Gyongyi

To all higher education institutions in the UK: Find out more and get involved in our 2020/21 study on the international student customer journey

International student choice and decision-making

The 2020/21 academic year isn’t like any before, however there is something to look forward to.

We are running, for the 7^th time, our annual survey among new international students studying at UK Higher Education Institutions, with the ongoing support of the British Council and the GREAT/Study UK campaign. This survey explores the student customer journey, decision-making process and the UK’s perceived competitive strengths and weaknesses as a study destination. We had very good engagement from the sector in previous years, with up to 4,500 respondents from 70+ universities.

We very much appreciate the ongoing support from UK universities. We will be in touch directly in regards to the new wave of the research with institutions where we have direct contacts. If your institution has not participated in previous years or you wish to find out more about the research directly, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Each participating institution will receive a free summary report with opportunity for further in-depth analysis (e.g. by institution, citizenship), subject to response rates.

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Brexit – is it a positive or a negative for international recruitment?

We asked new international students about Brexit and its impact on their views regarding aspects of UK higher education. When asking them, these students had just started their course in the UK in Autumn 2016 and 2017 respectively. The picture they paint us is somewhat confusing, to say the least, and goes against many of the rhetoric that we can hear from media.

The new cohort starting in 2017 seems more hopeful than the one the year before. This is consistent across EU and non-EU (Rest of World) nationals. The share of new internationals students reporting a positive impact of Brexit on their perceptions of the overall attractiveness of the UK as a place to study has gone up by 4% points among EU/EEA nationals and by 5% points among RoW nationals. In line with this, the share of those reporting a negative impact of Brexit on the same aspect has gone down by 7% point among EU/EEA nationals and by 3% points among RoW nationals.

It is very hard to tell whether this is a mere coincidence, or whether the UK is attracting more international students who see the positives of Brexit.

We are very curious about this year’s results to see whether the trend keeps going in the same direction or not.

We are now in the process of conducting the fifth wave of our research among new international students. If you are interested in finding out more about the current or previous research, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If your institution intends to take part in the research, please read the call for participation.

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Here and there – TNE as a way of gaining an international qualification

The third wave of our research conducted among new international students starting their course at a UK universities in the academic year 2016/17 confirmed that there are many routes that international students take to arrive at UK universities. Three in five come directly from school or university but, a significant share (29%) were actually working prior to starting their current course. This share rises to nearly half among new international postgraduate students.

Although potentially of less economic value to UK universities, those on TNE courses and only doing part of their course in the UK, are an increasingly important group. Nearly three in ten new international students opt for this mode of study for various financial and personal reasons. This share rises to four in ten among international undergraduates. In some origin countries this represents a significant part of the HE course provision (over two thirds of new undergraduates from China and nearly half of those from Malaysia claim to be TNE students).

We are now in the process of setting up the fourth wave or our research among new international students. If you are interested in finding out more about the current or previous research, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If your institution participated in the research and you have not received a headline report, please get in touch.

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Market Analyst Internship

This is a 3 month paid internship position with view to permanent role.

A Market Analyst Intern required for small, fast growing research consultancy in SW London with international client base.

Blue chip clients include IKEA, the John Lewis Partnership, the British Council, Signet Group, the Independent Schools Council, the GREAT Britain campaign and Empiric Student Property.

The successful candidate will undertake quantitative analysis of market, consumer and industry data, help to generate business relevant insights and contribute to all aspects of project delivery, especially to the preparation of reports and client presentations.

Applicants should have a degree(s) in a quantitative discipline, most likely statistics, business, economics, econometrics or quantitative social science and ideally have some familiarity with market research.

The role will suit an enthusiastic, ambitious graduate or someone in early stage career.

Required

Eligible to work in UK
Fluent English
Good and relevant degree from a recognised University
Highly numerate
Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
IT, web and social media literate
Motivated and self-starter
Team player
Flexibility
Smart and presentable

Desirable

Familiarity with SPSS, R, Q or other analysis software
Market research experience
Other languages

What we can offer

Immediate start on full-time or part-time basis
Proactive and dynamic environment where you can progress your career and learn from industry experts

Please send your brief cover letter alongside your updated CV outlining your qualifications, relevant experience and availability to careers@researchstories.co.uk.

Please note that we will only reply to candidates invited to interview.

Diversity

We believe that diversity is strength and that the differences between people add value to our organisation. We are committed to equality and diversity and positively welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, religion or age.

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The Lycée Winston Churchill; the future for intercultural education?

In September we were delighted to be invited to the official opening by the President of France of the Lycée International de Londres Winston Churchill on the site of the former Brent Town Hall in Wembley.

The new Lycée complements the long-established Lycée Charles de Gaulle in Kensington and the recently opened Collège Français Bilingue de Londres in Kentish Town in reflecting and responding to the needs of the rapidly growing French and Francophone population in London.

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UK higher education faces growing international competition including from within the EU

The UK education brand remains strong with a reputation for academic quality, the English language and UK culture and lifestyle being key strengths. However, there is growing competition for international students not only from key English language speaking countries such as USA, Australia and Canada but also from European competitors such as Germany or France.

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Parents highly satisfied with state boarding provision reveals our latest research

Almost all parents of boarders at state boarding schools claim that their child is happy boarding (93%) and would recommend their child’s school or boarding to others (95%), reveals our latest research commissioned by the State Boarding Schools’ Association (SBSA).

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