News Talks podcast: Asia’s rising international student recruitment

For years, the US, Canada, the UK and Australia have dominated the international student recruitment market, but changing social attitudes and policy restrictions have caused their student numbers to fall drastically in recent years.

And while anglophone universities have been turning their backs, China, South Korea and Hong Kong have all taken major steps to boost their international recruitment, as low birth rates leave them with limited options to grow their recruitment at home.

And their efforts have paid off. Earlier this year, South Korea met its target to enrol 300,000 international students two years ahead of schedule, and last year Japan surpassed its government target of hosting 400,000 international students by 2033 a full eight years early. 

But does this mark a sea change in international student recruitment? What opportunities does it present to universities across Asia, and how much of a threat is this to universities in the West, many of which are reliant on international student recruitment to remain afloat?

On this week’s episode, host Juliette Rowsell is joined by Asia reporter Rosalind Skillen to discuss what these changes mean for universities across the world.