The Challenges and Opportunities of Chinese Student Recruitment During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic posed an array of challenges to higher education institutions’ Chinese student recruitment efforts. We spoke with our partners at Binghamton University, Glion Institute of Higher Education, Iowa State University, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, and San Mateo Colleges of Silicon Valley to ask about both the challenges and opportunities they have encountered in their China engagement.

Some key takeaways:

1) China’s strict COVID policies, as well as novel regulatory changes over the past year, have prompted institutions to seek out “safer” alternatives to student engagement, such as digital marketing and online events.

2) Due to travel restrictions, some institutions have invested in virtual or augmented reality campus tours. This technology is a cost-effective option to provide an in-depth campus visit experience to prospective students who may be unable to travel.

3) Interest among families from second- and third-tier cities in pursuing overseas education opportunities has grown substantially, and many institutions have noted their success in engaging with prospective students from these areas at offline events.

4) As a result, it is important to maintain a focus on China recruitment and consider building a diversified outreach strategy for 2022 and beyond.