[ad_1]
Kala Anand, global vice president of upGrad Connect, told The PIE: “If you have a good reputation and have good relationships in the market, you don’t have to put in extra effort to recruit.”
PIE understands that schools that do well—especially those in the United States—create engagement through faculty, immersion trips, experiential learning opportunities, curricular engagement, and alumni.
“They’ve created a great brand and they’ve built relationships by going directly to schools, taking a non-agency approach year after year,” Anand said.
“As a model, what upGrad Connect is trying to build is to go right to the source of where the student is. Don’t expect that student to come to you.”
upGrad Connect works directly with schools and colleges to support university counselors and international relations officers, “providing them with the right information” on all aspects of the international education journey.
Through a global network of institutions, service partners and affiliates, it aims to provide technology-driven human-assisted experiences for learners seeking to learn and succeed through international education.
“We are in an era where groceries can be delivered to my doorstep in ten minutes. As far as India is concerned, we are in the midst of an e-commerce boom,” Anand said.
“When every service comes to you, the best place an educational institution can offer it to students is at another educational institution. Go where the students are within the school ecosystem and get involved.”
Anand explained that one of the benefits of schools and universities working closely together is creating the best environment for students – matching them with universities and destinations that are seen as natural progressions – for them to succeed.
She also emphasized that through upGrad Connect’s direct connection with schools and colleges, students and their academic qualifications can be verified instantly.
Dhruv Krishnaraj, director and co-founder of Student Circus, is one of the stakeholders calling for a more “holistic” approach to admissions. Expectations are a big issue in the current agency model, which Krishnaraj describes as “transactional.”
“People mistakenly think of education as immigration and employment,” Krishnaraj said. He said this factor has led countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and, most recently, Canada to tighten immigration rules.
He said a long-term approach consisting of alternative engagement activities would have a “huge impact” on student expectations.
Krishnaraj draws on his own experience, having come to the UK as an Indian student and now heads up the careers platform for international students.
Krishnaraj suggested that a new approach consisting of various touchpoints throughout a student’s academic career could be more sustainable for universities and cost less than paying an agent 5 to 10 percent of student fees. Cheap.
‘People mistake education for immigration and employment’
This is not the first time that stakeholders have called for changes in the way institutions, especially those in the UK, engage with India.
In November 2023, C. Raj Kumar, VC founder of OP Jindal Global University, asked university representatives to reconsider collaboration with South Asian countries and suggested immersion travel and internships. He warned that the UK risked losing out to rivals such as Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, all of which wanted to recalibrate their higher education partnerships with India.
But commentators such as Neesha Bhakar, chief executive of education at Vishwa Samudra Holdings, suggest that contact with students should start in the upper grades of primary school – as early as 12 years old.
“This sense of comfort is very important for Indian families because we are very people-oriented,” she said.
Anand also called on universities to better understand what diversity means for the Indian market, especially in terms of the types of programs that attract India’s youth.
“What is geographic diversity? What is programmatic diversity? Time and time again universities offer business courses and engineering courses because they think these courses will sell in India.”
Anand added that as India’s youth become more interested in fashion marketing, game development, animation and visual effects, universities should take note of emerging popular programs.
[ad_2]
Source link