National image is key as global competition for students heats up

"As global competition for international students intensifies, reacting swiftly to news coverage as well as to actual changes in government policy has become an essential part of successful international-recruitment. Perceptions, even when flawed, can quickly affect reality, and for leading destination countries, that can translate into lost revenue."

See "In the Global Competition for Students, a Country's Image Matters" in The Chronicle of Higher Education.