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Developed as an integral component of many higher education programs, internships provide a multitude of benefits for participating students. However, there is a lack of tools designed to measure internship-related learning outcomes. Therefore, this article will present the process of constructing and validating a scale that can be used to evaluate students' internship-related learning outcomes. Content validity of the scale was established with an extensive review of relevant literature, interviews with current interns along with checking the adequacy of the scale content with interns and academics. Construct validity was established with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Through that process, the resulting scale was proven to have achieved construct reliability as well as convergent and discriminant validity. The article discusses the use of the scale, its weaknesses, and implications for organizing internships so that the effectiveness of this form of work-integrated learning can be continuously improved. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).

Along with the significant improvement of Chinese universities’ visibility in the global higher education field, the Chinese government has been actively branding “Study in China” in recent years to market itself as a prevalent destination for international education. International enrolment has gained increasing importance and become a key component of the internationalisation discourse in China. Borrowing the theories of field and capital, this study aims to obtain a more nuanced understanding of China’s position as a leading host country for international students. Using a multiple-case study design, this study investigates the motivations for selected flagship universities in China to campaign to recruit international students, and in what way these are nested with the national priorities, as well as the key recruitment strategies and technologies they have employed. The findings help reveal the distinctiveness of the Chinese model of international student recruitment. A shift in priorities is also noted as well as controversies and tensions in respect to the employment of various recruitment strategies. The lessons of leading universities in China offer insights both for researchers and policymakers in many countries to rethink their strategies to increase their nations and universities’presence in the global landscape.

Higher education can be considered an industry comprised of mobile students attending institutions worldwide (Findlay et al. in Int Migr 55(3):139–155, 2017). The global pandemic, COVID-19, has significantly impacted the mobility of these students. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have attracted students using international student recruiters, various marketing materials, websites, and educational agents (de Wit in Int High Educ 59:13–14, 2015). When COVID-19 began to unfold around the globe the disease impacted many sectors of the economy, but the impact of disease on the higher education industry is not well documented. The purpose of this study is to explore how higher education institutional student recruitment staff responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the perspectives of international student recruitment staff in eight small to medium-sized institutions in Canada to understand the impact of the pandemic on their practice and to generate insights for policymakers to consider when planning the future of international student recruitment (ISR). The study found that these recruiters perceived their size to be a disadvantage and that the pandemic highlighted the inequities within higher education. Furthermore, recruiters feared the competitive position of small to medium-sized institutions is potentially deteriorating with implications on policy, resources, and internal relationships within HEIs.

This study examines the key determinants influencing international students’ university choice decisions from the perspective of recruitment agents, an often overlooked yet critical intermediary in higher education marketing. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected using a structured questionnaire, which was administered to 474 prospective international students via participating recruitment agents’ networks. The survey measured the impact of Peer Referrals (PRs), University Image (UI), social life, Country Image (CI), and Financial Considerations (FC) on students’ Intention to Enroll (IE). Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4.0. Results indicate that Peer Referrals (PR) exert the strongest influence on students’ Intention to Enroll (IE), followed by perceptions of social life (SL) and university image (UI). These findings underscore the dual role of recruitment agents as both relational trust-builders and data-informed marketers in shaping student choices. By focusing on recruitment agents’ perspectives rather than solely institutional or student viewpoints, this research addresses a critical literature gap pertaining to international higher education. Grounded in relationship marketing and data-driven marketing theories, this study offers actionable insights for higher education managers seeking to enhance recruitment strategies, particularly in emerging destinations, such as North Cyprus. The implications are especially relevant for institutions committed to sustainable internationalization practices, aligning with sustainability’s focus on advancing long-term, ethical and inclusive growth in global education. Importantly, this research is grounded in empirical evidence, which provides a data-driven contribution rather than a conceptual or theoretical discussion.

Many higher education institutions (HEIs) seek to attract international students through marketing and recruitment activity. At the same time, HEIs are developing strategic plans that suggest internationalisation strategies such as the recruitment of students are an important consideration for their institutions and these strategies and implementation differ by their individual settings and culture. This study uses an international comparison of three universities to explore how HEIs’ strategic plans shape or mediate international student recruitment practice within higher education. The activity theory is used to compare institutional strategies as an activity by considering how practitioners in different parts of the world shape the meaning, outcome and tensions of their practice. Using this approach, the study examines international student recruitment at three HEIs in Canada, Hong Kong and the UK and shows how practitioners of international student recruitment are influenced by their institutional strategic plans, and the extent of this influence on practice is mediated by institutional culture and the practitioner’s position within the institutional hierarchy. The study results indicate that considering strategy practitioners’ perceptions and interpretations of strategic plans provides HEIs with additional resources to improve strategic planning processes by creating and designing plans that address practice implementation within institutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global student mobility, leading to sharp declines in international student enrollment at U.S. higher education institutions (HEIs). Research on the pandemic’s effects highlights key challenges faced by international students, including financial instability, mental health concerns, and experiences of racism and xenophobia. Institutional responses varied, with some universities leveraging distance technology and policy adaptations, while others failed to provide adequate support. As mobility restrictions ease, international enrollment is rebounding, presenting HEIs with new opportunities to engage and attract students. Using Push-Pull Theory as a framework, this study examines how HEIs can strengthen pull factors—such as reaffirming the value of international students, expanding recruitment into new markets, and enhancing institutional infrastructure to support students during global crises. By understanding the lessons learned from COVID-19 and preparing for future disruptions, U.S. HEIs can position themselves competitively in an evolving global education landscape.

This paper applies agency theory to explore the contractual relationship between higher education institutions (HEI) and HEI-contracted for-profit education agents in international student recruitment, bridging a gap in the existing literature by investigating the underlying issues surrounding these relationships. Building on insights and findings from previous studies related to this topic, our analysis shows that HEI–education agent relationships are often undermined by goal conflicts and information asymmetries that significantly constrain the possibilities for optimal contractual options to monitor and incentivise agents. The present analysis shows that hybrid governance models that include elements from both behaviour- and outcome-based contracts are often most efficient in managing HEI–education agent relationships. The paper critically evaluates how insights from agency theory can help to mitigate these problems and identifies specific inherent frictions that may make government interventions desirable in overseeing the use of education agents.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand and accentuate the value of social media in international student recruitment in Lebanese higher education institutions (HEIs). This study analyses the significance of social media and the changes occurring in the means of communicating with the potential international students, with an aim to understand how the HEIs could adapt with the changes to implement a model of engagement to include social media as a fundamental constituent of the Lebanese HEIs’ international student recruitment strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers carried out a study through quantitative descriptive approach by using a probabilistic simple random sample and a self-administered questionnaire on 230 international students from several universities and colleges in Lebanon as a data collection method.FindingsThe findings demonstrated a certain level of engagement in social media networks from the part of the students during their search for college or university and course information. Research showed that international students still prefer the traditional sources, apart from social media, during their search. Among traditional media sources, friend, family and university website were the highest in ranking. Among social media sources, Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube showed the highest ranks. Most students have, indeed, contacted a friend or a university staff for university course information by using social media sites.Practical implicationsFor managerial practice, this is an incentive for institutions of higher education to re-evaluate and assess the effective impact of social media on the recruitment of international students and to regulate their social media marketing strategies. For research in international education, the insights of this study are useful to explore further research avenues in the area of capacity building for business innovation, marketing and quality assurance in higher education in the cross-cultural context.Originality/valueThis study offers insights on the implications of social media for international student recruitment strategies in a particular Lebanese context of HEIs.

Public institutions in Portugal have not invested in strategies to attract international students until recently, when the adoption of new legislation and a national strategy for internationalization created more appealing conditions for it. This article aims to study the strategies institutions employ to recruit international students in a country less attractive than the major receiving countries and the main challenges they encounter. The study draws on interviews with top and middle managers in two public universities. The findings identify three types of strategies: institutional branding, revision of admission procedures, and curricular adjustments. The main challenges are the creation of institutional structures with an exclusive remit for international students and the choice of teaching language, despite a prevailing opinion that the Portuguese language should be maintained as a competitive advantage.

PurposeHow higher education institutions (HEIs) approach the recruitment of international students is an area of global interest (James-MacEachern, 2018, Ross et al., 2013), but there is limited focus on how institutions in different parts of the world approach international student recruitment as an export marketing orientation (EMO). The purpose of this paper is to examine the similarities and differences of export marketing orientation amongst three higher education institutions.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses export marketing concepts to compare three universities from Canada, Hong Kong and the UK to explore how institutions use international student recruitment as export marketing in international markets.FindingsThe study finds a number of similarities and differences in how HEIs react and respond to market and global environments, and responses impact the level of EMO. It argues that institutions rely differently on export marketing in their approach international students and highlights the need to understand how various factors such as national policy and institutional strategy impacts institutional adoption of an EMO in higher education.Originality/valueBy comparing HEIs from different parts of the world, this paper shows differences in export marketing orientation that are shaped by national policy frameworks and organizational culture. This is the first time three institutions from Canada, Hong Kong and the UK have been compared for EMO, and this study provides new insights into the factors that contribute or hinder EMO for HEIs.