Global Survey of International Education Leaders 2025 Nous Group University COO Survey 2022

Internationalisation in the midst of slowbalisation 2025 Global Survey of International Education Leaders

Nous Group is an international management consultancy with over 800 people working across Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. With our broad consulting capability, we can solve your most complex strategic challenges and partner with you through transformational change. Together, Nous and Cubane form one of the most authoritative higher education service businesses operating today – a true leader in higher education with global expertise.

System planning and design

Engagement and co-design

Service redesign and integration

Monitoring and evaluation

In this landscape, universities will increasingly need to adapt by shifting from broad, volume-driven internationalisation strategies to more targeted, policy-aligned, and sustainable approaches to global engagement—a move from the 'Market Era' to the 'Managed Era,' a new period in international education marked by greater government control and management of international student flows.

About the REPORT

Six strategic challenges

Theme 1

70 university operational leaders ACROSS

CLOSE X

Internationalisation remains a high priority for universities but is increasingly influenced by government policy

Across all jurisdictions, more than four-fifths of international education leaders agree or strongly agree that internationalisation remains a high priority for their universities. But, consistent with the wider context of increasing government intervention and regulation of the international education sector, university leaders also agree that the internationalisation agenda is increasingly shaped by government policies. A majority agree that government policy decisions are increasingly shaping their university’s internationalisation ambitions.

Australia

New Zealand

Canada

IRELAND

Get the latest insighst from our University COO Survey report.

This report was made possible thanks to over 200 leaders from across Australia, Canada, the UK, and various other countries. The survey was sent to senior operational and strategic leaders in public universities, with responsibilities for international education and global engagement, between September and October 2024. Typical respondent roles included Deputy Vice Chancellor (International), Pro Vice Chancellor (International), Vice President (International), and Director (International). Survey results were supplemented by additional commentary and insight from Navitas and Nous Group consultants.

AUTHORS

Following the success of the inaugural Global Survey of International Education Leaders in 2022, Nous Group and Navitas have once again sought to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the university sector across Australia, Canada, and the UK. For this second report, we engaged senior operational and strategic leaders with responsibilities for international education and global engagement at universities across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Canada. Our report synthesises insights from these leaders, highlighting their internationalisation agendas, priorities, and assessments of future opportunities. Many of the themes of GSIEL 2022 have not gone away, but have rather been eclipsed by new, harsher realities. Our findings are distilled into six key themes, which highlight the challenges and opportunities facing leaders as they transition into the new ‘Managed Era’ of international education.

Download the Report

INTRODUCTION

The headwinds of COVID-19 may have passed, but international higher education remains in a period of upheaval and uncertainty. Government policy changes and global cultural, social, and economic challenges have fostered growing pessimism among university leaders, despite expectations of increased global demand.

Matt Durnin

principal, NOUS GROUP

matt.durnin@nousgroup.com

Download Internationalisation in the midst of slowbalisation

Get the latest insighst from our University COO Survey report.

Download Summary Report

CLOSE X

Revenue is front of mind for universities amid financial pressures and intensifying competition

Compared with the 2022 survey, a much higher proportion of leaders ranked ‘increasing revenue’ as their top priority, while the proportion of leaders that rated ‘increasing student volume’ as their top priority declined. Financial constraints are increasingly putting pressure on universities' ability to maintain high standards of student quality, experience, and outcomes. Financial imperatives are forcing institutions to make difficult trade-offs that may compromise the quality of education and student support services.

Theme 2

CLOSE X

Universities expect to increase revenue through higher fees, reduce scholarships and, for some institutions, lower entry requirements

In the main, universities expect to increase revenue by raising international tuition fees. Notably, the willingness to increase fees varies by institutional ranking, suggesting that higher-ranked institutions may feel more confident in their ability to command higher prices, leveraging their reputational capital to boost revenue. Aligned with the focus on increasing revenue, many universities anticipate being less generous with scholarships and bursaries for international students.

Theme 3

CLOSE X

Universities are expecting to reduced investment across many areas of international student recruitment

Facing growing financial pressures, many universities are pulling back investment across key areas of international student recruitment or are less inclined to increase investment compared with our 2022 survey. Respondents showed much weaker intentions to invest in agent aggregators and digital recruitment platforms than they did in the previous survey. The reduction in digital platform investment may reflect more critical procurement processes as universities become more mindful of cost-per-click metrics and the overall return on investment for these channels.

Theme 4

CLOSE X

Transnational education is becoming an increasingly important strategy, though many institutions are not confident on their ability to execute

There has been an increase in the proportion of leaders reporting that transnational education is a priority, with several noting that “transnational opportunities” and “the potential for increased collaboration” are reasons for optimism. This enthusiasm is likely driven by recent policy changes, such as international student caps, which are encouraging universities to pursue alternative revenue strategies. In Australia, uncertainty about the implementation of student caps may influence the degree to which universities shift their emphasis toward transnational education.

Theme 5

CLOSE X

While pessimism among university leaders is generally increasing, there is still cause for an optimistic outlook over the longer-term

Compared to our 2022 survey, university leaders were more pessimistic about the future of international education, especially at a country and provincial or state level. However, many universities still have good reasons to be optimistic over the longer-term. The Navitas Global Student Flows Model forecasts that there will be 8.5 million international students in 2030, up from 6.4 million in 2021, representing a 3.2 per cent compound annual growth rate. While this rate is lower than that of the first two decades of the twenty-first century, it still represents significant growth.

Theme 6

“[Higher] education is a stalwart endeavour and there will always be a need to offer courses and degree programs to a global audience.”

INTRODUCTION

Internationalisation remains a high priority for universities but is increasingly influenced by government policy

Revenue is front of mind for universities amid financial pressures and intensifying competition

Universities expect to increase revenue through higher fees, reduced scholarships and, for some institutions, lower entry requirements

Transnational education is becoming an increasingly important strategy, though many institutions are not confident on their ability to execute

While pessimism among university leaders is generally increasing, there is still cause for an optimistic outlook over the longer-term

Six key themes

Universities are expecting to reduce investment across many areas of international student recruitment

Jon Chew

chief insights officer, navitas

jon.chew@navitas.com

Ned Lis-Clarke

DIRECTOR, NOUS GROUP

Zhengyuan Zhang

CONSULTANT, NOUS GROUP

Daniel Cragg

Director, nous group

We help universities to articulate and solve complex challenges.

Strategic direction Digital strategy Market positioning New market opportunities Partnerships and alliances

We develop the institutional infrastructure to deliver exceptional outcomes.

Functional excellence and service design Economic impact assessment System and process improvement Campus and asset utilisation Financial performance

We support universities to build a research focus and the capability to drive performance and recognition.

Research priorities Talent strategy Research performance

We partner with institutions to optimise and refine what is offered, to whom and how.

Domestic and international strategy Course architecture Pricing and discounting Delivery models and modes

We provide expert guidance on transformation and develop people capability.

Major transformation Workforce strategy Leadership Culture and change Strengthened professional services

We help universities to craft an outstanding student experience that harnesses innovative ideas from across the globe.

Student experience Student services Student completion and outcomes Alumni strategy

In our experience, to navigate this changing landscape universities should consider the following strategic actions:

After 40 years of international education governed by free markets and open movement of students, we are now seeing greater government management and control of student flows. In this new ‘Managed Era’, universities will move beyond rapid, volume-driven internationalisation and adopt a more nuanced, targeted, and integrated approach. During this transitional period, universities must adapt and refine their strategies amid mounting volatility, policy shifts, and emerging risks to preserve momentum. As one participant told us, their main fear was that “universities will continue to operate as they are now […] we must change and we need to not just listen to the voices that want the status quo and be future-focused.”

conclusion

With additional contributions from

Download the Report

Proportion who agree or strongly agree with the following statements, 2022 – 24

Focus of universities’ international student recruitment strategy, 2022 – 24

How would you rate the level of importance of the following areas to your university’s international student recruitment strategy?

Over the next 1-2 years, I anticipate that my university will implement annual international tuition fee rises for most programs in the range of:

Anticipated fee increases, by jurisdictions, 2022 – 24

Over the next 1-2 years, I anticipate that my university will invest in [ ] at a level that is:

Anticipated investment in different areas of student recruitment, 2022 – 24

Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

Transnational education priorities and capability, 2024

university leader surveyed for this report

How would you rate your level of optimism about the future?

Level of optimism about the future, 2022 – 2024

Pay closer attention to student acquisition costs. Invest more in student retention. Reassess core skills for internationalisation teams. Explore offshore opportunities, but with caution.

Despite the challenges and increasing pessimism about the new era, significant growth not only remains possible, but probable, though perhaps not at the rates we have seen in previous decades.

CLOSE X