A new report from British Council and Studyportals, “Mapping English-taught Programmes Worldwide,” reveals that in 2024, there are 22% more on-campus English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programmes (ETPs) being delivered globally than in 2021. Much of the growth has occurred in alternative (“non-traditional”) destinations.
Data for the report was primarily drawn from Studyportals’ database, which comprises more than 240,000 ETPs worldwide and encompasses over 3,500 higher education institutions.
The number of ETPs has, since 2014, tripled to 40,786 in countries outside of Australia, Canada, the UK, and US (aka the “Big Four” anglophone destinations), with most of these ETPs being offered at the master’s level (63%).
Growth of ETPs outside of the Big Four, 2019–2024. There are 48% more ETPs in alternative destinations in 2024 than in 2019. Source: Studyportals and British Council
Which alternative destinations offer the most ETPs?
The region commanding the highest share of ETPs outside the Big Four is the European Higher Education Area (50%). Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands offer the most ETPs in Europe, but the fastest growth in English-taught programmes has occurred in Türkiye, Italy, and Portugal.
After Europe, East Asia offers the second-highest number of ETPs outside of the Big Four (12%.) Studyportals notes an important shift in the distribution of ETPs in Asia:
“It is valuable to highlight that the availability of ETPs in East Asia has far surpassed the supply of the Chinese region, which is a considerable shift from what was seen in the 2021 report. As a result, this puts East Asia in a new perspective as it expands on the internationalisation of programmes, in particular with programmes offered by Malaysian institutions.”
South Africa is another country that offers more ETPs than China.
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ETPs by region. Most ETPs outside of Australia, Canada, the UK, and US are in Europe. Source: Studyportals and British Council
Market share declines for Big Four
As ETPs increase in alternative destinations, the market share of ETPs claimed by the Big Four has dropped from 82% in 2021 to 78% in 2024. While this is a notable drop, the Big Four do still offer the vast majority of ETPs.
Why ETP growth in non-traditional destinations is increasingly important
The implications of more ETPs being delivered in alternative destinations are quite significant. Edwin van Rest, co-founder and CEO of Studyportals, said:
“The surge in English-taught programmes outside traditional anglophone destinations marks a significant shift in global education. As universities across the globe rapidly adopt English as a medium of instruction this means more symmetrical talent flows as traditional student origin countries also become more compelling study destinations. This expansion provides students with more competitive and affordable opportunities, while also intensifying the competition for established institutions, particularly in light of stricter entry requirements and visa uncertainties.”
Alternative destinations are poised to win still greater market share of students seeking English-taught programmes given policy developments in Australia, Canada, and the UK that are making it more difficult for many students to obtain visas to study in those countries.
Studyportals elaborates:
“The expansion of on-campus English-taught programmes outside the traditional anglophone destinations has profound implications for global student mobility. This trend means that prospective students now have access to a broader array of academic programmes in a wider range of countries than ever before.”
Popular fields of study
The highest rate of growth for ETPs (from 2019 to 2024) is accounted for by Computer Science & IT (+63%) – a broad field that includes Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Software Engineering, and Data Analytics – as well as Natural Sciences & Mathematics and Agriculture & Forestry (both +62%). Notable increases also characterise Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences (+58%), Humanities (+58%), Medicine & Health (+57%), Engineering & Technology (+54%), and Education & Training (+50%).
ETPs by country
The following table from the report details the number of ETPs in various destination countries.
Distribution of ETPs across countries. Source: Studyportals and British Council
The maiden edition of the Cross River State Student Leadership Conference 2024 was held on Friday, 31st May, at the Prof. Eyo-Ita House in Marian, Calabar. Organized by the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, the event aimed to empower student leaders by fostering a culture of service and capacity development.
In his opening speech, Comrade Enyam Joseph-Kelvin, the Special Assistant on Student Affairs to the Executive Governor of Cross River State, highlighted the importance of the conference. He emphasized that this initiative marks the beginning of an annual tradition where student leaders from various institutions across the state can come together to discuss their challenges and seek solutions through collaboration with the government.
“Over the years, we’ve not had the opportunity of discussing like this as leaders across various institutions in the state. And I feel it’s time to begin to discuss,” said Joseph-Kelvin. He further stressed the government’s commitment to ensuring a conducive learning environment for all students in the state, regardless of their origin.
Joseph-Kelvin conveyed a goodwill message from the Executive Governor of Cross River state, Sen. Bassey Otu, who was unable to attend due to pressing national duties. He assured the attendees that the government is dedicated to making significant infrastructural developments and attracting investments to the state.
“Our state today is getting investors from across the world. We are getting a lot of interventions. Our state is opening up for the first time, opening to investments, opening to a lot of things that will boost our capacity,” Joseph-Kelvin noted. He encouraged students to build their capacity and be ready for the positive changes coming to the state.
The keynote speakers especially Commissioner Mike Odere shared their experiences and offered guidance on various topics, aiming to equip the student leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. The Special Assistant urged the students to listen attentively and apply the lessons learned to their leadership roles and future endeavors.
Joseph-Kelvin expressed optimism about the future of the conference and its impact on student leadership in the state. “This is an opportunity for us to begin to chart a direction. Going forward, we believe that this event will become an annual event in Cross River State under my office,” he stated.
The conference ended with a renewed sense of purpose among the student leaders, who were left inspired and equipped to make a positive impact in their respective institutions and communities.
Notable speakers included Hon. Emmanuel Ironbar the chief of staff to the state governor, Ekpenyong Akiba, Esq, the Special Adviser on General Duties, Hon. Justin Atiang Beshel, Hon. Mike Odere, Commissioner Of Finance, Barr. Odum Ijom Ukam, Commissioner for Youths development, Hon. Pius Edet the commissioner Of works and infrastructure, Sen. Stephen Odey, Commissioner Of Education, Rt. Hon. George O’ben-Etchi, Ph.D, Chairman, Cross River State Forestry Commission, Amb. Chris Lekan of CRID, Hon. Stanley Boyce Nsemo of the 10th Cross River State House of Assembly (CRSHA), Hon. Bassey Effiong Bassey, Chairman, House Committee on Education of the 10th CRSHA, and many others.
The event also saw participation from several media partners, including AIT, NTA, Arise News, and Sparkling 92.3 FM. It was an opportunity for students to gain insights from experienced leaders and to chart a new direction for student leadership in Cross River State.
The Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik) Awka, Anambra state, His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba, Gbong Gwon Jos has said his highly proud of the education advancement of the university, been named among ten best varsity in Nigeria, 200 globally.
The Majesty, who stated this during the Valedictory/Thanksgiving Service and Book launch of the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Charles Esimone held at the Institution on Sunday, also commended Esimone’s uprightness in piloting the affairs of the university in the last five years.
He said that the outgoing Vice Chancellor demonstrated a strong leadership quality that helped to raise the bar of the university and transformed it to a greater height.
According to him, Esimone achieved so much in the last five years that the incoming one will battle to meet.
“Esimone achieved so much and we prayed that his successor will achieve more. We also prayed that the standard he raised the university is not lowered ” he said.
He also commended the outgoing Vice Chancellor for the smooth transition of power, noting that he had not seen such a smooth transition of power before in the university.
The Chancellor said that Esimone had done well in the Institution’s management and prayed that the new one will follow suit.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said he will create a total of 40 million jobs within his four years in office.
He noted that the feat will be achieved under the Labour and Empowerment Enhancement Programme LEEP.
The President disclosed this at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik) Awka 18th Convocation ceremony held at the Varsity Convocation Arena, on Friday.
Represented by the Director Tertiary Education in the Ministry of Education Mrs Rekia Iliasu, Tinubu stated that the program is to creat 10 million jobs through the creation of 2.5 million jobs.
“It is imperative to note that education cannot be considered in isolation from the labour market, which is to absorb the products from the various tiers of education.”
“In this regard we have through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment recently inaugurated the Labour Employment Enhancement Programme LEEP whose intent is to creat ten million jobs through two and half million jobs annually for the next four years.”
“This programme aims to to train and equip young Nigerians with the necessary tools and opportunities for employment, importantly self – employment, through the strategies of digital skills initiatives, vocational entrepreneurial skills programs, Infrastructure update and the National Electronic Labour Exchange NELEX,” he said.
In his address at the occasion the out going Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Prof Charles Okechekwu Esimone announced that a total of 7,033 students are graduating as first degree and post graduate and also Post Graduate Diploma.
Esimone also announced that in the last five years of his tenure in office as Vice Chancellor, projects attracted and executed cost the sum of N60 billion.
“In summary, the following were completed through TET Fund projects, seven Federal Government Capital Releases on Infrastructure and five on Capacity Building, thirty seven Internally Generated Revenue Projects, four Presidential Needs Assessment Projects, and twelve Endowment Projects more details can be found in the book referred to above.
The total projects attracted are estimated conservatively at over sixty billion naira,” he noted.
The U.S. for Success Coalition launched a campaign today in a bid to improve visa processing for foreign students planning to study in the United States for the 2024/25 academic year. The campaign calls on international educators to reach out to their representatives in the US Congress, and in turn for Congress to intervene to ease backlogs for visa appointments, speed processing times, and reduce rejection rates.
The campaign points out that “a large number of F-1 student visa applicants are facing excessively long interview wait times, adjudication and processing delays, and a disproportionately high visa denial rate for those coming from Africa.”
As we reported recently, US government data reveals that, “More than a third of prospective international students applying to study in the US [in 2023] were turned away. The F-1 visa refusal rate surged to 36% in 2023 for a total of 253,355 refusals, higher even than in 2022. What’s more, the rate of refusal for student visas was nearly twice that of refusal for other types of visas.”
Those historically high refusal rates are particularly affecting students from the Global South, notably those from India and Africa.
And wait times for visa appointments are also trending much longer this year, with reported waits of up to 100 or 350 days, or more, depending on the student’s country of origin. That severe bottleneck is now putting more students at risk of missing the start of the coming academic year.
A new report from Shorelight points out that, “For many students, the few, tense minutes of a visa interview can define or confine their future.” It underscores as well that the process is especially challenging for African students: “The African continent…has by far the highest visa denial rate than any other world region…In 2022, the visa denial rates for central, eastern, western, and northern Africa ranged between 48% and 71%.” According to Shorelight’s analysis, that means that the US turned away just over 92,000 potential African students in the five years between 2018 and 2022. The report concludes that, “If the US is going to enrol an increasing diversity of students from all world regions, the issue of student visa denial rates will need to be addressed so that a visa never stands in the way of qualified students being able to study in the United States.”
The view from NAFSA
“Part of the issue is the sheer number of applicants that are coming in and the number of [interview slots available,” says Dr Fanta Aw, the CEO and Executive Director of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. “One of the things I’ve come to appreciate in our conversations with the Department of State is that there are several constraints they face. Staffing, for example. There are only so many counsellors available and only so many hours in the week they are working. Those specific limits on capacity are compounded by the fact that we need to help modernise our government agencies. There is a mindset that we look at what happened last year, we may make some adjustments here and there but we’re really not paying attention to what I call predictive analytics.” Essentially, what Dr Aw is pointing to is the need to plan more proactively to increase visa processing capacity in countries where there is particularly high and/or quickly growing demand.
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That those capacity issues are now reflecting in longer wait times for visa appointments and higher rejection rates is in turn a reflection of increasing application volumes, and some important shifts in where those applications are coming from (in particular that greater numbers are coming from the Global South and especially from India and Africa). “When you see exponential increase in demand and yet your process has not evolved to catch up and to be responsive to that demand, that is why we are now seeing this bottleneck [in visa processing] that is getting worse.” She adds that the Department of State reports issuing more visas than ever before: “They are doing the best they can with the resources they have but relative to the demand it just doesn’t move the needle.”
The new campaign is clearly aimed at easing the process for students coming to the US in 2024/25, but it has a longer-term goal as well. “There are two goals of the campaign,” says Dr Aw. “One is that it is incredibly important for everyone’s benefit that there be more transparency in the process” – with the idea that students and institutions and stakeholders alike can understand better the variables that influence visa processing and the timing of the process. “More importantly, there needs to be a sense of urgency,” she continues, “that wherever they can build capacity, they are able to do so. We need to prioritise that. This is an effort to turn the attention of Congress. We’ve got to ensure we are not turning away such vast numbers of students. It’s not just that you lose those students for a year; it’s more significant than that. Because the word spreads among students that [the F-1 application process] is not something you should even try, and that has repercussions for the next admissions cycle and so on.”
“We are cautiously optimistic that [the campaign] can help some of the students to get here, but we also need to shed light on the urgency of this and get our Congress to get engaged.” International educators in the US can use this link to access a ready-to-send letter in support of the campaign.
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Language: Portuguese
Main language of instruction: Portuguese but English is now a compulsory subject in secondary school.
English proficiency: “Low” (#70 of 113 countries ranked on the EF English Proficiency Index, #15 of 20 Latin American countries).
Religion: Predominantly Catholic – Brazil has more Roman Catholics than any other country in the world.
Geography: Brazil occupies almost half of South America and borders the Atlantic Ocean. Its border countries are Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Key student cities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, Campinas, and Curitiba.
Outbound students: The latest UNESCO count of Brazilians abroad for higher education was 89,150. However, that number will primarily reflect those that go abroad for higher education. And, as you’ll read in this article, our own research shows more than 110,000 Brazilian students abroad at various levels – and including English-language study – in 2023/24.
Top levels of study for Brazilian students looking at study abroad: Most of Brazil’s outbound students are pursuing English-language courses, but there are also significant numbers opting for higher education.
Brazil is quite simply one of the most promising markets for international recruiters in 2024.
A massive economy with unmet potential
Brazil is one of the world’s most important economies. It is usually counted in the top ten or just outside that tier, and it is a founding member of the powerful BRICS+ trading bloc. Even before the expansion of this bloc in January 2024, the initial five nations of BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – contributed 26% of the world’s GDP. Now, with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, the BRICS+ accounts for 37.5% of global GDP. This is higher than that of the EU, and BRICS+ GDP is forecasted to exceed that of the G7 nations within the next two decades.
Within the BRICS+, Brazil contributes the third-largest proportion of GDP after China and India, but some of its market fundamentals are weaker than those in China and India. For example:
Brazil’s population is aging quickly: between 2010–2022, the median age of Brazilians increased from 29 years to 35 years.
Despite abundant natural resources, Brazil has fared poorly in studies measuring productivity and competitiveness, including digital competitiveness (#57 in the world out of 64 countries assessed by IMD).
Average income is low – about US$600 a month in February 2024.
Youth unemployment is high, as are drop-out rates of secondary students. Many young Brazilians simply give up on the idea of looking for a job. Brazil had the dubious position in 2020 of placing 3rd among OECD countries in terms of the percentage of youth who were not studying or working.
Government funding for education has declined dramatically in recent years.
At the root of many of these problems, say experts, is an education system which, while large, offers only a fraction of Brazilian youth the kind of credentials that lead to well-paying jobs. Brazil is one of the most unequal societies in the world in terms of opportunities and income distribution. It is in this context that we can understand that obtaining an undergraduate degree is one of the most sure-fire ways for Brazilians to obtain social mobility.
There has been a notable expansion of access and enrolments in the Brazilian education system thanks to recent reforms, but in 2018, only just over 18% of the Brazilian work force had an undergraduate degree. Less than 1% of Brazilians hold a master’s degree or a PhD.
WENR has reported that most Brazilian students hoping to proceed to higher education sit for the ENEM exam, which “is said to be the biggest nationwide test in the world after China’s massive Gaokao examination—5.5 million students registered to sit for the ENEM in 2018.”
However, WENR notes:
“Competition for the limited number of open seats at public institutions is fierce. Not only do public universities provide tuition-free undergraduate education and offer a much broader variety of programs, they are also consistently ranked highest in terms of quality, according to the General Index of Courses (Índice Geral de Cursos, IGC), an education quality indicator established by the MOE.”
No more Science Without Borders, but other scholarships help to fill some of the gap
Brazil has a wealth of potential, but it clearly needs more of its youth to be educated to draw nearer to the pace of growth and competitiveness underway in China and India – and it needs this to happen rapidly.
The previous government of President Dilma Rousseff recognised this urgency to such a great extent that he launched the Science Without Borders scholarship programme with an initial investment of US$1.2 billion. More than 100,000 Brazilian youth studied abroad under the programme, but Science Without Borders was wound up in 2017 after struggling administratively and logistically (and after the impeachment of former-President Rousseff).
Many Brazilian students continue to study via scholarships provided by the Brazilian national government, state governments, host destinations (such as Canada’s Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program), and foreign institutions (such as the University of West Florida’s Latin American Caribbean Scholarship). There is also the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative launched by former US President Barack Obama, which is focused on increasing educational exchange in the Americas, and which has included Brazil-only rounds of submission. And QS features a range of other important scholarships for Brazilian students.
We expect to see more scholarships offered to Brazilian students given the intensity of competition that now exists in this fast-growing source market.
Low English-language proficiency
A major problem limiting the potential of Science Without Borders was that many Brazilian students did not have the English-language proficiency to succeed in Western university programmes, and many of the receiving Western universities did not have supports in place to help to rectify this gap. Institutions recruiting Brazilian students today must be aware that English proficiency is still very low in Brazil and that language supports are crucial for many Brazilians entering undergraduate or graduate programmes.
Thousands of Brazilian students go abroad every year to improve their English – and many of them have a further plan to study abroad in higher education.
A recent webinar from the research firm BONARD on recruiting students in Brazil featured Alexandre Argenta (Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association, BELTA), Maura Leão (YET Education & Travel), André Simonetti (CI – Central de Intercâmbio Viagens) and Ivana Bartosik (BONARD). The panelists noted a “shift from General English to English Plus programs, especially among juniors, who are increasingly academically focused, seeking broader educational content alongside language learning.” As you can see in the chart below, language studies are by far the most common type of programme Brazilian students pursue abroad, and enrolment growth in this sector is much higher than for K-12 or higher education.
Brazilians enrolled in K-12, higher education, and language studies in 5 major destinations, 2019-2022. Source: BONARD
Select verbatims from the webinar underline the promise of the Brazilian market:
André Simonetti: “Demand is really increasing [in 2024] and will keep on growing.”
Maura Leão: “Brazilians need a visa to go to certain countries so the trends move a little bit according to how [easily] they can get a visa. Brazil has more than 200 million people, and we have 44% between 5 and 34 years old. So it’s a very young country and it’s a country with a lot of potential.”
Alexandre Argenta: “We have already forgotten the pandemic in Brazil. Since 2022, we see larger [outbound numbers] than in 2020, and we expect at least stability in 2023 and 2024.”
BELTA insights on the Brazilian language travel market
Highlights from an April 2024 Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association (BELTA) survey of 569 agencies include:
The top three age ranges for Brazilian language students are (in order) 25-29, 18-24, 15-17;
The most preferred study durations are (in order) up to one month (34%), 4-6 months (18%), and 7-11 months (11%);
The main influences on study abroad choices are (in order) friends (25%), information on websites specialising in language programmes (20%), social media (20%), parents (19%), student fairs devoted to study, work, and travel programmes (15%);
The most preferred study destinations are (in order) Canada, UK, US, Ireland, Australia, Malta, South America, Spain, New Zealand, and France.
The factors influencing destination choice are recommendations from family and friends (18%) location (14%), natural beauty and tourist attractions (14%).
QS survey yields important insights
QS’s recent survey report “On your radar: Latin America and the Caribbean” (drawn from a sample of over 3,000 students mostly researching higher education options in 2023) found that students from the region are most concerned with the cost of living when looking at study abroad destinations (79%) and look closely for available scholarships (69%).
In addition:
30% wanted to receive information on the outcome of their application within three days;
57% expected full and personalised responses to enquiries within three days;
51% said their top priority was for a destination to be safe and welcoming to international students;
64% said their top motivation for choosing a university was the availability of scholarships;
36% researched the sustainability efforts of institutions;
The most appreciated assistance for students considering a university were “help with [their] application (52%), the ability to connect with existing international students (51%) and meeting with admissions staff at fairs or information sessions (50%).”
Key findings from QS’s report on Latin American and Caribbean students. Source: QS
Popular destinations
Our own research finds that there are at least 110,000 Brazilians studying abroad in 2024. Some destinations do not offer specific numbers, but rather growth rates, so 110,000 is likely a conservative estimate.
Argentina: 20,515 Brazilian students were in Argentina in 2020 according to the latest UNESCO data.
Australia: Brazil was Australia’s 8th largest market in 2023 (16,370 on study visas) and is, so far, 10th in 2024 (as of March 2024 government data, marking an increase in enrolments (17,540). In 2022, it was the Australian English-language sector’s #5 market (9,655 students, 296,460 weeks). BONARD notes, however, that Brazilian visa grants were down by 39% between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024 and calls this “an opportunity for other destinations.”
Canada: Brazil was the #12 top market overall in 2023 (15,615 students), posting 8% growth over 2022. For the language sector, it was #2 after Japan in 2022, with 12,370 students enrolled, up massively from 4,330 in 2021.
France: French institutions hosted 5,435 Brazilian students in 2021/22, up 7% from the year before.
Germany: There were 4,670 Brazilian students in Germany according to the last UNESCO count (2020).
Ireland: More than 12,700 Brazilian students were in Irish English-language programmes in 2023, making Brazil the 3rd largest market for the ELE sector.
Malta: Brazil was the 6th largest market for Maltese ELT providers in 2022, sending 2,090 students (under half the level of enrolments in 2019).
Portugal: Portuguese universities hosted 17,030 Brazilian students in full-degree programmes in 2022/23, making Brazil the top sending market.
Spain: There were 3,810 Brazilian students at all levels in Spain in 2021/22, mostly in degree programmes. Brazil was the 15th largest student market for Spain that year.
UK: Brazilian students contributed the 3rd largest volume of student weeks to UK ELT providers in 2023 and in 2022 was the second fastest growing market.
US: Brazil was the #4 market for US Intensive English Programs (IEPs) in the 2022 calendar year and for higher education providers, the 9th largest market in 2022/23 (16,030, +8% over 2021/22).
Things to know about the Brazilian education system and recruiting environment
The vast majority (over 75%) of Brazil’s more than 2,500 higher education institutions are private, and they account for almost 90% of enrolments in higher education. The quality of education delivered at these institutions is variable, and there is much more of a focus on practical training than on research.
That said, top Brazilian universities have important areas of research expertise: including agriculture, biomedicine, engineering, physics, tropical diseases, biodiversity, and biofuels.
Brazil hosts the most top-ranked universities in Latin America, with four in the top ten for the region: Universidade de São Paulo (#1), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) (#3). Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (#6), and UNESP (8).
Secondary school completion rates are far, far higher in the largest cities of Brazil than in rural areas and much higher among white Brazilians. Most affluent Brazilians attend private schools, where tuition is out of range for poorer households. There is also a growing list of international schools in Brazil.
Many Brazilian outbound students have already completed an undergraduate degree in their country. They then go abroad for English-language studies to increase their chances at a job, and a growing proportion are interested in graduate studies. For example, in 2022/23, 49% of Brazilian students in the US were enrolled in undergraduate programmes but a significant 32% were studying at the graduate level.
The Canadian province of Alberta offers an excellent guide to the Brazilian education system, including structure, accreditation, and credential comparison.
The US International Trade Administration also offers these important insights that are relevant not just to US recruiters but those in all destinations:
“Approximately 80 percent of Brazilian students who study abroad come from Brazil’s southern and central eastern states (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná). Among these states (each of which presents excellent opportunities for overseas recruitment), São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia represent the three best locations to recruit Brazilian students to study in the United States. São Paulo has the largest applicant pool (36 percent) and attracts the most talented students to its own university campuses. The capital city of Brasília (11.6 percent) located in Distrito Federal (Federal District) has the country’s highest GDP per capita at approximately USD $16,500, over twice that of São Paulo, the region with the second-highest GDP per capita. The state of Rio de Janeiro (13.3 percent), the country’s hub for the oil and gas industry, attracts many engineering and science majors.”
The 2024 edition of INTO University Partnerships’ Global Agent Survey has just been released amid a context of intensifying competition for international students and policy-related volatility in top destination markets.
In total, 1240 agents from over 65 countries responded to the survey, which was distributed in March 2024. Chinese and Indian respondents made roughly half of the sample.
Affordability matters
As INTO notes:
“Policy discussions that simply assume ranking or prestige of a university is the best indicator of quality of incoming international students significantly overlook the fact that affordability is a major barrier for students. Over 80% of our agents agreed that study abroad discussions are becoming increasingly focused on cost.”
Price-sensitivity was the highest in Africa (96%) and lowest in the Middle East (75%).
At least three-quarters of agents agreed that study abroad decisions are increasingly focused on cost. Source: INTO Global Agent Survey 2024
Alternative destinations on the rise
Three of the “Big Four” destinations (Australia, Canada, and the UK) have tightened their immigration settings and have become even more expensive to study and live in. Not coincidentally, agents indicate a growing trend of students applying to alternative destinations – especially in Europe and Asia.
Agents from South Asia and Middle East & Africa regions cited Europe the most (especially Germany and Ireland), while Chinese agents noted increased interest in intra-regional options, especially in Southeast Asia. Chinese agents also highlighted “rising interest in international schooling options, more localized pathway provision and a heightened sense of priority given to geographic and cultural proximity,” which INTO says suggests that “there are significant opportunities for future growth in transnational educational arrangements.”
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Agents say European and Asian destinations have captured the attention of international students. Source: INTO Global Agent Survey 2024
International students “hedging their bets”
Students are applying to an increasing number of institutions and destinations, and many are working with multiple agents as they try to “hedge their bets.” The noise created in the marketplace is well illustrated in the finding that 21% of agents submitted applications to more than 60 universities in 2023, and 11% sent them to more than 100 institutions. As INTO notes:
“There are some strong incentives for students to [submit so many applications] at present. In some countries limited availability of visa appointments, or large delays to visa decisions, coupled with lack of clarity about evolving landscape, increase the reasons for needing a good back-up plan should their preferred destination become less desirable, or accessible.”
INTO points out the administrative burden placed on institutions with so many applications whirring around and sometimes little indication of which ones are from truly serious leads, calling it “pressure on universities to effectively resource admissions” that will “ultimately result in lower rates of conversion and enrolment.”
21% of agents sent applications to more than 60 universities, and of those 11% sent them to over 100 institutions. Source: INTO Global Agent Survey 2024
INTO makes a prediction for 2024 as a result of the all the frenzied application-sending from anxious students:
“We believe that in 2024 this will likely impact on the timing of when students commit to study abroad decisions, both in terms of confirming places (and completing a financial deposit), or if primary choice remains uncertain, potentially opting to defer enrolment until greater clarity is available.”
Destination specialists are the exception, not the norm
Less than a quarter of agents said they specialised in sending students to only one destination in the past year. More than three-quarters (78%) said they’d recruited students to more than one destination; 44% had sent students outside of the Big Four (Australia, Canada, UK, US); and about a third (34%) had sent students to institutions across the “Big Four.” From this, INTO concludes:
“In this global, highly competitive and increasingly crowded landscape, it is essential that universities and colleges can find ways to clearly communicate their proposition in order to stand out and be positioned effectively relative to a global range of options.”
Time is of the essence
While institutions may not be able to control policies, they do have a lot more control over how well and how quickly they get back to student enquiries – and the chart below shows how important this is to agents.
Response times to enquiries and application response times always top the list of most important factors for agents. Source: INTO Global Agent Survey 2024
INTO elaborates:
“Service response times stand out from the crowd in terms of importance to agents. It seems reasonable to conclude that delivering on these will enable institutions to stand out also. That does not mean that outcomes, student experience, employability don’t count. They do. But, if there is one area to focus limited resource, service standards feel like a great place to start.”
Growing participation in training and accreditation programmes
The past few years have seen an increasing number of professional qualification programmes available to agents, and the INTO survey shows that some of these are now industry standards. For example, “one in four respondents indicated they had participated in ICEF’s agent certification programme” and “of those sending to the UK, 79% of respondents indicated they had received some form of training from the British Council.”
The out-going Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Prof. Charles Okechukwu Esimone, has revealed that, reviving and promoting a staff of the University, Mrs Molokwu, who suffered depression for 19-years over delay promotion was among his major five years achievements in office.
He said the woman almost get mentally serial as a result of the depression before she was finally promoted through his personal effort.
Esimone, who disclosed this while addressing a press conference at his resident in Awka, on Sunday, to mark the end of his administration also listed other achievements to include, introduction of grants writing, promotion of 150 staffs, increasing of the University’s IGR from 60 million to 90 million, decentralization of matriculation exercise to faculties, promotion of Inaugural Lectures Series to enable lecturers/Professors showcase their professionalism with utmost confidentiality, intense supervision of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) projects in the University, introduction of Conferences, creation of innovation centre, wide publicity of the Varsity activities, construction of befitted students hostels, construction of fully equipped ultra-modern surge centre, within the precincts of the University Medical Centre, Awka, and setting up of research centre for Aging and Psychological Health, Awka campus.
“My administration establish a community development centre that partners the Anambra State Government on her ongoing “One Youth, Two Skill Programme. I also signed a Memorandum of Understand with an Agric-allied company for the planting of economy trees to boost the Internal Generated Revenue of the institution.
“Unizik is one of the Universities in this 21st Century that have attained the International standard.
He noted that his administration’s resolved not to give up until project 200 of making the university among the 10 best in Nigeria and among the best 200 in the world was actualized.
He said the institution has been achieving the core mandate of teaching, research and community/Public service, and more since assumption of office in June 4th, 2019.
According to him, “On assumption into office in 2019, I articulated a five-pronged strategy predicated on the drive for academic excellence, productive public/community service, administrative reforms, discipline and advancements, the ACADA strategy, together with its antecedent vision. These he sums up as ‘Project 200′ has so far been achievement to the glory of God Almighty.
“Also between 2019 and now, the national and international profile of the university has risen through memoranda of understanding signed with national and international institutions.
“With the rising profile, the university has also introduced new courses and established new community and public services while embarking on administrative reforms. For instance, the 572 capacity students’ hostel by an investor under Build-Operate-and Transfer partnership is a case in point.”
On infrastructure, Esimone said he has completed the ones he met on assumption of office and commenced fresh ones, noting that many of which has been completed and others are at various stages of completion and that 100 percent of the projects were been sponsored by the Federal government and endowed by public-spirited individuals.
This has skyrocketed the university’s impact in virtually all spares of academics, he stated.
Expressing satisfaction over the cordial working relationship he had enjoyed with the media, his staff and the entire University community over the years, the VC urged his successor to focus on construction of Staff Housing, building of 10,000 capacity auditorium and sport complex for the University.
Finally, he called on the Federal Government to prioritized better working condition for University workers, amidst hard time in the country..
Meanwhile the acrimonious race to succeed the outgoing Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Esimone may have come to an end following a recent directive from the National Universities Commission.
The five-year tenure of Prof Esimone will come to an end on June 4, 2024, having assumed office about the same time in 2019.
The race to succeed him has been acrimonious as interested candidates engaged in different methods to outsmart themselves, including writing frivolous petitions and sharing fake news against their opponents.
But the NUC directives sighted by our correspondent directed all the outgoing Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities to hand over to their most senior ranking deputies.
Our correspondent gathered that Prof Joseph Ikechebelu is the only Deputy Vice Chancellor in UNIZIK. Thus, following the NUC directive, it is expected that the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone will hand over to Ikechebelu on June 4.
The directive signed by the Acting Executive Secretary, Chris J. Maiyaki,
read in part,” HANDOVER PROTOCOL FOR OUTGOING VICE-CHANCELLORS
I write to convey the directive of the Honourable Minister of Education, to the effect that Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities, who are rounding up their tenures, should hand over their responsibilities to their most senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university, in line with extant regulations governing the administration of Federal Universities, which stipulates that Vice-Chancellors are not to remain in Office beyond their designated terminal dates.
“This measure is to ensure a smooth and seamless transition in the leadership of the universities, thereby maintaining the requisite stability and continuity for the effective administration and academic performance of the various institutions.
“Out-going Vice-Chancellors are further, requested to ensure that a detailed handover report documenting key activities, ongoing projects, university assets, financial statements, and any other pertinent information, forms part of the handover process.
“Please note that the Federal Ministry of Education and your respective University Senates must be duly notified of your handover before the terminal dates. The Federal Ministry of Education appreciates the contributions of all outgoing Vice-Chancellors and anticipates your cooperation in ensuring a smooth transition process.
“This directive is effective immediately and compliance is mandatory.
Please accept the renewed assurances of my highest considerations and best wishes.
The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has said the state under his watch, remained the state with the lowest records of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
He attributed the feat to the huge investment of his government on education sector.
Soludo disclosed this during the 2024 Children’s Day celebration held at the Alex Ekwueme Square on Monday, which witnessed March past by school children and uniformed organisations, cutting of cake, cultural dance and fashion parade, among other activities
He said, “We’re here to celebrate our future, our future and others who were not able to join us here. This is the third time I’m witnessing children’s day since I assumed office, but this is the largest.
“I can see glorious future of Anambra and Nigeria as we behold their face. We’re deliberately investing in our children, who are our bridge.
“In two years, we’ve employed over 8000 teachers because they’re our greatest asset. Currently, Anambra has the lowest out-of-children in the country. We are targeting making it zero.
“We’re having sleepless nights nights because of you. Roads will wash away, sky-scraper will collapse, but investment in children will stand the test of time.”
While commending the teachers for their commitments in training the children, the governor assured that his government would not lower the bar in recruitment of standard teachers, stressing that Anambra children deserved the best.
“We call on everyone to invest in education because it is everyone’s responsibility. If you can save cost of your favourite brand of drink, you can buy a pencil for the child. That’s a way of investing in education,” he added.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and social welfare, Hon. Ify Obinabo urged parents to offer their children the needed parent-child relationship and make their homes more conducive for them to thrive amidst challenges.
“Governor Soludo’s manifesto shows that enhancing the wellbeing of the Nigerian Child through quality education and skills development of the Nigerian child is possible and achievable to build a livable and prosperous homeland.
“Enhancing the wellbeing of the Nigerian child is not the sole responsibility of government. It requires multi stakeholders synergy such as parents, guardians whose major role focuses on creating the needed healthy environment for our children to blossom,” she said.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, who also witnessed the celebration urges parents/guardians to be better role models to their children/wards, by creating a deliberate relationship with them as it will help to assess and direct them properly.
In her brief congratulatory mrssage, the Convener of WIGA (Umunwanyi Soludo), Hon Mrs. Amaka Obi, urged the children to always believe in themselves while pursuing their dreams in life.
It was gathered that the winners of this celebration includes, Girls Secondary School Awka (Secondary category), Udoka Primary School Awka (Primary School category) and Nadora Nursery School Awka (Nursery School category).
The former Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly Abuja, Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife, has unveiled her Skill Acquisition and Training Centre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, on Friday.
The unveiling ceremony organized by the Senator, attracted students, staff of the university, APC supporters, traditional rulers, and others.
Speaking during the event, the Senator said her core objective of establishing the centre is to curtailed unemployment rate among Nigeria students after graduation through attitudinal re-orientation, skills acquisition in multi-tasking productive business enterprise and provision of necessary assistance for youths economic and financial independence as well as repositioning participants in their skills acquisition trainings to train others.
She noted that the centre, when fully equipped will have about nine big training offices including; Conference hall, ICT hub, confectioneries based, sewing hub, among others.
While commending the University Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone for convincing her to build the edifice, Ekwunife urged the student to see the project as theirs and protect it from external Invaders.
She also used the occasion to urged religion leaders in the country, irrespective of tribe or political affiliations to pray for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu longevity as he mark his 1st year in office.
In his brief remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Unizik, Prof Esimone, while applauding Ekwunife who is also the current Director General of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), for the project, urged other God-fearing and well-to-do individuals in the country to emulate her kind gesture.
