Is your university worth the investment for international students?
您的大学值得国际学生投资吗？

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the number of international students attending British universities, with record deferrals and sharp declines in applications plaguing UK institutions since 2020. The phenomenon is not limited to the UK, though. The share of US institutions reporting increasing internationalisation – including international learners, study-abroad programmes and other global engagement efforts – fell from 72 per cent in 2016 to 21 per cent by 2021. Meanwhile, the number of international students studying in Australia fell by half during the pandemic.
新冠疫情对就读英国大学的国际学生数量产生了相当大的影响 ，自 2020 年以来，英国高校的延期入学人数创历史新高，申请人数也急剧下降。然而，这种现象并不仅限于英国。报告国际化程度不断提高（包括国际学习者、留学项目和其他全球参与活动）的美国高校比例从 2016 年的 72%下降到 2021 年的 21%。与此同时， 在疫情期间 ，在澳大利亚学习的国际学生人数下降了一半 。

As travel restrictions and other Covid protocols continue to loosen around the world, international student enrolment is, at last, starting to show signs of recovery. But the market has drastically changed in the intervening years. Students have grown far more concerned about the return on investment (ROI) of their education, and they are starting to look beyond traditionally popular destinations and well-known universities as a result. 
随着全球各地旅行限制和其他新冠疫情防控措施的逐步放松， 国际学生入学人数终于开始出现复苏迹象 。但近年来，市场发生了翻天覆地的变化。学生们越来越关注教育的投资回报率 (ROI)，因此，他们开始将目光投向传统的热门留学目的地和知名大学之外。

• The hows and whys of improved interactions with international students
  如何以及为何改善与国际学生的互动
• Five tips for helping international students settle in their new surroundings
  帮助国际学生适应新环境的五个技巧
• How to champion the international student experience from admission to graduation
  如何提升国际学生从入学到毕业的体验

Since 2012, Turkey has increased its number of international students from 25,000 to 250,000. In the Netherlands, the number of international students has risen so sharply in recent years that the country is facing a shortage of student housing. Germany is attracting record numbers of international learners, and Malaysia is having immense success recruiting students with programmes that have other global connection points. The sector has rarely been this competitive, crowded or unpredictable, meaning colleges and universities worldwide must work harder than ever to prove to learners that the experience of learning in their country is still worth a student’s and their family’s time and money. 
自 2012 年以来， 土耳其的国际学生人数已从 2.5 万人增加到 25 万人。近年来，荷兰的国际学生人数急剧增长，导致该国面临学生住房短缺的问题 。德国吸引的国际学生数量创历史新高 ，马来西亚则凭借与其他全球接轨的课程在招生方面取得了巨大成功 。国际学生教育领域的竞争从未如此激烈、拥挤且难以预测，这意味着世界各地的高校必须比以往任何时候都更加努力地向学生证明，在他们国家学习的经历仍然值得学生及其家人投入时间和金钱。

International students have made it clear that the pandemic has not extinguished dreams of pursuing their education abroad. They have, however, experienced a major shift in what they consider to be most important when making decisions about their educational journey. 
国际学生们明确表示，疫情并没有浇灭他们出国留学的梦想。然而，在他们做出求学决定时，他们对最重要的考量发生了重大转变。

Affordability is increasingly a top concern for students. According to research by International Consultants for Education and Fairs (ICEF), the cost of studying and living now ranks as the most important factor for students when deciding where to study internationally, coming in above even immigration and work opportunities. With tuition rising in historically in-demand study-abroad destinations such as the UK, Australia and the US, students are turning to more affordable countries including Japan and Italy. 
负担能力日益成为学生们最关心的问题。根据国际教育与展览顾问公司 （ICEF）的研究，学习和生活成本如今已成为学生决定留学目的地时最重要的因素 ，甚至超过了移民和工作机会。随着英国、澳大利亚和美国等历来热门留学目的地的学费上涨 ，学生们开始转向学费更实惠的国家，例如日本和意大利。

Countries and their higher education institutions (HEIs) must not only find ways to reduce the cost of tuition and other educational expenses but also ways to mitigate the cost of living for international learners. More, for instance, are allowing students to work while studying. The UK government is considering increasing the hours international students can work during their studies, which will make it more feasible for students to attend one of their HEIs. Other institutions are exploring new financing options as ways to reduce the cost for learners. 
各国及其高等教育机构（HEI）不仅要设法降低学费和其他教育费用，还要设法减轻国际学生的生活成本。例如，越来越多的机构允许学生在学习期间打工。英国政府正在考虑增加国际学生在学习期间打工的时间 ，这将使学生更容易进入其高等教育机构就读。其他机构正在探索新的融资方案，以降低学生的学习成本。

While the cultural and societal benefits that come with studying abroad are priceless, students and families are increasingly asking colleges and universities to quantify their ROI of attending an institution. Affordability is important, but today’s international students are particularly keen on leveraging their education and the experience of international study to jump-start high-paying, rewarding careers. How institutions help students find placement and how many of their students benefit from career services are questions that HEIs should be prepared to answer.
虽然出国留学带来的文化和社会效益无价，但学生和家长越来越多地要求高校量化其就读的投资回报率。负担能力固然重要，但如今的国际学生尤其渴望利用他们的教育和海外学习经历来开启高薪、高回报的职业生涯。高校如何帮助学生找到工作，以及有多少学生受益于职业服务，这些都是高等教育机构应该准备好回答的问题。

A survey released last year by the UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute found that while 82 per cent of respondents said career support was an important factor in choosing a university to attend, just half believed their institution met the career needs of international students. Programmes of study must be tied more closely to in-demand fields and industries, providing students with relevant skills that qualify them for internships which will propel them on their career path. Career services must increase their global reach to better serve all students at all stages of the college experience at their institution, but in particular as students search for how to turn their education into gainful, rewarding employment upon graduation.
英国高等教育政策研究所去年发布的一项调查发现，尽管 82%的受访者表示职业支持是选择大学的重要因素，但只有一半的受访者认为他们的大学能够满足国际学生的职业需求。学习课程必须与热门领域和行业更加紧密地联系在一起，为学生提供相关技能，使他们有资格获得实习机会，从而推动他们的职业发展。就业服务机构必须扩大其全球影响力，以便更好地服务于大学各个阶段​​的所有学生，尤其是在学生寻求如何将所学知识转化为毕业后有回报、有回报的工作时。

Flexibility is also key. From offering more online courses to providing dual-degree programmes that enable students to master multiple fields of study at once, institutions should aim to grant learners the flexibility they need to better tailor their international learning experience. This includes providing more flexible payment plans for students financing their education. 
灵活性也至关重要。从提供更多在线课程到提供双学位课程，使学生能够同时掌握多个学习领域，院校应致力于赋予学习者所需的灵活性，以便更好地定制他们的国际学习体验。这包括为学生提供更灵活的教育经费支付计划 。

Finally, institutions would be wise to double down on retention efforts. While most international students intend to remain and work in their host country after graduation, comparatively few do. In Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, for example, just a quarter of international graduates stay in their host countries long term. Countries and institutions looking to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded global marketplace must work to not only give their international students a reason to stick around after graduation but the means to do so. They should provide clearer pathways to citizenship, prepare students for and offer more work experience opportunities, and seek to ensure international students feel welcome and at home on campus and in their communities. Recently published Apply Board insights predict that those countries with the most attractive post-graduation work offerings will draw more international students. 
最后，院校应加倍努力留住留学生。虽然大多数留学生打算毕业后留在东道国工作，但真正做到的人相对较少。 例如，在经济合作与发展组织（OECD）成员国， 只有四分之一的留学生会长期留在东道国。各国和院校若想在日益拥挤的全球市场中保持竞争力，不仅必须努力让留学生有理由留在东道国 ，更要提供他们这样做的途径。院校应提供更清晰的公民身份获取途径，为学生做好准备并提供更多的工作经验机会，并努力确保留学生在校园和社区中感到宾至如归。最近发布的申请委员会洞察报告预测，那些提供最具吸引力的毕​​业后工作机会的国家将吸引更多留学生。

Following the global upheaval of the pandemic, students across the globe are rightly asking important questions about the value and worth of a degree – at home and abroad. Institutions must work harder than ever to ensure they are providing the best benefit and path forward for international learners if they are to secure their place on the world stage of higher education.
疫情席卷全球，世界各地的学生都在思考学位的价值，无论是在国内还是国外。高校要想在世界高等教育舞台上站稳脚跟，就必须比以往任何时候都更加努力，确保为国际学习者提供最佳的福利和前进的道路。

Cagri Bagcioglu is head of eastern Europe and central Asia at Cintana Education.
Cagri Bagcioglu 是 Cintana Education 的东欧和中亚地区负责人。

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