Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
27th Sep 2023

ICEF Podcast: The increasing appeal of Asian destinations in international student recruitment

In this episode, ICEF’s Craig Riggs and Martijn van de Veen discuss the latest developments in our sector, including a worsening student housing crunch in the UK and key insights from some recent, large-scale student surveys.

The episode features a discussion on the growing appeal of study destinations within Asia. Institutions across the vast continent are consistently moving up global rankings, alongside which we can place other important factors for students and families, including safety, affordability, geography, politics, and culture. We welcome in two special guests to explore this topic: Sarah Todd, vice president with Griffith University and Gary Bowerman, the managing director of Asia Travel Re:Set.

We conclude the episode with a closer look at Mexico in the latest stop in our “Keys to the Market” segment.

You can listen right now in the player below, and we encourage you to subscribe via your favourite podcast app in order to receive future episodes automatically.

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • Canada’s foreign enrolment has fallen by nearly 300,000 students over the last two years Read More
  • China: Two-thirds of new TNE partnerships are with countries outside the Big Four Read More
  • Vietnam: Students encouraged to obtain advanced technology degrees abroad Read More

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China: Two-thirds of new TNE partnerships are with countries outside the Big Four China has been ramping up its transnational education (TNE) partnerships with other countries, with the Ministry of Education...
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Vietnam: Students encouraged to obtain advanced technology degrees abroad Vietnam boasts one of the fastest-growing economies in the world (+8% in 2025), but its workforce cannot yet...
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The Netherlands: Foreign enrolment slowdown driven by declining undergraduate numbers In 2024/25, 131,000 international students – including 51,800 new students – were enrolled in a degree programme offered by...
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UK: International student numbers fall for second year, especially in postgraduate programmes A sharp year-over-year decline in non-EU students enrolling in UK universities in 2024/25 (-5%) is the main contributor...
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Italy rises as a study destination but struggles to retain foreign graduates Italy is increasingly popular as a European study abroad destination, with international enrolments increasing by about +10% per...
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Taiwan ramps up international recruiting efforts with expanded work rights and scholarships The Taiwanese government is intensifying its efforts to attract and retain international students. In 2025, it introduced several...
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Australia introduces new rules restricting agent commissions for onshore student transfers As of 31 March 2026, education agents will no longer be permitted to receive commissions from Australian schools...
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