India has now become the most populous country in the world and as such, the education landscape is radically changing. Shifts in technology, demographics, and the economy have already taken place and presented new and exciting opportunities for the Indian education sector to grow and evolve at a heightened …
What does 2023 have in store for Higher Education? Join Rob Reeves from Acumen’s UK Team as he gives his insights and predictions.
Predicting future Higher Education trends is one of the most important things an institution can do. This helps to develop strategies and plan responses to ongoing issues, whilst targeting more consistent growth. Robin Reeves, experienced international recruiter, reflects on 2022 and offers his predictions for the UK Higher Education sector in 2023. How did the South …
Deep dive into international recruitment – are aggregators worth it?
Aggregators are a frequent component of international student recruitment and work to unite students across the globe with a compatible university course. They may provide various benefits for students and institutions, though there are also significant questions about their effectiveness. This makes it important to assess if these agents are …
Acumen Leadership in Conversation— Cecilia Pereira-Yates: The Malaysian Market: “It’s not just a commercial relationship”
Before joining Acumen, Cecilia was a Managing Director for GB8 International Education and Partnerships Specialist, a company she founded in 2012. Cecilia’s experience and expertise of over 26 years is in the areas of international student recruitment, transnational education, international partnerships and cultural awareness training. Some of her key consultancy …
Acumen Leadership in Conversation— with Pete Richards: TNE… It’s time to tap the untapped market for higher education
Pete Richards is Acumen’s Executive Director for UK & Europe and has been working within the Higher Education sector for over twelve years, operating as Marketing Director for Sydney’s highly acclaimed Macquarie Business School, Head of Student Recruitment Marketing at Henley Business School, UK General Manager – International Student Recruitment …
Acumen Leadership in conversation— with Haike Manning: South East Asia: It’s About Not Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket
Haike is from New Zealand, every good organisation should have at least one Kiwi! He is a former diplomat and New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam (2012-2016). He has been a business owner in Vietnam, establishing LightPath Consulting Group in 2017 – a B2B consulting business specialising in international education, acquired …
Acumen Leadership in conversation— with Ananya Bhadauria: 2022 Reflections and What to Expect in 2023
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela Based out of the UK, Ananya joined Acumen as International Education Policy and Stakeholder Relations Manager, following her recent Masters at Oxford. Working closely to support all the Acumen senior leadership, her role encompasses India, …
Acumen Leadership in Conversation— with Ritika Singh: Exploring new avenues in India higher education
Ritika Singh is Director of Customer Experience, India at Acumen. She began her career in financial services, with a corporate licence to trade on NYSE, certified on NASDAQ: Series 6 and Series 63, she worked as a Senior Financial Analyst for US clients. After a brief stint in the IT …
Acumen Leadership in Conversation— With Dyutimoy Biswas: The Emergence of South and South East Asia as a significant new market for 2023
Dyutimoy Biswas is the Chief Operating Officer with a focus on customer experience and optimising delivery costs. Based in Gurgaon he works from home and from the SannamS4 office in Nehru Place. DB’s first role was as a Sales Rep in the logistics and supply chains in the early 1990s …
Acumen Releases Vietnam Voices Report on Market Attitudes Towards Transnational Education
January 17, 2023 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Acumen, part of Sannam S4 Group, has released a new report on Vietnamese parents’ views about international higher education programs delivered in Vietnam. The report, the first of its kind to focus on transnational education (TNE) in Vietnam, is titled ‘Vietnam Voices’, …
Acumen Leadership in Conversation— with Chris Bandy: Booming TNE interest, students are back and the future looks bright!
Chris Bandy is Executive Director for Australia & New Zealand at Acumen. Chris has over 12 years of international experience, with extensive exposure in the government and international education sectors, most recently as Investment and Trade Commissioner to South Asia and the Middle East, and Director at Invest and Trade …
Acumen Leadership in Conversation – With Joe Arangio: How economic uncertainty will drive enrolment in 2023
Joe Arangio, Acumen’s Senior Vice President, North America has led business development, operations, and program delivery across education’s public, nonprofit and proprietary sectors at the post-graduate, post-secondary and K-12 levels. Joe’s expertise in navigating international education’s complex regulations is routinely used to create learning opportunities that might not otherwise exist. …
UGC Draft Guidelines for Foreign Branch Campuses Unveiled
The much-awaited draft rules for establishing and operating campuses overseas in India have been revealed. The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued the Draft Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India Regulations on 5 January, 2023. As India aims to reach a 50% Gross Enrollment Ratio(GER) from 27.3% currently by 2035 as …
Global Education Experts Acumen Celebrate 15 Years Of Excellence In International Education
Established in 2008, Acumen, part of Sannam S4 Group, celebrates its 15th anniversary committed to helping globally-ambitious university and education partners enter, explore and expand in South Asia, South East Asia and beyond. We are also extremely proud to serve and partner with multiple foreign governments on making a real …
Important Changes In Sight For The Australian Education System
As global education faced an immense slowdown due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were hit hard. Transnational education developments, international student recruitment and broader internationalisation steps that were in existence, have been pushed back. However, with the situation rapidly improving, many countries are now focused on international opportunities …
No Application Needed For Admission – A New System?
With traditional systems and guidelines, most colleges and universities across the globe require students to apply based on their interests and various criteria for admission. This application process is designed so that students are able to choose their desired courses and institutions have the freedom to decide between candidates. With …
Canada Uplifts Former International Students By Offering Work Permit Extension
As a top official in the higher education department, you very well know how much a post-graduation work permit matters to an international student. The work permit program allows a recent graduate to gain work experience. In addition to this, the program is a gateway for international students to obtain …
A Memorandum of Understanding & A Collaboration of Minds
What the landmark UK-Indian MoU means for the education industry. In a landmark collaborative effort to merge academic minds from India with the United Kingdom, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two countries. Both India and the UK share a colourful past, but the Indian MoU is …
Abolishment of police registration order for international students in the UK
One step forward towards the internationalisation of education in the UK. The Government of the UK has undertaken a major alteration in their immigration policy. This is good news for students aspiring to pursue their international education journey in the UK as they will now have one less checkbox on …
Priority Visa Processing To Resume In The UK
The UK Visas and Immigration Services (or the UKVI), has started restoring priority visa processing services for various visa classes that are eligible, including for students. The service was resumed on August 12th 2022. Priority visa processing was suspended in March of this year. This was so that Ukrainian applicants …
A Strong US Dollar and What that Means for International Students
Indicators are pointing to a surge in demand for international education opportunities among students who have grown weary of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, currency devaluation, inflation, as well as the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, have dampened the demand for studying abroad in some outbound markets. What …
Australian Government vows to fix Visa delays
With higher education being the focus of many people arriving in Australia every year, the government has become more proactive in its approach to approving new visas. The world has been recovering from the COVID pandemic and admissions to colleges and universities are now in full swing. Recently, however, visa …
Vietnam Aims to Internationalise Vocational Education and Training
The VET Toolbox project, funded by the EU, was launched in September of 2021. The project was initiated so that a framework for qualifications, for Vietnamese institutions, could be developed. The hope is that with certificate recognition, Vietnamese students can gain opportunities to work in local as well as international …
Vietnam’s Role in the Internationalisation of Education
Education’s perception in Vietnamese culture is exceptional. Due to their roots in Confucianism, the Vietnamese place great value on the importance of education. Confucius regularly spoke of its significance in the development of a human being. He also believed that education is a key factor for societal advancement. The past …
Marketing in Education – Why do Universities need In-Country Representation?
Universities are well aware of the value of attracting overseas students, and in recent times have created a myriad of short, medium and long-term course options to meet their requirements. However, HE institutions can’t afford to overlook the steps needed to draw attention to those options and secure buoyant levels …
Vietnam Rising – The Growing Demand for International Students
According to several reports and news articles, Vietnam is in the market to promote foreign education for its brightest minds. With a multitude of students in several countries, especially from East Asia, opting for higher education abroad, universities in European nations and the Americas are waiting to welcome the influx …
The Top College Student Recruitment Strategies
As an international student recruitment manager, you know that recruiting top college students is essential to the success of your program. But what are the best strategies for attracting these talented students? It’s no secret that college student recruitment is a competitive process. In order to attract top talent, schools …
Marnie Watson Appointed Chief Commercial Officer Acumen and Appointed to Sannam S4 Group Board
Acumen, part of the Sannam S4 Group, today announces the promotion of Marnie Watson to Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Group Board Member. As CCO, Marnie will lead Acumen’s global sales, service and product evolution and territorial expansion working closely with Katrina Hutchings and the Group Marketing team. As a …
Australian Government chooses Acumen in Expansion of Offshore TNE Delivery Project
The Acumen ANZ team, who are part of the Sannam S4 Group, are proud to announce their successful bid for a long- term project that will see them working with the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills, and Employment (DESE), and their Offshore Education Counsellor Network, to expand offshore delivery …
International dual and joint degrees to get green light
India is set to greenlight dual and joint degrees awarded by Indian universities with international partners as part of its internationalisation plan being pushed through forcefully since its inclusion last year in the National Education Policy (NEP), a blueprint for the next decade. Foreign universities had already started to explore …
Secure study abroad destinations: The UK and Ireland
The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic has destabilised the certainty university study abroad providers have had regarding the safety of certain international destinations. Despite this, there are some countries that have deep support networks for American students, such as the UK and Ireland. Studying abroad in the UK and Ireland …
COVID variant forces more campuses to return to remote teaching in early 2022
As the Omicron variant continues to cause disruption to the UK and much of the world, it is already forcing many university campuses to turn back to remote teaching and online exams. Positive COVID cases are on the rise and there are growing fears about what this could mean for …
Acumen reflects on International Education Week 2021
Mid-November is a much-anticipated time for international educators in the U.S.Colleagues wait with interest for the annual Open Doors report (a government-funded survey on international and U.S. higher education student mobility) to be released, and when it is, there is much debate, reflection and speculation based on the data. Corresponding …
Appointment of former New Zealand ambassador and establishment of a Vietnam HQ furthering the expansion strategy and growing regional expertise to the international education leader’s global footprint.
Sannam S4 Group, a leading international education services provider, today announced the appointment of the former New Zealand Ambassador Mr. Haike Manning as Executive Director, South East Asia, and through the acquisition of the education business of LightPath Consulting Group, acquires a presence in Vietnam. Manning’s appointment and the acquisition …
Generational shift in Indian students’ higher education goals
Universities in India and abroad need to change their mindset when seeking to attract Indian students, as a major survey has shown a shift in perspectives among ‘Generation Z’ youths towards life goals and jobs and what influences them. The survey by international education consultancy Sannam S4 of some 10,000 …
What will the Biden Presidency mean for the US-India Knowledge Corridor?
“America has been tested and we have come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s. We will be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress and security.” – Joe Biden, 46th …
The New Transnational Education in Thailand Policy and What it Means for UK Universities: Explained
Transnational education is swiftly becoming one of the biggest drives towards globalisation and an interconnected academic community, offering more academic opportunities to students across the world. It involves education being delivered by an awarding institution in a country other than the one in which they are based. For example, Lincoln …
American Council on Education (ACE) interviews Acumen on Covid’s effect on South Asian students looking to study abroad
Acumen’s Senior Manager of Education, North America, Ishrat Jahan, as well as Ritika Singh of Acumen, were invited to a webinar hosted by Maria Claudia Soler, Senior Research Analyst at the American Council of Education (ACE). As part of a series highlighting ACE’s 2021 Mapping Internationalization survey of US universities, …
Will international student numbers bounce back in Australia and New Zealand?
The number of international students choosing to study at the brilliant universities found within the UK, the USA, and Canada have started to increase once more. Although the pandemic has made life harder for students traveling overseas for study, it hasn’t stopped the wave of new applicants from making the …
The impact of the Biden Administration on US-Malaysia Student Mobility
The US has been among the top 10 preferred study destinations for Malaysian students. As per IIE Open Doors data, Malaysia has sent a consistent number of students (primarily undergraduates) to the US. Since 2017/18, however, these numbers have been steadily declining. Like most international students in the US, 2020 …
Sannam S4 reveals globally certified International Education Adviser Programme in aim to provide best in class in-country support
Sannam S4 has achieved full accreditation under the CPD Certification Service for their International Education Adviser Programme, in the top five markets across the globe; US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The Adviser programme is featured within the Sannam S4’s Centre of Excellence, an internal Learning and Development Academy. …
Proud to be gold sponsors at AIEC 2021
At Acumen, we pride ourselves on our global presence in the education sector and assisting institutions expand into new markets, which is why we’re proud to announce that this year we are gold sponsors of the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) 2021. The AIEC will be taking place online this …
Why America is losing international students
American higher education has long prided itself on being a brilliant beacon, attracting generations of students from around the globe. They come for education and for opportunity. Many, having established ties to America, return home to take roles in academe, business, or government. No country has trained more foreign leaders …
New solutions portfolio includes cutting-edge ‘TNE Matchmaker’ data-mining tool that uses AI to locate best-fit university partners
Acumen, a leading global education services provider, today launched Global Gateway, a comprehensive suite of transnational education (TNE)-related solutions designed to maximise enrolment outcomes for universities. The new service features TNE Matchmaker, the world’s first AI-driven data-mining tool, which searches thousands of courses compiled across South Asia and Southeast Asia …
India branch campus risks and costs “too high”, survey suggests
At least eight top 200 universities in the THE ranking would “definitely consider” having a branch campus in India, according to a recent survey on Establishing International Branch Campuses in India by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration. Of those, two were in the top 100, which the …
Acumen Welcomes US Joint Statement on International Education
Acumen welcomes the Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education recently announced by the US Department of State and Department of Education. We applaud the US government’s commitment to developing a coordinated national approach to international education and recognising the significant benefits that come with global engagement. Acumen …
Explained: The challenges, and the solutions, for students going abroad
Students are worried about travel restrictions, but getting vaccinated boosts their chances of attending classes at international universities. Travel restrictions, quarantine expenses, mental anxiety—these are just some of the challenges that students hoping to go abroad for higher education this year have faced during the second Covid wave. However, with …
Comprehensive enrolment service helps universities enhance recruitment and marketing activities internationally
Acumen, a leading education services provider, today launched PACE, a comprehensive suite of student recruitment-related solutions designed to maximise enrolment outcomes for universities. PACE, which stands for Prospect, Admit, Convert and Enrol, helps universities generate and nurture initial queries through to completed applications, and drive enrolments by enhanced conversion and …
Former Oxford International Education Group CEO becomes a Non-Executive Director at leading education services provider and international market entry firm
Sannam S4 Group, a leading global education services provider and international market entry firm, today announced the appointment of Mark Stanton to the company’s Group Board of Directors. Stanton brings with him over 25 years of senior management experience in global business along with deep knowledge of both education and …
Australia at a crossroads: will international students hold out for borders to open?
A year into the pandemic, Australia is at a crossroads. Australia is one of a handful of countries around the world that has kept the virus at bay, and its citizens have been able to live relatively normal lives during this difficult period. Closed borders and strict quarantine have been …
India’s NEP set to create ‘whole range’ of partnership opportunities
The National Education Policy will result in a “sea change” around partnerships in India with a whole range of options opening up for foreign institutions, delegates heard during a country spotlight session during The PIE Live TNE & Tech virtual conference. As part of a wide ranging discussion that explored …
Appointment of industry veteran builds on international education leader’s ambitious global expansion strategy
Sannam S4, a leading international education services provider, today announced that Marnie Watson has been named Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand. Ms. Watson, in her newly-created role, will lead Sannam S4’s expansion in these two markets and be responsible for building a robust, high-performance strategy across this broad geographic …
Alumno Founder & CEO Michael Bartlett appointed Sannam S4 Group Global Managing Director, Education
Sannam S4 Group, a leading international education services provider, announced today its acquisition of Alumno, a Singapore-based education consultancy offering strategic advice and implementation support to universities, education organizations and governments on marketing and branding, TNE, partnership development and student recruitment throughout the Asia region. “Acquiring Alumno is an important …
Opportunities for international recruitment post-pandemic
United States international student enrolments this fall semester dropped by more than 40% amid COVID-19 disruptions, but even before the pandemic, international students were beginning to look elsewhere for an education. We all knew that international student enrolments at US universities would be down this term as a result of …
Volume 12: Internationalisation & Indian HEIs: Best practices from Teaching Undergraduates in India, Israel & the USA
Beginning in March 2020, as COVID 19 travelled insidiously across continents destroying lives and livelihoods, the education of millions of students was disrupted globally. For international students, disruptions were compounded by campus closures and travel bans, many of which continue. 19-year old Arjun who flew from college in Indiana in …
Volume 11: Recruiting Latin American Students the Power of 7
With COVID 19 posing more challenges than ever before within international student recruitment, there has never been a more important time for universities to go that extra mile and manage a tailored approach to attract students. From over 10 years´ experience working with student recruitment in Latin America, below are …
Volume 10: Challenges & opportunities for Higher Education in Latin America & the Caribbean the fallout from COVID
Universities in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) were already facing daunting challenges before the global pandemic. Rising enrollments that overwhelmed institutional capacity, rigid governance structures, and severe budget restrictions have strained institutions across the region. The pandemic has not only compounded existing problems but has also created new difficulties …
Volume 9: Teaching & learning – Changing the way we do it
Victoria University (VU) changed the landscape of Higher Education in Australia in 2018 when they introduced a revolutionary new model of student learning, known as The VU Way. Other universities require students to undertake four subjects at once over a 12 week semester followed by a period of exams and …
Overview of Online Education in India
Significant advancements are being made in online education in India as a result of its exponentially developing technology. With a population of over 1.3 billion and the availability of high-speed internet and smartphones, India has a massive base of technologically-driven consumers as the educational landscape shifts in response to the …
Sannam S4 Collaborates with Yocket for a Panel Discussion Series
The panel discussion series announced on LinkedIn on June 2, 2020, will provide a platform for open dialogue between students and some of Sannam S4’s university partners. The series will be hosted on Yocket: an online platform offering a multitude of services to help students manage their plans to study …
Volume 8: The Role of Higher Education in Enhancing Social Enterprise
Since the internet age began, higher education has become more global. The internet has allowed the learner and educator to connect globally, or, as Manuel Castells famously coined the phrase, to become a ‘Network Society’ (Castells, 1996). This network society has developed a new wave of economic, social, political, and …
Digital and Social Media Landscape in India
With the deep penetration of internet connectivity among people, the number of social media users in India have been growing constantly. The Indian government-sponsored Digital India initiative has also contributed greatly to this growth. The year 2020, which came under the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic, saw much resort to …
Volume 7: Tax Exposures For Foreign Higher-Ed Institutions in India
As we write this article, the COVID-19 Pandemic is engulfing our world and invoking unprecedented responses and strategies. Global sectors are facing drastic challenges that re-defines the basic modalities of running international operations. The coming years, probably at least the first-half of this decade, will see a paradigm shift where …
Volume 6: Coronavirus Crisis and Digital Education Preparedness
The news magazine Inside Higher Ed published on January 16, 2020, an article titled “Takedown of Online Education”. It featured a US-based research report titled “Does Online Education Live up to Its Promise?” The report was rather negative on online education, especially on fully online courses, apparently aiming to discourage …
Top Social Media Trends in India
Social Media Statistics and Facts, You Need to Know Facebook Facts Facebook has 260 million active users in India—that’s the highest they have in any country The largest user group by age on Facebook is 18–24 years, with a whopping 97.2 million users In terms of the number of users …
Volume 5: Impact of EdTech In Changing How India Learns & Skills
In Sep 2019 Zomato laid off 541 employees on the account of automation improving the speed of service resolution. In Nov 2019 Cognizant removed employees from their current roles, and planned to reskill and redeploy a fraction, leading to a net reduction of about 5,000 to 7,000 jobs. These are …
Volume 4: Developing Global Talent Through Higher Education
The Global Skills Mismatch According to global recruiting firm ManpowerGroup, more employers than ever are struggling to fill open positions – 45% globally confirm that they are unable to find the skills they need – the highest talent mismatch figure in over a decade (ManpowerGroup, 2018). Challenges related to the …
Volume 3: Rethinking the Climate Crisis as an opportunity to transform international education for the better
Climate Crisis Introduction For the past few years, I have been looking into international education’s response to the climate crisis, exploring the ways in which global mobility generates emissions, studying how institutions are addressing the challenge, and thinking about what types of action may have fallen through the cracks. Much …
Volume 2: The Golden Ticket – Challenges and Opportunities in the Global PSW landscape
UK PSW – Context In International recruitment, it is now accepted that Post Study Work (PSW) is part of the country’s promotion mix. How countries use this strategically determines their position in priority markets. With key destination countries for International student mobility grappling with political and immigration rhetoric headwinds, the …
Volume 1: Challenges for Indian Higher Education: Expansion, Quality, & Internationalisation
Potential for further expansion Indian higher education system has traditionally been a slow-growing state-supported sector. The gross enrolment ratio (GER) was low at 8.1 per cent in 2000. The adoption of market-friendly reforms in this century relieved the sector from relying on public funding for its expansion. The proliferation of …
Sannam S4 CEO Adrian Mutton to Support Core Group on Trade Facilitation, CII National MSME Council
International market entry and expansion services company CEO Adrian Mutton has been appointed to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Trade Facilitation Group, National MSME Council which has been established to support the Government of India’s Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). This group will provide a strategic …
USIKE Leads Higher Education Delegation to India
The U.S.-India Knowledge Exchange (USIKE), supported by Sannam S4 and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), is leading a delegation of U.S. universities to New Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai from 15th to 20th January 2019. The group of universities which includes University of California Berkeley, Drexel University, Purdue University, Lehigh …