Guiding Students to the Highest Bidder

Credit: Fatal Flaw Literary Magazine I recently had a video chat with a US secondary colleague who expressed frustration over how hard it is to work with education agents in Vietnam, many of whom seem mostly concerned with the amount of the commission they will receive for each student. Since this particular high school's commission … Continue reading Guiding Students to the Highest Bidder

Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education (Spring 2023)

A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Challenges and Best Practices This is the very long and descriptive title of a forthcoming book edited by Pii-Tuulia Nikula, Principal Academic, Te Pukenga – New Zealand Institute of Technology and Skills, Vincenzo Raimo, an independent higher education consultant and Visiting Fellow at the University of Reading, where he previously served … Continue reading Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education (Spring 2023)

Fact-Checking a Recent PIE News Article About Viet Nam

Face-to-face key to recruiting Vietnam Gen Z This 8 July 2022 article by Helen Packer, which is essentially an advertorial for INTO, includes some facts and figures that are inaccurate. While I agree with the thesis, i.e., the importance of face-to-face recruiting, I feel compelled to offer these corrections in point/counterpoint fashion. Point #1: Approximately … Continue reading Fact-Checking a Recent PIE News Article About Viet Nam

Imagine a World Without Education Agents (I Wonder If You Can)

Here's my latest essay for University World News. The title is intended to be provocative but tells only part of the story. The spotlight is on what many of us refer to as the fatal flaw in commissions-based international student recruitment. Read the entire essay to find out the rest. Start with the above summary … Continue reading Imagine a World Without Education Agents (I Wonder If You Can)

Investing in International Student Recruitment

Courtesy BridgeU I'm sorry but there are no free rides in the world of international student recruitment unless your institution is a global brand, e.g., Harvard, Oxford, etc. In the case of the US, think top 50, including Ivy League, schools. They built it a long time ago, have an international reputation, and prestige to … Continue reading Investing in International Student Recruitment

Consolidation expected after Covid-19 agency business slump

This is a 29.5.20 PIE News article for which I was interviewed. Below are my answers in their entirety. What role will agents play in the recovery from Covid-19? Obviously, because international travel will be limited for quite some time, institutions that partner with education agents will have to rely on them now more than … Continue reading Consolidation expected after Covid-19 agency business slump

Secret (Education) Agents' Cover Blown!

Courtesy of Robert Canfield, Dribble Spying in the Education Industry: Room for Improvement? Maybe some company staff have more time on their hands because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its decidedly adverse impact on the economy, including the education industry. Or maybe they simply don't have enough to do. Whatever the reason, I've seen an … Continue reading Secret (Education) Agents' Cover Blown!

“Ethical agents should support direct student admissions”

Students occasionally ask one co-author, who has lived and worked in Viet Nam since 2005, whether or not they can apply directly. The answer is an enthusiastic ‘Yes’, if they feel sufficiently confident. The original working title, Imagine a World Without Agents, We Wonder If You Can - with a grateful nod to John Lennon … Continue reading “Ethical agents should support direct student admissions”

Commissions-Based International Student Recruitment Agents: Is There a Better Way?

Wednesday, May 29, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM   If you're planning to attend the 2019 annual conference of NAFSA:  Association of International Educators in Washington, D.C. and you're interested in this topic, mark your conference calendar!   Join me, Eddie West, session chair and Executive Director, International Programs, University of California-Berkeley Extension, and Mayumi Kowta, Director, International Programs California … Continue reading Commissions-Based International Student Recruitment Agents: Is There a Better Way?

Unofficial, Pre-Conference Seminar About Commissions-Based Recruitment @ NAFSA 2019

 Ethical Commissions-Based Recruitment:  The Need for a New Way Join Mark Ashwill, managing director and co-founder of Capstone Vietnam, a full-service educational consulting company in Viet Nam and former country director of the Institute of International Education-Viet Nam, Eddie West, assistant dean, UC Berkeley Extension, and executive director, international programs, and former director of international … Continue reading Unofficial, Pre-Conference Seminar About Commissions-Based Recruitment @ NAFSA 2019