Abstract

While China continues to be perhaps the most important student recruitment region for many leading international universities, changes in this market, resulting in more regional mobility of students, are fast becoming apparent. This, the increasing penetration and efforts of the traditional recruiting institutions and the entry of new universities into the market – albeit set against the increasing ability of Chinese families to pay for an overseas education – is leading to vastly intensifying competition for Chinese students, and the increasing sophistication of Chinese students in their understanding of potential educational destinations.

This report discusses these issues, and describes some of the trends in marketing being taken by a number of players today. It argues that recruiting institutions have to understand not just the psychology of Chinese students, including their needs and motives, but also those of their parents. It further argues that it is not just responsible, but effective, to align the education being offered (and the way the institution is then marketed), with the sending nation’s requirements for development. The report details the experience of The University of Hong Kong which, only ten years after first starting to recruit students from Mainland China, now averages over 10,000 applicants per year from students who could all get into the top university in their province. This report analyses issues relating to strategic planning, marketing, branding, evolutionary marketing strategies, reputation management, action plans – and the principles behind them – as well as the importance of consistency across these issues. Finally, it notes a few trends anticipated for the Chinese market in the future.