through a new partnership with FundacionUniversidad.es. The organisation was set up in 2008 by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation to increase the visibility of the Spanish Higher Education system. The FundacionUniversidad.es initiative is central to the University Strategy 2015, for the modernisation of the Spanish universities and aims to promote the teaching and scientific excellence, the internationalisation of the university system and its involvement in economic change based on knowledge and improving innovation.
The ISB will run as a nationwide initiative across up to 77 HE institutions in Spain. Find out more about the FundacionUniversidad.es here.
Estonia
In Estonia, i-graduate has formed a partnership with the Archimedes Foundation to analyse the international student experience at 7 Estonian institutions.
The Archimedes Foundation is an independent body established by the Estonian government in 1997 with the objective to coordinate and implement different international and national programmes and projects in the field of training, education, research, technological development and innovation. The Foundation actively participates in building a knowledge-based Europe by helping to open up the education and training systems in Estonia through European cooperation programmes and by creating conditions for participation through accreditation and evaluation of higher education. Find out more about the Archimedes Foundation here.
For more information about the International Student Barometer, please contact info@i-graduate.org.
i-graduate are now hiring
May 2009
i-graduate runs the world's largest study of international students and a suite of comparative stakeholder studies for higher education providers and government agencies in 13 countries. We're a young, fast-growing and independent organisation, committed to improving the education experience for students and educators worldwide. If you're one of the smartest people you know, we'd like you to consider joining us.
Click here to find out about our latest opportunities for consultants, analysts and project managers.
NAFSA 2009 Conference and Expo
24th - 29th May 2009
Los Angeles Convention Center
One of the key events on the calendar of many international educators, the NAFSA Annual Conference and Expo, took place in Los Angeles from May 24th-29th. If you requested any information from us, this will be with you soon.
The i-graduate team were represented at NAFSA by:
- Will Archer (Director)
- Jenni Parsons (Head of Client Services, UK)
- Nannette Ripmeester (Head of Client Services, Europe)
Will Archer facilitated an interactive seminar session entitled "Enhancing the International Student Experience: Case Studies in Excellence'. The session featured as part of the International Student and Scholar Services Knowledge Community on Friday 29th May at 11am.
Featuring representatives from some of the world's top institutions, the session used feedback from the International Student Barometer process to reveal how the international student experience compares globally. The session examined how individual universities are using feedback from international students and comparative benchmarking to improve service provision for international students within their institution. Session attendees were invited to participate in an interactive discussion to exchange best practice in service provision for international students, and how to effectively use research outcomes as a tool to identify priority areas for investment and support.
The objectives of the session:
- Share the latest data from the largest annual study of international students, the International Student Barometer
- Present examples of excellence in international student service provision through case studies from leading institutions
- Discuss how benchmarking data can be used to facilitate improvement
- Exchange best practice for improving the international student experience
Chair: William Archer, Director, i-graduate
Speakers:
Chris Madden, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International), Griffith University, Australia
Ronald Cushing, Director of UC International Services, University of Cincinnati, USA
Gill Nicholls, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of Salford, UK
For more information click here
Will Archer speaks at International Student Experience Conference
Will Archer recently spoke at the annual International Student Experience in Higher Education Conference, which took place on Tuesday 28 April 2009 in Central London. Will Archer, Director of i-graduate, gave a plenary address examining what international students get out of the UK student experience and what institutions can do to improve it.
Chaired by John O'Leary, former Editor, Times Higher Education Supplement, the conference brought together Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Directors of international strategy and student services along with other senior representatives concerned with international strategic developments in higher education, to discuss the importance of the student experience for international students. It looked at the rise of the "global citizen', their experience in the UK and the importance of encouraging the already world-class higher education system to develop as a truly global leader.
Recruitment and retention of international students play an important role in the multiculturalism of UK universities. However, for UK institutions to become truly international and engaged in a globalised higher education sector, considerations have to go beyond attracting international students and take into account more complex challenges that will shape their experience in the UK.
In light of a probable world-wide recession, the student experience is key to attracting international students. Issues of value for money, integration, ease of visa application, post-university employment, accommodation, academic support and common questions such as the ease of obtaining a bank account all play into whether international students will apply to a particular university. With PMI2 working to establish UK higher education institutions as the number one destination for international students it is important that the sector work together to improve that all important student experience.
Click here for agenda and speaker updates.
Rethinking HE: Attracting International Research Students, Strategy and Practice
i-graduate's recent conference "Rethinking HE: Attracting International Research Students, Strategy and Practice" attracted over 120 senior officers from HE sectors in 11 countries, who gathered to consider how nations and institutions can maintain their competitive edge in attracting international research students. The themes addressed are of key strategic importance to both UK and international universities given the economic benefit and research outputs PhD students bring, which in turn boosts departmental, institutional and national reputations.
A story about the conference and the issues raised was reported in The Australian:
International link the way of future
Aban Contractor in London | March 11, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THE future of British postgraduate research would be better served by greater collaborative partnerships with overseas universities, Higher Education and Intellectual Property Minister David Lammy has told a meeting of 120 delegates from 11countries.
His comments were backed by a host of academics and top bureaucrats, including the deputy vice-chancellor (international and development) of the University of Queensland, Trevor Grigg, who suggested that, instead of competition, universities should see partnerships as a form of co-operation to attract the best and brightest postgraduate researchers.
Speaking at the Rethinking Higher Education conference in London last week, Mr Lammy emphasised the importance of postgraduate mobility and the need to look at a coherent postgraduate strategy to ensure that research careers in Britain remained attractive.
"Of almost a quarter of a million students from outside the European Union who are currently studying here, more than half are postgraduates," he said. "International students comprise over 40 per cent of all our research postgraduates, more than any other country I could name."
He denied claims that the British Government's new points-based migration system would harm the multibillion-pound overseas student industry, saying there were a lot of scare stories about the effects it would have on the recruitment of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The minister warned that universities would be expected to take responsibility for the students they sponsor.
"Let me say this for the record: the new migration system is designed to be clearer and simpler for those we want to come to the UK, such as students, (while) being robust against abuse. We have simplified the visa arrangements for sponsored researchers and, only last week, we announced that visas would be awarded for the full length of students' courses.
"But universities have responsibilities too. It can only be right that sponsors are responsible for those migrants they bring into the country and this must include the reporting of enrolment, non-attendance and discontinuation by students."
The conference, organised by Universities UK and the International Graduate Insight Group (i-graduate), looked at the benefits to British and international universities that the research outputs of PhD students brought, including the boost to departmental, institutional and national reputations.
Mr Lammy said in the future more universities would enter into collaborative partnerships with overseas universities, following the 95 international research co-operation projects already established through the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education.
I-graduate director William Archer said that national and institutional strategies were constantly being adapted worldwide in a bid to outshine competitors in attracting international research students.
"Awareness of the different approaches and strategies adopted by competitor nations is critical. The choices for students are changing all the time. For this reason it is more important than ever for institutions to track the decision-making, expectations and perceptions of their research students and to monitor against changing trends," he said.
UUK's higher education international unit head Shaun Curtis said British universities were highly successful in attracting postgraduate research students from across the world. "We have a 15 per cent sha?e of the global market (the highest per capita in the world), but competitor countries such as Australia and the US are implementing strategies to increase their market share."
UUK president Rick Trainor said that "now was not the time (for Britain) to pull up the drawbridge". British universities and the British economy needed access to the best and brightest students from across the world. Solutions to the global downturn would be found in greater internationalisation, not less, he said.
Professor Grigg stressed the importance of Australian universities in the country's push to innovate. The blend of different agendas including collaboration, revenue generation and human resource development would vary country by country. The future of internationalised universities would focus on international research partnerships. He suggested that instead of competition, institutions should perhaps see engagement in partnership as co-operation with other countries to attract the best and brightest young researchers.
The British Government plans to outline a new framework for higher education later in the year.
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