1. International Education and the Competitive Landscape for English-Speaking Destinations
Uri Carnat – IDP Education Canada

2. International HE students International Education
International Education landscape
Global
HE students
International HE students
International Education
Alternatives
English speaking countries (ESC)
Emerging destinations/ regional hubs
English – the medium of instruction in NESC
Transnational education (TNE)
Digital revolution
New & non-traditional players
Domestic
>190m
International
~4.5m
So first let’s start with big picture of education – to understand the scope we operate in
According to the latest UNESCO statistics, tertiary education has steadily grown over the last decade with nearly 200 million students enrolled in tertiary education around the globe.
Of these - about 2%, which is around 4.5 million are studying outside of their country of citizenship with around 4 in 10 studying in ESC.
And as we know, there are other options to obtaining an education which is making international education a very competitive space
Non-English speaking countries (NESC)
Source: OECD and UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Education at a Glance 2013 and 2014, IDP estimates

3. International Education – main ESC
International student enrolments in tertiary education
by destination country
Market Share – 2000
Market Share – 2012
5 main English speaking countries (MESC)
MESC share = 44%
MESC share = 42%
Firstly, lets look at the change in destination market share of international tertiary student enrolments
In 2000, there were about 2m Int students, and the 5 MESC made up 44% - with the US having over half of this.
11 years later and the ROW gained share, while the ESC share lost some share mainly due to a fall for the US – so let’s explore the current trends in the 5 MESC
Source: OECD and UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Education at a Glance 2013 and 2014, IDP estimates

4. Global - International student flows
International Student Enrolments:
International Student Enrolments:
Future global estimates
UNESCO estimates (2009)
CAGR = 5.4%
OECD estimates (2009)
In 2012, over 4.5 million tertiary students enrolled outside their country of citizenship - a CAGR of 6.4% over the last decade
CAGR = 3.0%
Continued demand for international education is likely
Most forecasts still estimate growth
A CAGR range between 3% and 5% means somewhere between 5 million and 7 million tertiary students will be enrolled outside their country of citizenship by 2020
global picture…international student mobility has steadily risen over the last decade, and further growth is predicted. While estimates vary, it is projected that somewhere between 5 and 7 million tertiary students will be enrolled outside their country of citizenship by 2020
And with this expected growth, there are an increasing number of host countries wanting a piece of the action
CAGR = compound annual growth rate
Steady growth in international student flows likely to continue
Source: Education at a Glance 2014, UNESCO and OECD

5. Visa grants to Australia
4 main English speaking countries: visa trends
Visa grants to Australia
Visa grants to the UK
Note: Onshore and offshore
Note: Non-EU and offshore only
Visa grants to the US
Visa grants to Canada
Note: Non-immigrant F1 & M1 visas
But as we know, we operate in a dynamic industry where destinations can be impacted by a range of factors includes government policy, competition or exchange rates. Visas issued by the 5 MESC to international students over the last 8 years - indicator of current activity (previous slide was enrolments lag). Black line – Total trends as well as 2 the biggest IS source markets, China (green) and India (orange).
Starting with AUS: Australia is in a period of recovery and we will explore this is in more detail in a moment
Over to the right, recent volumes to the UK have been impacted as international students have been wrapped up in the immigration debate, and in 2014, student visas granted remained flat. China, the largest market was up 3%, while India continued to fall, down 8%. However, the HE sector saw slight growth – particularly for Malaysia and Hong Kong
US: just released out late May! continues its rise, particularly from China (12.5%), India (up over 50% for 2nd year) and Saudi Arabia overtakes South Korea as 3rd largest number of visas granted. US still has potential for growth if more US institutions actively looking to recruit students overseas rather than domestically, out of state.
Canada: we can see Canada continues its steady growth, up another 7% in the last year. They are also going through some international education reform - one positive change for students is that they now no longer need a separate off campus work permit
Sources: Australia DIBP, Canada CIC *2013 preliminary data, UK Border Agency , US Dept. of State

6. Visa grants to New Zealand
And New Zealand…
Visa grants to New Zealand
Note: Onshore and offshore, full fee paying
And keep an eye on NZ
Who are also seeing a market recovery – who are starting to see the benefits from initiatives such as Think new campaign, visa reforms and agent training.
Photos :
Source: Business Information Services, NZ Department of Labour (Immigration)

7. Key source markets for 5 MESC: student visa grants
Destination
Destination
Source: China
Source: India
Destination
Destination
Source: Saudi Arabia
Source: Brazil
Now looking at the same data from the previous slide but this time from a source countries, ie a students’ - point of view.
We’ve to the 2 biggest markets of China, India as well as Saudi Arabia – strong middle eastern market and then Brazil – a growing source market for the sector.
China – a fairly stable, status driven market with the US the clear preference, and UK steadily growing. Both countries have the strong heritage and reputation for higher education. [NOTE: China #s tend to be overflated to the US as each time a student leaves the country they must get a new visa]
India – shows how sensitive to market changes India is – tend to go where there are better migration and post study work rights –Canada, Australia and NZ all benefiting. US also gaining share – possibly from the UK and also Indian STEM students can be attracted by the optional practical training available
Saudi Arabia – very much dependant on the scholarship programs, with the US the main beneficiary at the moment.
Brazil – clearly see the impact SWOB is having and further growth expected with the Brazilian government just announcing 100,000 more scholarships from 2015.
Note: Data based on Australia and NZ – offshore only, UK - offshore, non-EU only, Canada and US – total
Sources: NZ Department of Labour (Immigration) Australia DIBP, Canada CIC *2013 preliminary data, UK Border Agency , US Dept. of State

8. South East Asia to 5 MESC: student visa grants
Destination
Destination
Source: Singapore
Source: Malaysia
Destination
Destination
Source: Indonesia
Source: Vietnam
SOUTH EAST ASIA
Here we are just looking at the SE Asian markets. Traditionally Aus has had the stronghold here but this is changing as other destinations look to tap into this lucrative region.
Further to the early signs of recovery for the UK, you can see that UK is gaining share in Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia.
US volumes increase in Singapore and Vietnam, and as the US starts to recruit more actively. NOTE: US visas granted to Vietnam is similar to China in that tend to be overflated to the US as each time a student leaves the country they must get a new visa]
Note: Data based on Australia and NZ – offshore only, UK - offshore, non-EU only, Canada and US – total
Sources: NZ Department of Labour (Immigration) Australia DIBP, Canada CIC *2013 preliminary data, UK Border Agency , US Dept. of State

9. Slow down of North Asia to 5 MESC: student visa grants (except China)
Destination
Destination
Source: South Korea
Source: Taiwan
Destination
Destination
Source: Hong Kong
Source: Japan
Growth in North Asia markets slowing down (except China) – even declining in case of South Korea. Is this the point of maturation for these long established markets?
Ageing populations, education reforms, economic/ exchange rate challenges all contributing factors
Note: Data based on Australia and NZ – offshore only, UK - offshore, non-EU only, Canada and US – total
Sources: NZ Department of Labour (Immigration) Australia DIBP, Canada CIC *2013 preliminary data, UK Border Agency , US Dept. of State

10. Destination countries: source market diversity
Proportion of students currently studying from top 3 source markets for MESC
Australia – Vietnam
UK – Nigeria
Canada – South Korea
USA – South Korea
NZ - Japan
Diversity is another key focus area in the industry - and here we are looking at the current student mix for the 5 main ES destinations.
Australia and UK have a slightly more diverse mix of source countries – having been negatively impacted by restrictive visa policies in recent years.
China and India are the top 2 sources markets for all 5 destinations shown.
Looking at the 3rd largest source country – it used to be South Korea for most destinations and still is for Canada and US but this is no longer the case with Vietnam taken 3rd spot in Aus and Japan in NZ. Nigeria continues to hold 3rd in the UK HE market. * **
UK* – Higher Education only
NZ** – International fee paying students only; China includes Hong Kong
Sources: Australia: DIBP student visa holders, Canada: CIC – foreign students present, NZ: Export Levy Data – IFP students enrolled
UK: HESA – HE students enrolled, US: SEVIS – active student visas

11. Proportion of students currently studying in MESC from CHINA
Increasing reliance on China as a source market
Proportion of students currently studying in MESC from CHINA
3 year comparison
Taking the same data from the previous slide but focussing solely on China, we can see over time there is an increasing reliance on Chinese students by all the destination markets except Australia.
Noting that NZ does include Hong Kong here as well. * **
UK* – Higher Education only
NZ** – International fee paying students only; China includes Hong Kong
Sources: Australia: DIBP student visa holders, Canada: CIC – foreign students present, NZ: Export Levy Data – IFP students enrolled
UK: HESA – HE students enrolled, US: SEVIS – active student visas

12. Proportion of students currently studying in MESC from INDIA
…and India as a source market varies for destinations
Proportion of students currently studying in MESC from INDIA
3 year comparison
Whereas for India it is a slightly different story – UK, the proportion of indian students has halved in the last 3 years, while it has increased for Canada and NZ. * **
UK* – Higher Education only
NZ** – International fee paying students only; China includes Hong Kong
Sources: Australia: DIBP student visa holders, Canada: CIC – foreign students present, NZ: Export Levy Data – IFP students enrolled
UK: HESA – HE students enrolled, US: SEVIS – active student visas

13. Destination competition and ambitious targets
Country
Target
When
Australia
Attract 520k international students
2020
Canada
Double number of international students
2022
New Zealand
Double economic value to $5b
2025 UK
Increase number of HE international students by 15-20% in 5 years (approx 90k)
2018
Germany
Host 350k foreign university students
China
Attract 500k international students (150k HE)
Japan
Double number of foreign students to 300k
Malaysia
Attract 250k international students
Taiwan
Attract 150k foreign students
As the international education market is predicted to grow, everyone is wanting a piece of the action,.
As we can see here, a list of some very ambitious goals (words like DOUBLE) by some destinations – both english speaking (ESC) and non-English speaking (NESC) in attracting international students to their country…
Malaysia’s latest HE blueprint for has expanded their goal from 200k int’l students in 2020 to 250k int’l students in 2025 {explore more in a moment]
As Taiwan’s Ministry of Education reports it has almost achieved target of 88k by and now aims to attract 150,000 students by 2020
Sources: Education Target Reports from each Government - New Zealand, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Australia – Educating Globally report, UK - International Education: Global Growth and Prosperity , Germany – DAAD’s Strategy 2020 13

14. Emerging markets competing for share
Destination competition: increasing intensity
Emerging markets competing for share
IDP estimated CAGR required to meet countries’ international student targets in the next 5-15 years
Global CAGR b/w 3.0%-5.4%
Still focusing on these national targets, this chart shows the estimated CAGR for the countries international student goals for the next 5 to 15.
I’ve then overlayed it against OECD and UNESCO’s estimated global compound annual growth rate of between 3 & 5.4% for 2020.
Interestingly – to meet these targets, each country will have to achieve at least the global growth rate – suggesting that there may not be enough students for everyone? For example of we combine China, Japan and Malaysia, together they aim to host 1 million international students by 2020 – up to 20% market share.
And this is expected to impact NZ’s as well as other traditional destination’s market share
n/a
CAGR = compound annual growth rate
Notes: Global CAGR based on UNESCO 2009 and OECD 2009 estimates of between 5 and 7 million international tertiary students in 2020
For NZ, to estimate CAGR, assumed double number of international students
Sources: Education Target Reports from each Government - New Zealand, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Australia – Educating Globally report, UK - International Education: Global Growth and Prosperity , Germany – DAAD’s Strategy 2020 14 14

15. in the next 5-15 years and current CAGR
Destination growth targets: current status
Estimated CAGR required to meet destination countries’ international student targets
in the next 5-15 years and current CAGR
This chart first shows the estimated CAGR for the countries need to meet their international student goals in the next 5 to 15 years
And now here is the current CAGR performance based on the most recent enrolment data available – which does vary in time period.
Fristly looking at ESC:
- Australia and Canada above target, while both NZ and UK are recovering from recent downturns
- while US doesn’t have a target, it is also experiencing strong growth
NESC
- China, Germany and Taiwan above target growth.
Taiwan - Much of that growth has come from mainland Chinese students with as many as 20,000 studying in Taiwan’s universities in the past three years following a modest easing of government restrictions on mainland enrolment.), and more than half of these international students are non-degree courses e.g. short course, language etc.
Now I’m going to focus on China and Malaysia specifically
Note: CAGR = compound annual growth rate
Data based on latest annual international student enrolment data
Sources: Education Target Reports from each Government - New Zealand, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia,
Australia – Educating Globally report, UK - International Education: Global Growth and Prosperity 15 15

16. Emerging Destination: China
Increasing diversity
In 2014, China’s Ministry of Education announced over 370K international students were studying in China – well on the way to their way to the target of half a million international students by Current growth has come from a range of countries, and further growth is expected in the short term, with the govt providing scholarships.
Although over half of the current cohort are currently studying a non degree course such including short courses or Language courses, we can see that % taking a degree is increasing – as China focussed on increasing their academic degree share with longer term initiatives such as bringing 100 Chinese universities up to a world-class standard, and to create an even more elite group of universities – similar to the US Ivy League.
Source: PRC MoE statistics 16

17. Rising Destination: Malaysia
According to the Malaysia’s Ministry of Education’s Blueprint for (Higher Education), the number of international students in Malaysia has grown from approximately 32,000 in 2004 to 108,000 students in 2014 – this is a CAGR of 12.9%.
As part of the Ministry of Education’s strategy, it aims to attract 200,000 international by 2020 and 250,000 by 2025 – an estimated CAGR of 7.9% [above estimated global growth rates].
While data is not easily accessible, some statistics reported by the Ministry of Education indicate that about 70% of itnernatioanl students are at a private HE institution (generally studying UG), while Public HEIs are more likely to attract postgraduate.
Malaysia’ as a key education hub – and benefits from increasing education cooperation and mobility among ASEAN countries, and is targeting further growth within the region, while currently has strong student presence from the Gulf Region and Africa.
The goal is to develop Malaysia as an international education hub with a difference: providing value-for-money higher education and that balances quality and affordability with the added value of rich cultural experiences – and is emerging as a key destination for international students.
Source: Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia

18. IDP Leads Analysis IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research
Key Findings for Canada

19. Who responded
In August 2014, we surveyed online, over 1,000 students who have used IDP services
13%
15%
53% 4%
In August this year, we surveyed online over 1,000 students who have used IDP’s services to understand current attitudes in the ever changing state of international education.
This was done in partnership with 2 research consultancies - Forethought Research and The Knowledge Partnership.
Canada made up 13% of the sample, with 136 Canadian bound students responding.
We’ve obtained a good cross section of students with a mix of destinations where students are studying or its their main country of preference.
And you will see that Australia has the largest cohort as this is where IDP places majority of our students
Focussing on the orange section – this is where the students have or are coming from…
Again a reasonably good cross section of source markets – though, similar to last year’s research, there is a skew towards Indian students.
During the presentation, I will be changing focus – sometimes on destination only, other times all destinations combined – depending on the data. Also, where appropriate, I will draw out any source country differences.
Also, there is a lot of detail to follow, some which I won’t cover all of it, instead focussing on the main points only
Before we get into the detail, a little bit more about our respondents
Survey done in partnership with
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

20. $ Who responded 50% 50% 74% 44% 23% 43% 22% 10% 11% 3% 22% 64% 7% 4%
In August 2014, we surveyed online, over 1,000 students who have used IDP services
Study Intention
Study Sector
22% UG
PG course/ research
Vocational
EL/ pathway
Other
50%
Prospective
64% 7%
50%
Studying overseas 4% 3% $
Broad Field of Study
Education Funding
Even split between prospective and current students (most are either about to commence study in the next 6 months or have just started in the last 6 months)
Majority are postgraduates – particularly Indian and Chinese students
For broad field of study, a good mix between STEM subject as business subjects
And notably, 3 quarters of IDP students surveyed said their parents contributed to the funding of their international education.
Please remember these are students who have used IDP services and don’t necessarily reflect the total international student population but I do hope that the key findings will provide some valuable insight for you.
And now let’s see what students have to say…
74%
My parents
Scholarship
Myself
Other relatives
44%
STEM
Commerce & Management
Health
Other
23%
43%
22%
10%
11% 3%
Multi-response question
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

21. Key findings - Canada
Canada’s reputation in international education grows
Experience exceeding expectations for some students
Students want return on their education investment
Through better skills and knowledge with career outcomes
High career aspirations but students recognise the challenges
International education seen as the pathway for greater career and life opportunities
Perceptions of Canada continuing to build its reputation as a study destination – students are arriving with high expectations of a quality education, access to cultural and lifestyle experiences as well as future opportunities.
Furthermore, we are seeing the perceived performance of Canada if not meeting but also exceeding students expectations. Need to ensure this experience continues through their student and graduate…
Education is a consumer driven market - the institutions compete for the best student while students compete for the most preferred institution.
Students (and their families) heavily invest in their education and not surprisingly are looking for a return on investment with the value based on access to better skills and knowledge resulting in better career outcomes
Students perceive Canada positively for employment opportunities but they also recognise that it will be challenging to get a job in their chosen field after study. With the current student growth we are experiencing along with their career aspirations, ensure Canada can deliver on this to continue to differentiate in this competitive market.
International education is becoming highly competitive on the global scale. But as we see in the OECD student mobility volumes are still rising – and while the emerging middle class continue to view international education as the gateway to better career and life opportunities, the outlook for the industry look positive.
Canada is challenged by perceptions of delivery of a quality education but with value for money and strong associations with employment opportunities either here, the more attractive we can be to prospective students.
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

22. IDP student perceptions

23. IDP student perceptions: Overall
IDP student perceptions of each destination on the following attributes:
Leader NZ
USA
CND/ NZ
USA/ CND
/ AUS
Australia
USA UK NZ
Canada
Affordability
Quality of education
Safety
Graduate employment opportunities
Brief outline first… Student were asked to rate their perceptions of each destination that they were familiar with on different attributes – affordability, quality of education, safety, employment opportunities and government student visa policies.
Each country is represented by little running men on the LHS
On a scale of from left – worst to right – best, and we focus on the relative rankings of the destination, (SHOW MEN)
Perceptions take time to change and we see, compared to 2013, perceptions of countries were generally consistent and also the robustness in our data set.
Some changes to the relatively rankings of the destinations…
AFFORD: Australia has improved to be equal with the US now on Affordability – but still trails Canada & NZ – 2 possible reasons – Australia finally loses associated as being affordable and / or the dollar has weakened to levels similar to 3 years ago
QUAL OF ED: USA continues to lead on Quality of Education, Aus remains in 3rd behind the UK
SAFETY: The US is still perceived to be the least safe destination.
Graduate employment opportunities. - Australia made slight gains to be equal the lead with both the USA and Canada – something we will explore in more detail shortly
The most welcoming Government student visa policies saw New Zealand move ahead of the pack.
But of course these perceptions differ by country.
Government student visa requirements /policies
Worst
Best
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

24. Canada: consideration set
Nearly 3 in 10 IDP students considered Canada only as a study destination
72% who considered Canada, also considered other destinations
Given these perceptions, let’s look at the consideration of Canada as a study destination.
Of the 72% who also considered at least one other country as a study destination- AUS and US were the most mentioned, followed by UK and NZ.
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

25. Canada as 1st preference: Why or why not?
Academic, lifestyle and experiential factors are all key for Canada as a preferred study destination
The main reason why Canada was not first preference was lack of friends or family living there
Why?
Canada was 1st preference
Why?
Canada was not 1st preference
Don’t have family/ friends there
Quality of education not as good as my first preference
Others offer better post study work opportunities
Canada is too far from my home country
It is too difficult getting a visa for Canada
And of those that considered Canada – 49% said it was their first preference. [NOTE - IDP SAMPLE BIAS]
We asked why Canada was their first choice and we see the usual academic reasons come through such as universities, education quality and systems, but also the lifestyle and experiential factors played as key role such as weather, affordable welcoming people, being multi-cultural and land of opportunities.
This is a pretty similar group of words compared to other destinations – opportunities was mentioned more for Canada and US, friendly was bigger for AUS and NZ, and culture and quality of education in the UK.
For those of you who can do your maths, 51% who considered Canada said it was not their 1st preference and half nominated Australia as their preferred destination, followed by USA (49% AUS and 29% USA) [NOTE - IDP SAMPLE BIAS]
Asking this cohort why Canada was not their first preference, the main reason was that they don’t have family or friends there, followed by the the quality of education is not as good as my 1st preference
But what about other destinations…
Word cloud compiled using
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

26. Top 3 reasons why study destination was not 1st preference
The main reasons why each study destination was not first preference differed by country
TO provide a comparison, here are the top 3 reason why IDP students who considered following destination but didn’t choose it as their first preference.
The UK and Australia are similar in that cost comes through strongly
In the US – I had to show 4 reason as you can see all pretty similar, with difficulty obtaining a visa the most mentioned…just.
NZ is similar to Canada – same top 3 for each but different order –
Now let’s look at the next step in the student journey
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

27. IDP student expectations
Students naturally will arrive at their study destination with a set of expectations about what their study experience will be

28. Experience vs. expectations
The Canadian study experience is exceeding expectations
While the gap between expectations and experience has widened for Australia, and narrowed for the USA
Gap between Expectations & Satisfaction
Applying the same approach as last year, we used a scale from 0 to 10 where 10 was “expect to be extremely satisfied” to determine expectation levels. Then to compare expectations against the experience, we asked satisfaction with the experience in their study country, again on a 10 point scale and used the gap between the 2 measures to establish a relative point of comparison
Last year, we saw the 4 destinations of Aus, US, UK and Canada pretty much meet expectations. (Please note NZ is not included as the sample size is just too small being under 30 respondents)
Looking at the outcome this year, and we see the gap between expectations and experience has widened for Australia, narrowed for the USA and Canada exceeding expectations.
And let’s look at this in more detail…
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

29. Experience vs. expectations
Canada exceeds expectations as a study destination across the basic and lifestyle needs
Gap
between Expectations & Satisfaction
Safety
Quality of education
Location of institution
Ability to improve EL skills
Ease of obtaining student visa
Lifestyle
Post study work opportunities
Ability to work part time
Affordability of studying abroad
In the gap between expectations and satisfaction across a set of factors ranging from the basic needs such as safety to education delivery as well as practical aspects.
Whereas for Canada, satisfaction has improved across the board, particularly on safety, as well as being sensitive to the recent visa changes in removing the need for a separate work permit during study – which appears to be positively received.
Australia generally meets expectations as a study destination across the basic and educational needs but falls below expectations on cost and employment.
Similarly, for the US and UK, the results tend to support some of the themes mentioned earlier
US: the visa process can be difficult as well as limited work opportunities during study - though post study opportunities has improved (this is likely to be influenced by a higher proportion of US students studying STEM subjects which means they are eligible for Optional Practical Training)
For the UK, the greatest gap remains for post grad outcomes but also widened for Affordability
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

30. IDP Leads Analysis International education: Is the cost worth it?
Back to the subject of affordability and the cost of an international education, we see it highlighted as a pain point for some students.
Given these students and their families have made the significant decision to pay the relatively high cost for an international education, we wanted to know what makes the cost worth it.

31. International Education: Why is it worth the cost?
Comments from Canadian bound students on why international education is worth the cost… 00
“Experiencing a new life in an alien environment is the key factor when deciding to study abroad. With the new experiences people can view and understand this world differently, often in a better way.” Student from China
40%
“The opportunities we get after graduating and the degree being recognized worldwide; most importantly there shall be no discrimination.”
Student from UAE
“The excellent education that one receives along with international exposure and research facilities make international education worth what it is paid for...”
Student from India
“…we gain more knowledge, face multiple challenges which help to face reality and provide the necessities for our family. No pain, no gain!” Student from Malaysia
“…help me to improve my English and widen my experience too...” Student from Vietnam
This was first explored as an open ended question – In your opinion, what makes international education worth what is paid for it - and an amazing array of comments Which cover all themes including obtaining global competencies, being global citizens, having new experiences and new friends, access to better education and technology and improving career prospects
I’ve shared a couple of quotes here for Canada bound students ….
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

32. International Education: Measuring success
Students indicated they assess “value” of an international education based on the course and how it contributes to employment outcomes
Gain better knowledge/ skills than at home
Get a good job in chosen field
Can earn more money
Improve English-language skills
Get expected academic marks / results
Can live in study destination permanently
Rank order
40%
Ranked #1 $
In addition to an open question, we also asked students to rank a set of statements that relate to the value of an international education in order from most important to least important
Overall, international students indicated they assess “value” based on the course and how it contributes to employment outcomes.
We saw 40% ranked gaining better knowledge/ skills than at home as the main measure of value – nearly twice more than getting a good job.
Personally, I was surprised to see that academic results was not as strong measure of value as expected – maybe you weren’t.
So international education may be expensive but sentiment would suggest it’s worth paying the premium.
But as always, it’s not the same for all students…
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

33. International Education: Measuring success
The measure of value of an international education differs depending on where students are from…
India
China
Middle East
Malaysia
Philippines
Rank order
Job
Knowledge
Money
EL skills
Results PR
Results
Money
EL skills PR
Apologies in advance for psychedelic style of this slide - I was tapping into my inner 70s child here while being challenged on how to best show the differences between countries without having lots of numbers on the screen
Of the source countries shown here, the top 2 reasons are the same across all expect Chinese students mostly value Getting a good job in chosen field,
It’s the 3rd most important factor that really differs, Indian students more money driven, results more important for students from Middle east, PR is a driver for Filipinos and developing EL skills for the Chinese and Malaysians
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

34. IDP students and their career expectations
We have just seen that gaining skills and knowledge are a stronger measure of international education success, leading to better chances of getting a career-related job
In this next section, we will look at student expectations around their future career…

35. Career intentions Future career?
95% of students surveyed have at least some idea of their future career; 40% know exactly what they want to do
Future career?
Firstly, to gauge the student mindset, we asked students if they know what they want to their future career to be (I certainly didn’t – had no idea, which is why I did a double degree to keep my options open!)
But 95% of students surveyed have at least some idea of their future career – with 40% knowing exactly.
There was no real difference between destinations. At a source country level, only 12% of Chinese students said they know exactly what they want to do – and we’ll see through this section the responses from Chinese students are quite different to the rest of the students surveyed.
Looking at BFOS – those studying Health or Education subjects are more definite what they want to do (which I doubt would surprise anyone)
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

36. Intentions: After study in Canada
Almost half of the students who are Canada bound hope to gain work experience in Canada.
Intentions after study in Canada
Don’t know yet…
Work / live in Canada
Other
Work / live in other overseas country
Return home for work
And we see that nearly half of those Canada bound hope to gain work experience in Canada.
Another 18% intend to further their study [which is positive for the institutions], 13% look to return home to work. 5% work elsewhere and 12% still don’t know yet…
NZ is similar to Canada, 38% of Australia bound intent to work there after study, while for US and UK – only a quarter intend to work post study – reflecting current post study work restrictions
ALL DESTINATIONS - At a source country level, some differences in intentions with more students from India & the Philippines hoping to gain work in the study country, those from Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Middle East are more likely to return home, and Chinese students are more likely to not know yet…
So with majority of students looking to start their career in the near future, so what are their expectations of getting a career related job…
Further study in Canada
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

37. Expectations of getting a career-related job
Nearly half of those surveyed said that it would not be easy to find work in the chosen career field
Perceived ease of a career-related job
Find work in chosen career field
Compete with graduates back home
Compete with graduates in study country
To understand this, we asked students how easy they think it will be to find work in their chosen career field, successful compete in their home country with graduates who have a degree from their home country, and successfully compete with graduates in the study country
Firstly, we can see that just under a half of students said that it would not be easy to find work in the chosen career field
In terms of competition, slightly more were confident of successfully competing in their home country as opposed to the half who said it would not be easy to successfully compete with graduates in the study country.
Compared to other destinations, Canada bound felt they had better chance competing with other graduates in those study countries
For those students that said that finding work would not be easy, we wanted to know what they through were the barriers…
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

38. Barriers to getting a career-related job
Competition is a key barrier to getting a career-related job, followed by lack of sufficient work experience and work visa difficulties
Why
It will not be easy finding work in chosen career field?
Lots of competition in study country
Lack sufficient work experience
Lots of competition at home
Difficult to get work visa in study country
Lack of jobs available at home
Lack of support in study country to find a job
Lack of jobs available in study country
EL proficiency
And competition comes through strongly whether it be in the study country or at home, as well as lack of sufficent work experience and difficulty getting a work visa in study country.
For Chinese, lack of work experience and EL skills are seen as the main barriers (36% mentioned EL),
Although economic and market conditions are key barrier, opportunities for work experience are important which suggests that education and employment is intrinsically linked. So what is the role of institutions? I’m not going to enter into that debate…
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

39. Career Support: Role of institutions
At least half of the students surveyed expect institution involvement in providing career support
Expectations of career support by institution
% Agree
Develop skills employers are seeking (e.g. soft skills)
Find career-related internships/ work experience
Develop fluent English language skills
Find a career-related job after graduating
but for this survey, we did want to understand what students expected from their higher education institution in terms of career support.
Across the 4 areas asked, we see at least half have high expectations of institution involvement – with most looking to the institution in developing their soft skills – which is part of the attraction of the western enquiry based pedagogy along with the practical need of gaining work experience.
At a country level, we see Chinese students again having lower expectations – mainly in developing soft skills and finding a job after graduating.
For developing EL proficiency skills,- no lower expectations – BUT there were above average expectations of the institution with students from Middle East, Indonesia, Malaysia & Philippines
Now Of course, not all these factors are in the institution’s control e.g. finding a job post study. But for those factors that are within the institutions control, these should are emphasized in courses and communications such as – development of soft skills, EL proficiency, career focus attitudes – as students measure these as part of their educational success.
And also, there the need to manage student expectations so the student knows what their own role is in achieving their outcomes
I’d like to focus specifically in on Chinese students, as we’ve just the seen their feedback was different to others - the implication is that Chinese students may need some form of additional support, even if at a cost to the institution or the student.
Also, Chinese students were a key focus in …
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

40. Reality of getting a career-related job
Australian international graduates and
the transition to employment 
This report investigated the recruitment of Australian international graduates in the areas of accounting, nursing and engineering. It presents the findings from the three-year study from different perspectives - universities, students, industry groups and employers. 
The research project is the result of a partnership between Deakin University and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) researchers funded by IDP Education Ltd and the Australian Research Council. 
To download the report, refer to…
in a 3 year Australia Research Council linkage project led by Deakin University which IDP was the industry partner that explored the transition of Australia international graduates to employment.
Copy of the report is available from IDP global website - Research Services

41. Attitudes towards International Education
But reflect for a moment on Transnational Education – TNE is currently being debated if it is filling a local need or is it attracting students who would have gone overseas to study. According to a recent OBHE report TNE is not currently a substitute for student mobility.
While not able to explore this topic among those we surveyed as they have already chosen an international education, we wanted to understand their attitudes to pathways and quality of education in their home country
Firstly, pathways is growing sector of our industry

42. 19% 72% Pathway programs Experience of Pathways Where?
About one third of IDP students either intend, are doing or have completed a pathway
Experience of Pathways
Not aware
Intend
Home
19%
Where?
Overseas
72%
Doing
Done
Considered but didn’t
Firstly we asked awareness or usage of pathway programs using the DESCRIPTION - Pathway programs and courses help prepare for university (e.g. Foundation Year, English-language course or a Diploma).
As shown here, 36% were not aware of pathways – maybe an opportunity for us to consider…
22% were aware but didn’t consider a pathway, while a small % who considered didn’t do one – suggesting good conversion rate from consideration to usage
Which leaves us with about one third either – intending, doing or completed a pathway
And where did they or are they doing there pathway…
Most said overseas (there were about 10% who didn’t know btw), with students form China and Philippines most likely to go abroad.
Of those who doing a pathway at home, this was significantly higher with 45% of Malaysians selecting home – not really a surprise but we can see the potential impact that the growing regional hub is having on international education
Not considered
Survey Descriptor:
Pathway programs and courses help prepare for university (e.g. Foundation Year, English-language course or a Diploma).
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

43. Pathway programs Why do a pathway at home? Why do a pathway overseas?
The lower cost of study and living was the primary reason for students to complete a pathway program in their home country.
Why do a pathway at home?
Why do a pathway overseas?
And exploring in more detail, we asked why chose home or overseas to do a pathway
The lower cost of study and living, was the primary reason for students to complete a pathway program in their home country.
Other contributing reasons included an easier ability to focus on studies and the perception that local pathway programs were comparable to those overseas.
The top two most important reasons for completing a pathway program overseas included the benefit of gaining career advantages through international qualifications, as well as the development of cross-cultural skills – again reflecting those success measures of an international education
Survey Descriptor:
Pathway programs and courses help prepare for university (e.g. Foundation Year, English-language course or a Diploma).
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

44. International Education attitudes: benchmark
These attitudes of international students will be monitored over time…
Study preferences: % Agree
Employers at home value international degrees more than local degrees
Quality of HE institutions
at home is improving
Most of my friends prefer to study at a HE institution at home rather than overseas
I’ve never considered studying at a HE institution at home
We are all aware of how competitive the international education industry is becoming. This year explored IDP student’s attitudes towards international education with the hope of building on this in the years to come to understand any shifts
Remember these are students have already made the decision to study overseas which comes through strongly in the last statement – majority never considered studying at an HE institution at home
But still some interesting perspectives…
Most think employers at home are more likely to value international degrees
nearly 6 in 10 agree that the Quality of HE institutions at home improving – potential threat for international education
But positively most of the surveyed students said their friends would prefer to study overseas – so phew –opportunity still exists for IE.
As said though, this data will be more interesting as we collect it over time…
Source: IDP Student Buyer Behaviour Research, August 2014

45. Thank you
For further information please visit our booth in the Sponsor Fair or contact:
• Thank you, everyone for your time
• The first of other presentations we look forward to doing across our large country aside from event-based presentations
• Very interested in your feedback
• Key take-away would be the importance of constantly monitoring international student attitudes and understandings of studying in Canada, and of appropriately modifying our communication strategies to take into account these expectations, and of ensuring that our on-shore student services meet our moral obligations in hosting international students.