These are some of the findings from an annual survey of international students conducted by . IDP鈥檚 Manager, External Affairs, Kim Dienhoff, presented high-level findings from four years of survey data at the recent NAFSA conference in Boston, Massachusetts.

The session focused in large part on reaching students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With nearly a third of the region鈥檚 355 million people aged 15 to 25, it is perhaps not surprising that Internet usage, and the penetration of social networks in particular, is high.

Ms Dienhoff paired the IDP survey data with additional research to provide an important summary of social media habits and trends in the region.

Social media usage in MENA was particularly visible during the pro-democracy protests of the Arab Spring beginning in 2011, leaving many observers with the impression that major global networks, such as Facebook and YouTube, are widely used across the region.

Internet penetration is high with nearly 90% indicating they access the web from home. A much smaller proportion (34%) say they have Internet access at work. “For marketers this probably means that you need to schedule online activities like chat rooms, Skype sessions, virtual fairs, or webinars in the evening once people are home from work,” notes Ms Dienhoff.

There are of course variations from country to country. Internet penetration varies from 85-90% in Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar to, at the lower end of the range, 44-50% in Jordan and Egypt. Nearly nine in ten Internet users in MENA use social media every day. Smartphones account for 40% of web impressions in the region (about 45% above the global average), and smartphone penetration ranges from a low of 16% in Morocco to 73-75% in the UAE and Qatar. It is fair to say that, at these levels of adoption, a mobile responsive site is a must for reaching students and parents in the region.

Facebook is your #1 friend

As the following chart illustrates, Facebook is the leading network with a 89% penetration among MENA Internet users. Twitter and Google+ are a distant second and third respectively, but each nevertheless has been widely adopted as well. As with the Internet and mobile usage patterns we noted earlier, the chart reflects national variations as well, including the notably high levels of Twitter usage in Saudi Arabia.

Top five social networks in MENA and selected markets by percentage of Internet users. Source: IDP

Adoption rates are helpful in looking at relative usage from market to market but the absolute numbers of users on each service is arguably the key metric. The following chart reflects the population of Facebook users by country, and illustrates that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, and the UAE have some of the largest populations in the region that are active on this leading social network.

Population of Facebook users by country, 2013. Sources: IDP, Arab Social Media Report-2013

This variance in user counts by market is notable in part because each country carries with it its own language preferences. English and Arabic are by far the most-preferred languages among the region鈥檚 Internet users, with the exception of markets such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia where French is the clear language of choice.

Beyond Facebook

Twitter has also been widely adopted by MENA Internet users and the following chart provides a summary of Twitter user counts for selected markets across the region.

Twitter user populations by country, 2013. Sources: IDP, Arab Social Media Report-2013

As the chart illustrates, Twitter is especially well used in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom accounts, on average, for roughly 47% of all Twitter traffic in the region. And, influenced by the fact that half of the Saudi population of Internet users prefers to use Arabic online, 74% of all Tweets by MENA users are in Arabic (as compared to only 18% in English).

YouTube, while not a social network as such, is one of the largest and most heavily used sites on the Internet, and its content is easily and widely shared on social media. It happens that this leading global video service is also extremely popular in many MENA states.

YouTube reach in MENA. Source: IDP

YouTube is the second or third-ranked site by usage in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Morocco. Across the region, there are 300 million YouTube playbacks each and every day, and Saudi Arabia leads the pack as the #1 market in the world in terms of views per capita.

“YouTube of course is highly valuable to marketers,” says Ms Dienhoff. “So if you don鈥檛 have a YouTube channel you should probably get one. You can use it to house videos that are then used on many other platforms and of course it will help greatly with your SEO.”

Implications for marketers

As the preceding charts and figures clearly reflect, social media usage in the region is highly concentrated around the most-popular social networks and social content sites in the world, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. “The good news is that they are using the same platforms you are already familiar with,” adds Ms Dienhoff. (Not to mention that you can reach the vast majority of prospects in the region in English and Arabic.)

For additional trends and best practices in social media, please see our post “Facebook is still the top social network but other platforms are growing faster.” It includes links to some of our most-popular posts on social media strategy, including tips for Facebook, Twitter, and social video.

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This January, the League of Arab States and the British Council held a that centred on education as a key to economic development in the region and to alleviating the problem of youth unemployment. One of the symposium鈥檚 main themes was improving English education and English language skills, backed by British Council research showing that MENA workers with English earn up to three times as much as non-English speakers.

Why English?

A January 2015 World Bank report stresses that while great improvements in education have been made across the region in access, funding, literacy rates, and gender equality, . These include an overall lack of educational quality and a mismatch between what students are learning and the skills that employers want.

A survey of employers in the region found that employers consider only one-third of new graduates ready for the workplace; the same study found that only one-third of students considered themselves ready to enter the labour market. In addition, school-age populations are on the rise, putting an increased strain on already-taxed public education systems.

A 2012 study undertaken in eight MENA countries by Euromonitor International (and commissioned by the British Council) pointed out that many employment-related problems could be ameliorated by better language education. The study found that salaries were generally higher in the region for English-language speakers.

Employees with better English skills enjoyed salaries from 5% (Tunisia) to as high as 200% (Iraq) more than their counterparts with no English. In addition, it found a correlation between poor fluency (and political instability) and unemployment.

The Euromonitor study noted that private-sector development in many key industries such as IT and software development, telecommunications, and banking/finance would be greatly accelerated by a boost in the number of qualified English speakers.

A long way to go

The Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index (EPI) is a global survey that measures English levels in markets around the world. Its research findings note that, 鈥淭he Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is by far 鈥� In both TOEFL and IELTS test results for several past years, Arabic speakers have placed in the bottom tier of world rankings.

Egyptian students hoping to study in Turkey 鈥� a country that promotes itself strongly as a less-expensive and close-to-home destination for Arabs, with classes held mainly in English 鈥� are often stymied by their lack of academic English skills. Saudi Arabian students hoping to study in the US or UK using government scholarships are usually granted up to 18 months for language study prior to academic work, but they often need even more time still to bring their English skills to the level required for advanced study abroad.

And, similar to conditions in many parts of the world, well-qualified instructors are scarce across the region. According to a British Council survey of over 1,000 teachers in the region, the best-qualified instructors often end up being moved into higher levels of public education, where students and schools are both more interested in high marks over actual fluency.

MENA youth are fully aware of the importance of English in terms of employment mobility, but educational opportunities are still often limited to those able to receive private education, given the over-stretched resources of most public educational systems in the region.

Will travel for English

As many challenges as there currently are to greater levels of English fluency in the region, a 5-7% increase in the number of English speakers is predicted over the next few years, and special programmes to nurture this increased language skill are becoming more prevalent in the region.

Probably the most visible example of this 鈥� at least in English-speaking countries hosting large numbers of language learners 鈥� is the King Abdullah Scholarship Programme (KASP) offered by the Saudi Arabian government. In 2013, Saudi Arabia was the top country of origin for students in intensive English programmes in the US according to IIE Open Door statistics 鈥� more than twice the number of China, the next-largest source market. Most of these students intend to continue on to university programmes. Saudi Arabia was the fourth-leading source of students in full-time tertiary academic programmes in the US, according to the 2014 IIE Open Doors report, with more than a 20% increase in numbers from the previous report cycle.

Kuwait is another country exporting its language learners, with Open Doors listing the oil-rich nation as one of the fastest-growing student populations in the US. Kuwait has moved up to be the 7th most-represented country in intensive English programmes in the US.

In-country initiatives

In other MENA countries less able to send their students abroad for further opportunity, in-country programming is key, and reports the British Council is a key sponsor or provider of services in many of these countries. For example:

• In Algeria, the first phase of a nationwide teacher training and curricular reform programme for English education, under an agreement with the Algerian Ministry of Education, began in November 2014. In addition to face-to-face and online education intended to reach every English teacher in Algeria, this Strategic English Education Development for Schools (SEEDS) programme includes a complete overhaul of the English curriculum and testing system.
• Oman鈥檚 English teachers have been able to take Continuing Professional Development courses online using the British Council鈥檚 . The first instalment of highly interactive programme included discussion forums set up for smaller groups of teachers; it was deemed such a success that it spurred a second training programme in 2013/14.
• Two Moroccan universities have adopted the British Council鈥檚 , which enables them to both place students appropriately and to measure progress after students complete certain modules of the LearnEnglish Pathways programme. The early success of this pilot has led to similar e-learning methods being implemented at six other universities across the country.
• For the 1.2 million Syrian refugees and about half that number in Jordan, the need for educational opportunity is particularly acute. In Lebanon, the British Council and the European Union are co-funding a project to help Syrian refugees both with their English and their ability to integrate better into the more pluralistic Lebanese society, entitled Accessing education: language integration for Syrian refugee children. In Jordan, the British Council is working to enhance capacity in all areas of English-language education, including in refugee camps.

Changing lives

Given the current turmoil across the MENA region, and given a large and growing youth population facing more competition for employment, the value of English language skills is clearly highlighted and the success of these and other similar programmes is vital. Nic Humphries, the British Council鈥檚 director of English in the MENA region, says, 鈥淩esearch shows there鈥檚 no doubt that 鈥�

There is no time to waste, both in terms of English language training and improved education in general for young people in the region. The World Bank reports that:

鈥淭he region鈥檚 youth population (up to 24 years old) will surge by about 10 million between 2015 and 2030. This sudden growth in the youth population will create increased demand for educational services at all levels and will place immense pressure on existing educational institutions. Clearly, the persistent, dual challenges of quality and relevance must be addressed before the anticipated surge. If they can, this rising tide of young people could become an engine of growth for the region.鈥�

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These are some of the findings of the Pew Research Center鈥檚 . The study updates a similar effort from 2013, which highlighted the strong levels of web usage and engagement for social and mobile users. The findings for the 2014 edition are drawn from in-person interviews with 36,619 people across 32 emerging and developing countries conducted from March 17 to June 5, 2014. The results for those 32 countries – including significant education markets such as China, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, and Mexico – have been benchmarked against a related Pew Center telephone survey of 1,002 Americans, also conducted in 2014.

The study鈥檚 high-level findings provide a compact overview of Internet access in developing and emerging economies, along with important insights as to how people access and use the Internet in each country.

For example, the following graphic illustrates the percentage of the population in each country who access the Internet at least occasionally or own a smartphone (as smartphone users, practically speaking, are also Internet users).

Those who access the Internet at least occasionally or own a smartphone within the 32 countries in the 2014 Global Attitudes study. Source: Pew Research Center

Do some of those numbers look lower than you would expect? If so, it is probably because you spend a lot of time talking to students. The Pew study points out that Internet usage is highly concentrated within younger demographics in developing and emerging economies, particularly among those with a high school education or higher and particularly among those who can speak or read English.

The following table summarises the variances in Internet usage for these factors, and, as you will see, they are quite striking in some cases. (Please note that some table cells are left empty for some countries due to insufficient sample size for the characteristic in question.)

Internet usage by age, education, and English ability among the 32 countries in the 2014 Global Attitudes study. Source: Pew Research Center

These findings make intuitive sense in that the 18-to-34-year-old demographic came of age during a period of dramatic technological change, including the emergence of the Internet and the widespread adoption of mobile devices. In addition to these factors, and, as was the case in last year鈥檚 global survey, the 2014 study also finds a close correlation between Internet usage and income. Simply put, 鈥淩icher countries in terms of gross domestic product per capita have more Internet users among the adult population compared with poorer nations.鈥�

Also echoing last year鈥檚 study, Pew finds that Internet users in developing and emerging economies are highly engaged socially. Staying in touch with friends and family and engagement with social media remain the leading ways in which they like to use the Internet.

This point reinforces an important aspect of communicating with secondary school and college-age Internet users: they are highly engaged socially and those social channels in turn are an important source of information and product or service recommendations. A recent post from NewBrand Analytics makes the point concisely:

鈥淎 study of millennials [that is, those born between 1980 and 2000] states that 95% of respondents say friends are their most credible source for information when making a purchase. Additionally, 98% are more likely to engage with posts by friends about a brand versus a post by the brand itself. Therefore, an effective method to get millennials loyal to your brand is to get other millennials talking online.鈥�

Following on from the importance of this highly socialised exchange, Pew also finds that searching for more practical news and information is the next major category of Internet usage in developing and emerging economies. 鈥淔or Internet users in emerging and developing nations, social relationships are a fundamental aspect of their interaction with the virtual world,鈥� says the study. 鈥淕etting various types of information, such as political news, health information and government services, is the next tier of Internet use.鈥�

What鈥檚 in your pocket?

The Pew report also has some important observations in terms of how users in developing and emerging economies access the Internet. It tracks usage and ownership of desktop computers from country to country but also smartphone and cell phone penetration as well.

The report notes, 鈥淥verall, a median of 38% across the 32 nations surveyed say they have a working computer in their household. In 11 countries, half or more own computers, including 78% in Russia 鈥� comparable to the 80% of Americans who say they have a computer in their household. Computer ownership is relatively high in a number of Latin American nations. Majorities in Chile (72%), Venezuela (61%), Argentina (58%) and Brazil (55%) have computers in their homes. Computer ownership rates are lowest in sub-Saharan African nations.鈥�

The extent to which users in each country have reliable access to computers outside the home (e.g., at school or at work) is less clear. Leaving this aspect aside for a moment, we can see that computer ownership broadly correlates to national income levels and explains at least part of the relationship between Internet usage and income that we noted earlier.

Along that same line, cell phone ownership is much more common in the emerging and developing countries in the Pew survey. A median of 84% (across all 32 countries) own a cell phone of some kind. This compares to the US benchmark of 90% for cell phone ownership, and the survey finds a marked difference still between the penetration of more basic cell phones as opposed to smartphones. 鈥淪martphones 鈥� and the mobile access to the Internet that they make possible in some locations 鈥� are not nearly as common as conventional cell phones. A median of only 24% say they own a cell phone that can access the Internet and applications.鈥�

Percentage of 2014 Global Attitude respondents who own a smartphone or cell phone. Source: Pew Research Center

However, phone ownership again underscores the relationship between age and Internet usage. As with the broader correlation the study observes between these factors, smartphone ownership is also highly concentrated among younger users. 鈥淵oung people (those under 35) are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to own an iPhone, BlackBerry, Android or other Internet-capable mobile phone,鈥� says Pew.

Overall, the study makes an important point that broader statistics of Internet penetration and usage in developing and emerging economies have to be interpreted via some important filters, including age, education, English ability, and income. In an international education context, the high school and college-age prospects that educators and agents are mainly trying to reach are among the heaviest users of web and mobile technologies. In this sense, the findings of the 2014 Pew study will only reinforce the importance of the Internet, and the social and mobile web in particular, as a key channel for reaching and engaging prospective students.

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Ambient Insight CEO Tyson Greer states that the top ten fastest-growing countries 鈥渁re countries that were nascent (emerging) markets for digital English as recently as 2011, and were generating very low revenues for suppliers. These countries are now vibrant revenue opportunities.”

A special country report, also from Ambient, notes that China, with a growth rate of 23.6% over the past five years, is now the top buying country of digital English language products worldwide. Category revenues in China are expected to triple from US$323 million in 2013 to US$932 million by 2018.

As the following figure reflects, growth in China is being driven chiefly by emphasis on digital English learning in schools, use of English in Chinese higher education, strong consumer demand for mobile language learning apps, and high demand for English in the corporate and government sectors.

Catalysts for growth in the digital English language learning market in China, 2013-2018. Source: Ambient Insight

The report notes that there were over 200 million schoolchildren in China in 2013 and that, 鈥淭he government’s goal is to have the entire K-12 student population online in the next ten years.鈥�

Digital English language learning revenues in Asia are currently concentrated in five product categories:

• Self-paced eLearning;
• Collaborative learning (i.e., live online classes and online tutoring);
• Digital reference (e.g., e-textbooks, rich media);
• Mobile learning apps and edugames;
• Mobile services (VAS: Value-added services).

Mobile products generated the highest revenues for suppliers in 2013. Mobile educational apps, edugames, and VAS subscriptions are now the top-selling types of digital English language learning products in China, followed by live online tutoring and self-paced courseware.

Projected growth for the Chinese market through 2018 for leading digital learning product categories. Source: Ambient Insight

The report also suggests there is a lucrative market for online English test preparation that targets China鈥檚 national higher education entrance exams, the gaokao. Driven by the emphasis on preparation for the gaokao, K-12 revenues for digital language learning products are concentrated in the higher grades and heavily clustered in grades 10-12.

Growth in the Middle East, too

Looking outside Asia, a further Ambient report predicts the digital language learning market in the Middle East will nearly double to reach US$215.7 million by 2018.

Top Middle East growth rates by country for digital language learning revenues, 2013鈥�2018. Source: Ambient Insight

In total, these latest projections are even higher than those we reported on less than two years ago in our article, “Opportunities abound in digital English language learning market,” which contains forecasts till 2016 as well as a round-up of government mandates to promote English and digital trends in classrooms around the world.

Opportunities in the classroom

For educators, the recent explosion in digital technologies provides new tools for enhancing the language learning experience. 鈥�,鈥� says Dr Cecilia Goria of Nottingham University鈥檚 Language Centre, in a recent Guardian article on classroom technology. 鈥淭eaching and learning now extends beyond that.鈥�

While many debate the impact of technology on learning outcomes, Mark Warschauer, professor of education and informatics at the University of California, suggests that giving students extra chances to communicate in the target language can be highly motivating. 鈥淸The] use of Twitter, email, discussion forums, Skype, and other tools can provide authentic communication opportunities that are too often lacking in language class,鈥� he says.

Language learning in the digital age

While discussion around the efficacy of technology-based teaching and learning resources continues, there are many examples as to how digital learning tools are reshaping language instruction around the world.

A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education outlines how telecollaboration (or 鈥渢eletandem鈥�) uses video-conferencing – such as , , or – to complement both in-person and online language courses. Students in a Spanish class in the United Kingdom, for example, may be paired online with students in an English course abroad, with students matched up based on language ability.

In one profiled recently in The Telegraph, Brazilian students looking to improve their English were paired with retired Americans for free video conversations. These partnerships were facilitated through a project called Speaking Exchange, developed by the Brazilian language company .

To access Speaking Exchange, a Brazilian student simply logs into the app, selects an elderly person who is online, and begins a conversation via webcam, guided by an initial suggestion of topics provided by the supplier. The final conversation is uploaded via private link to the company鈥檚 YouTube channel for teacher assessment.

Technology also places additional opportunities for learning a new language directly in the hands of students, and in sometimes surprising ways. A recent piece in Forbes, for example, recommends switching your automobile鈥檚 GPS system to the target foreign language as one .

Similarly, changing your language settings on any number of personal devices – a smartphone, for example, or tablet or computer – provides an opportunity to use a new language to complete routine daily tasks.

While these self-directed options will not replace traditional classroom learning anytime soon, they do represent important new opportunities for practice and exposure to the target language. Particularly given the dramatic growth forecasts for the next several years, it will be interesting to see how the culture and practice of English language learning will change and evolve as both students and teachers continue to make greater use of technology in their English studies.

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Last month, 22 Arab states, accounting for more than 500 universities among them, .

The STI aims to boost education and research in STEM fields by reforming and upgrading universities, improving science education, facilitating international and regional cooperation, boosting scientific research capacity, and increasing financial support for research and development.

In so doing, the STI aims to tackle a number of persistent challenges in Arabian higher education, including reversing a so-called 鈥渂rain drain鈥� from the region. Dr Sultan Abu-Orabi, secretary general of the Association of Arab Universities (AARU), frames the problem this way:

“The Arab world鈥� faces a host of hurdles when it comes to higher education and scientific research including a lack of clear focus in research priorities and strategies, insufficient time and funding to meet research goals, low awareness of the importance and impact of good scientific research, inadequate networking opportunities and databases, limited international collaborative efforts and brain drain.”

The strategy is a long-planned regional response to such issues and, more broadly, the need to better realise the potential of STEM fields for economic development. It was approved at the 14th Congress of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Arab World, held in Saudi Arabia in March 2014.

It encourages Arab States to boost financial assistance for research and development from the current 0.3% of GDP to 3%, with 30-40% of the funding increment coming from the private sector.

The strategy places the focus on 鈥渘ational and pan-Arab higher education and research initiatives in about 14 priority areas,鈥� including agriculture, biotechnology, energy, environment, nanotechnology, space, and information technology. It will be supported by a new online platform for Arab science and technology featuring:

• a database of technological centres and universities;
• a portal for research;
• a directory of scientists, educationists; technologists, and policy-makers;
• science and technology indicators;
• development and innovation activities and projects;
• information on conferences, symposiums and workshops in the Arab region.

Tackling some long-standing issues

As we noted earlier, the STI is squarely aimed at a number of persistent challenges in higher education and research in the region. Chief among those is a concern that research in Arab institutions and research centres is not sufficiently serving the needs of either industry or society.

In a recent post on the science and development website SciDev.net, Moza Al-Rabban, general-director at the Arab Scientific Community Organization (), notes that while a staggering 30,000 research papers by Arab research centres are published annually, and 270,000 papers since 1993, most of these don鈥檛 鈥渉ave any impact on the development of Arab countries or the well-being of their people.鈥�

This disconnect between research and society (and the economy) is cited as a factor in high levels of unemployment in Morocco and Egypt. Students, according to Mahmoud Nasruddin, head of the Centre for Middle-Eastern Strategic Studies (), are chiefly concerned with obtaining a degree to increase their employability. He adds, 鈥淚f scientific research is not linked with development through applicable strategies and identified research priorities, there can be no expected impact, whatever the budget increase.鈥�

Dr Abdalla Alnajjar, chair of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), believes governments are crucial in the pursuit of private-public collaboration. Researchers are motivated to apply their full innovation and creativity skills if public research centres pay their staff a good rate for private sector work. However, Arab governments frequently impose additional taxes on publicly funded research centres that contribute services to the private sector, which can impede collaboration. Mr Alnajjar calls for the delivery of 鈥渋ncentives for researchers who provide services to the private sector and a change in the admission process for graduate students so that it becomes more controlled and takes into account society鈥檚 needs by setting clear priorities for the research they conduct.鈥�

The broader context of institutional collaboration in the region

The approval of the STI was accompanied, also in March, by among institutions of higher learning across the same 22 Arab states. Brought forward at the recent General Conference of the Association of Arab Universities (AARU) in Amman, Jordan, the unified governance proposals emphasise a clearer understanding of the responsibilities and roles of stakeholders in university governance reform in the context of global, national, and regional challenges.

The discussions in Amman suggest a broader interest in collaboration among Arab institutions, both for the sake of improved quality and efficiency and to improve the standing of Arab institutions in world university rankings. Hilmi Salem, a higher education consultant, believes the strategy will 鈥渉elp Arab universities to operate efficiently and be more responsive to the needs of young people, and become sources of knowledge and innovation.鈥�

Speaking to University World News, Martin Rose, country director for the British Council in Morocco, says, 鈥淭he agenda on university governance reform should include looking at greater autonomy and its benefits, developing university brands and competitive marketing to employers and students, and much greater calibration to the external environment in all its manifestations.鈥� Mr Rose highlights as well the need to establish alternate sources of funding for Arab higher education institutions, 鈥渨ithout which there is no hope of providing quality higher education to a fast-growing universe of young people leaving school and looking for higher education and jobs.鈥�

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Two new studies in particular are on our radar this week. The first, based on face-to-face interviews conducted in 24 countries by the Pew Research Center鈥檚 Global Attitudes Project, finds that Internet, mobile, and social media use is booming worldwide. Even more interesting, the study shows that users who adopt mobile and social media technologies are often avid, rather than occasional, users of them.

A second report – sponsored by the college search service Zinch and Uversity, a social media app for colleges – looks at social media usage and engagement in the college admissions process in the US. It finds that 97% of high school-age prospects in the US view college or university websites on their mobile devices, and that more than two-thirds of prospects report that social media plays an important role in their college search process.

These numbers skew higher than the statistics we have seen in other recent research, but even so, the implications for education marketers are clear:

• First and foremost, providers and recruiters of all types have to be prepared to engage with prospects via mobile.
• Second, mobile sites or apps have to not only drive that initial user engagement but also convert prospects through progressive steps along an enquiry and admissions path.

Related research shows us that online search, often unrelated to a specific educational brand or institution, plays a huge role in students鈥� efforts to explore and choose options for further study. However, much of that search activity does not convert to a higher level of engagement via an enquiry, application, or other key 鈥渙pt-in鈥� behaviours.

Consumer behaviour in the travel industry can be analogous to prospect behaviour in international education, and attendees at the recent Travolution Summit 2013 learned that users might visit as many as 22 websites before purchasing a travel product. Further, 50% of users will continue to search even after they find a travel product that fits their preferences, budgets, or other interests. As reflected in the Zinch/Uversity study above, peer influence is another important factor in travel consumer behaviour, both with respect to validating the customer鈥檚 purchase, or helping to turn a 鈥渕aybe鈥� into a 鈥測es.鈥�

This is well reflected in the prevalence of review-based websites in the travel industry but also in the increasing importance of alumni and student testimonials in education marketing.

Mobile and social media use taking shape around the world

The Pew Research study we noted above shows that Internet use is still building in many markets around the world. It also observes, however, that 鈥渙nce people do gain access to the Internet, they quickly begin to integrate it into their lives. A significant number of people in these nations say they use the Internet on a daily basis, including roughly half of those polled in Lebanon, Russia and Argentina. At least 20% use the Internet daily in 15 of the 24 nations surveyed.鈥�

In 21 of the 24 nations included in the Pew study, a majority of Internet users are also social media users, including major platforms like Facebook and Twitter as well as other regional networks.

Of particular interest to education marketers, the Pew study finds that Internet use – and the use of web-based communications – is much more common and persistent among those under 30 years of age: 鈥淚n 14 of 24 nations, at least half of 18-29 year-olds say they are online鈥� People who do go online tend to become avid users. Half or more of Internet users in most of the countries surveyed say they use it daily.鈥�

The study reports as well that Internet use is closely correlated with national income:

鈥淕enerally, the higher a country鈥檚 GDP per capita, the higher its percentage of Internet users. The three nations with the highest per capita incomes in this survey 鈥� Chile, Argentina and Russia 鈥� also have the highest Internet usage rates. Meanwhile, these rates are especially low in two of the poorest countries surveyed, Pakistan and Uganda, where roughly nine-in-ten never go online. Some nations, such as Kenya, Jordan, Egypt and Bolivia have more people online than might be anticipated, given their per capita income.鈥�

Social signals and the admissions process

Nearly two-thirds of the US prospects in the Zinch study reported using social media to research colleges, and almost 70% felt that social media was either 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渕oderately鈥� influential in their choice of institution.

Social media and college research. Source: Zinch

However, the study does raise questions about the 鈥渟ignal-to-noise鈥� ratio on educators鈥� social media channels with only four in ten prospects reporting that they had found relevant information on the institution鈥檚 social media site.

One important observation here is that students may look more to other channels, particularly an institution or school鈥檚 website or mobile app, for key programme or service information. But that they look to social media channels for review commentary – for insights from students, alumni, or other prospects – and especially for opportunities to engage directly with staff and students.

Two-thirds of prospects reported that social media conversations are an important influence in their decision-making process. The opportunity to connect via social media with currently enrolled students, other admitted students, and admissions counsellors were all rated as 鈥渧ery important鈥� by roughly a third of US prospects in the Zinch survey.

Social media interaction. Source: Zinch

Research like this begins to sharpen our understanding of how different online channels work together, and how search relates to institutional or school sites and to social media networks as well. If search is the top end of the enquiry and admissions funnel, then the institutional site (or app) is a key channel for presenting relevant information and engaging prospects, and social media is another critical channel for driving engagement and conversion. And this broad spectrum of search, information discovery, and engagement behaviours are ever more taking place on mobile devices in the hands of student prospects around the world.

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Earlier this week, 黑料官网 Monitor spoke to Mr Abbas Reda, partner and founder of student recruitment agency Neo Academia. Mr Reda shared invaluable insights about the Lebanese student market, including current developments, future trends, and areas calling for greater enhancements. Read on to discover where Lebanese students are going and why, and what you can do to attract them.

Great expectations

Traditionally, Lebanese students have demonstrated a marked preference for highly-ranked institutions in leading destination countries, particularly the US and the UK. Mr Reda explains:

“Generally we find that students value the education they receive in the UK – there is a lot of demand to study there. A UK degree opens doors for them and gives them opportunities that they would not normally have.”

This selective attitude is shaped by the country’s domestic higher education system: Lebanon boasts a large number of universities, many of which are highly reputable within the country, attracting intense competition for admission.

Trends in demand

However, attitudes among young Lebanese appear to be changing. Students from Lebanon are increasingly willing to consider a broader range of institutions and destinations.

This shift in attitudes appears to have two major causes:

1. an increasing interest in study abroad as a pathway to employment;
2. a growing desire to immigrate to more stable societies.

Graduate degrees and professional advantages

Many students from Lebanon choose to study abroad for professional reasons.

The most popular programmes of study for Lebanese students are professional degrees: finance, business, engineering, and law.

And as Lebanese wages continue to lag behind average salaries in more developed economies, study abroad is increasingly considered a means to enter a comparatively lucrative career overseas.

This is especially true for prospective graduate students, because in Lebanon, graduate degree holders earn only slightly more than employees with an undergraduate degree.

As a result, prospective grad students are increasingly interested in international programmes, which they consider a bridge to eventual employment abroad 鈥� and a larger pay cheque.

International study as a pathway to immigration

In general, Lebanese students appear quite willing to settle abroad after graduation, making this group of students particularly attractive to developed countries that are struggling to attract skilled immigrants.

Destinations that have attracted particular interest for professional reasons include the UK, Dubai, and Qatar. Graduates from UK institutions often report that their degree has widened their professional opportunities; Dubai and Qatar on the other hand draw interest due to a reputation for high, tax free salaries upon graduation.

Mr Reda has also noticed a growing demand for study in Canada, home to a sizable community of Lebanese; their collective experiences have apparently promoted Canada’s reputation in Lebanon as an open, welcoming society 鈥� thus, positive word of mouth is encouraging chain migration.

His observations confirm findings of the latest 黑料官网 i-gradate Agent Barometer, which revealed growing interest in Canada as a destination country.

The Syrian spread

Recent changes in demand have not been driven by native students alone.

As the conflict in Syria intensified, Syrians began arriving in Lebanon and a fair number of them have approached Lebanese education agencies on the possibility of study abroad.

For prospective students from Syria, the greatest challenge lies in their language proficiency.

Many Syrians speak only Arabic, and due to the language barrier, study abroad opportunities are limited. To improve their prospects, these students may benefit from intensive language training.

International funding for Syrian students

But while many Syrian students face the obstacle of language proficiency, their plight may itself open doors that would otherwise be closed to them.

According to a recent article by , Syrian students and academics are to receive millions of dollars in funding in 2013 to study abroad.

In September, the Institute of International Education (IIE), the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Syrian NGO Jusoor formed a partnership, which will provide US $2 million in scholarships and fellowships for Syrian students and scholars.

Since then, the IIE has announced the formation of a consortium that includes 35 universities located throughout the Americas and Europe, which has pledged a further US $1.3 million in support.

Due to the enthusiastic response to calls for funding from the global higher education community, the IIE is confident that they will reach their goal of US $5 million in funding for 2013.

The funds are intended to provide students, professors, and senior scholars of Syria with scholarships and fellowships for study abroad, as well as safe haven until they can return home.

Why Lebanese prefer Turkey

As previously highlighted, for many Lebanese students, career prospects and social stability are increasingly important reasons for studying abroad.

These motives may explain why Turkey 鈥� already a popular destinations for Lebanese 鈥� attracts an ever growing number of students from Lebanon. Additionally, Turkey offers a number of degree programmes taught in English, and Lebanese do not need a visa to study there.

Due to Turkey’s robust economic growth, the country offers favourable material conditions to graduates. In addition, Turkey is perceived to be an open, welcoming society. As a country with strong historical ties to Lebanon, it offers a culture so similar to Lebanon that many students have few difficulties adjusting.

Specific programmes of study

As described above, Lebanese students generally base their choice of study destination on academic reputation, economic opportunity, or political stability.

In certain specialist disciplines, however, Lebanese students will choose countries with a reputation for excellence in that particular field:

• Spain: popular among Lebanese students who want to study sports management abroad, with new programmes appearing in Barcelona and Madrid.
• Italy: the only foreign country that Lebanese students will consider for studies in fashion.
• Switzerland: a well-known destination for professional training in hotel management.
• Germany: recently, Mr Reda has witnessed a surge in the numbers of students who want to study medicine in Germany 鈥� possibly due to the additional restrictions recently placed on a UK student visa, or the ease with which students can do clinical studies in Germany.

New players in Lebanon

The growing demand for Turkey and Germany appears to indicate that Lebanese students are studying in a more diverse group of countries.

This development may become accelerated as new providers enter the market with attractive programme offerings at an affordable cost, and as they begin to recruit Lebanese students actively.

For instance, we observed that in October, Lebanon was visited by the Australian immigration minister for the first time since 2001. Although Mr Bowen did not refer to international study specifically, he announced that he did consider his visit 鈥渁n opportunity to broadly discuss Australia’s migration and temporary visa programmes.鈥�

Summer programmes

While higher education accounts for a large segment of the Lebanese education market, this outward-looking culture also sustains a strong and enduring demand for other sectors.

Healthy numbers of young Lebanese continue to attend summer programmes abroad, particularly those located in Spain and the UK. This sector appeals particularly to younger learners, between 13 and 17 years old. Mr Reda expect this demand to continue for the foreseeable future.

Language schools

The language school market also appears to be flourishing. Most students continue to choose English; however, there is an increasing demand for other languages, especially German and Italian, reflecting the growing appeal of a wider range of study destinations.

Due to the substantial difference in cost between domestic language schools and study abroad, many Lebanese students employ a simple strategy: they complete most of their language studies at home; subsequently, they travel abroad for a final year of intensive language study to fine-tune their language skills.

Online learning in Lebanon and the Arab world

In contrast to classroom language instruction, online language learning has very limited appeal in Lebanon. Lebanese culture has yet to embrace this form of learning, and many students are suspicious about the legitimacy and utility of online courses.

In fact, apprehensions about online learning are widespread throughout the Middle East, with many Arab governments reluctant to recognise certifications earned online. A shift in attitudes will clearly take time to develop.

Growth opportunities

With an internationally-minded population that exhibits a growing interest in a variety of destinations and sectors, Lebanon shows much potential as a source of international students 鈥� a point that Mr Reda was eager to stress: 鈥渁nyone with the financial capacity to study abroad will do so.鈥�

Mr Reda believes that young Lebanese share a widespread desire to raise their standard of living, which will inevitably have a positive impact on international student recruitment:

鈥淵oung people here have the desire for a better life. This trend will continue and demand will increase, especially for emerging markets like Turkey.鈥�

Considering the strength and potential of the Lebanese market, what are some ways that educators and providers can assist and attract students from Lebanon?

English proficiency tests and cultural factors

Currently, recruitment to English-speaking countries may be undermined by a bottleneck in the form of IELTS and TOEFL testing dates.

These language proficiency tests are offered at a handful of centres throughout the country, and take place every 2 or 3 months.

Available spots are filled quickly, and are not nearly enough to meet demand. Many students are invariably turned back, and are required to take the exam at a later date.

The current system is particularly unfriendly to those students who decide to study abroad at a late point in time 鈥� which is, in turn, particularly inconvenient for a culture in which people are unaccustomed to making decisions far in advance.

To show more sensitivity towards Lebanese students and, ultimately, to grow enrolments, educators and service providers are encouraged to consider increasing the number and frequency of English language proficiency test dates.

The role of agents

In fact, students in Lebanon are not only liable to make spontaneous decisions 鈥� many of them are not even aware of the options available to them.

In Mr Reda’s experience, many Lebanese students graduate from high school without a clear idea of their future.

Of those who are even aware of the possibility of study abroad, many are baffled by the application process, while others are deterred by visa requirements.

To address this lack of understanding, local agencies attempt to educate students and their guardians by means of seminars, which are ultimately aimed to raise awareness about the possibility of study abroad.

These seminars are one example of the way in which local agents can provide the crucial link between international institutions and prospective applicants in Lebanon.

Due to their position 鈥渙n the ground,鈥� these agents know the barriers that institutions need to overcome in order to promote themselves successfully to Lebanese students.

In the University World News report about funding for Syrian students, the author notes that 鈥渢he initiative’s success relies on ensuring that threatened Syrian students and scholars are made aware of what opportunities are available.鈥�

Perhaps the same could be said about recruitment in Lebanon as well.

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This was the message shared at one of the dozens of educational seminars held at last month’s in Dublin, Ireland. Each year, more than 4,200 higher education professionals from over 80 countries gather for The European Association for International Education’s main event. Amongst the many sessions on offer, 黑料官网 Monitor had the chance to attend one entitled “Social media in disrupted markets,” which shared tips and lessons learned when using social media for marketing, communications and public relations in disrupted or difficult markets.

In this context, a “disrupted market” is one where something prevents the normal use of global social media platforms. That might be a particularly acute disruption, such as a natural disaster or political or economic crisis, or it could be a more persistent condition, such as censorship or comparable government policy, in a particular national market.

China as a disrupted market

With 513.1 million Internet users in China, this is clearly a market that many international student recruiters want to tap into. But as we know, China also features several barriers to the free flow of information online, most notably the framework of restrictive policy and technology that is often colloquially referred to as . The Chinese effort to control online communications employs both technology and manpower on a vast scale. For example, the platform, a microblogging service with more than 120 million registered users, reportedly has 700 dedicated censors and keyword blocking tactics in place.

Don O鈥橬eill of in Ireland explained that these issues are not unique to China. Known as the ‘SICK’ nations (Syria, Iran, China, North Korea), the practice of blocking content is widespread. Even Germany, Pakistan and Thailand have been known to block YouTube at times as well. This illustrates that specific domains can be blocked in such systems, including potentially those of individual institutions or other providers.

Why are so many countries enforcing such restrictions? The power of social mobilisation is the real fear, not negative comments about the government. As a statement from King, Pan and Roberts in the June 2012 issue of Harvard Institute for Qualitative Social Science points out:

鈥淐ontrary to previous understandings, posts with negative, even vitriolic, criticism of the state, its leaders, and its policies are not more likely to be censored. Instead, the censorship programme is aimed at curtailing collective action by silencing comments that represent, reinforce, or spur social mobilisation, regardless of content.鈥�

O鈥橬eill found that, based on a survey of Chinese students who had been in Ireland for at least one year, two-thirds of them spend ten hours or less on social media each week. The main reason they use it is to stay connected with family and friends, but social media use is increasing. Recruiters should understand that most Chinese students still prefer face-to-face over virtual interaction because they won’t always believe what they see online.

According to O鈥橬eill, 鈥渢he Great Firewall is not going to disappear in the short term.鈥� Therefore, in such environments, where global platforms may be routinely filtered or blocked, one solution is often to rely more on national platforms, which, while still subject to monitoring or censorship, would be less likely to be disabled outright.

O’Neill notes the best social networks in China to start with include QQ (with 40.3 million users) and (a Facebook equivalent with approximately 100 million regular users). Those interested in video should experiment with , the equivalent of YouTube (it merged with Tudou in Match 2012). Above all, he suggests having a native Mandarin speaker to manage your social media presence in China.

Sudden disruptions in the US

While many may associate developing nations with the words “disruptive markets”, Dr Jeffery T. Johnson, Dean of Students at School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA reminded the audience that an unsettled market can happen anywhere. He stressed, 鈥渋t can, will, and does happen鈥� when referring to possible catastrophes such as fire, earthquakes, floods, terrorism, hurricanes, tsunami, outbreaks, and protests.

Being based in the southeast of the US, Dr Johnson is well experienced in such disasters. Year after year, just as university classes were beginning for the autumn term, several intense storms hit the coast of Louisiana in late August or early September (Hurricanes Katrina in 2005, Rita in 2005, Gustav in 2008, and Isaac in 2012).

Suffice it to say that in the Katrina aftermath, Tulane was faced with a disruptive situation. They had three immediate priorities: decide when the university would reopen, keep people on the payroll, and reach out to higher education associations to see who could take displaced students.

Dr Johnson attributes their quick rebound to the administration’s preparation and the communications plan they had in place. Having multiple copies of alternate staff email addresses and phone numbers on hand is essential, so that you can reach people as quickly as possible. Furthermore, the infographic below outlines how colleges should approach social media as a crisis management tool. And Dr Johnson reminds us, 鈥淭he Internet can go down, but the uniting power of texting remains strong.鈥�

Sometimes, there is even a silver lining – such disasters can transform universities. For example, after Hurricane Katrina, Tulane University went through a massive renewal plan that strengthened the institution in the long run, and there was a marked increase in service learning activities and volunteering opportunities.

But once the situation is resolved, it’s important for schools to conquer the dilemma of how to market to prospective students in the wake of a disrupted market.

When recruiting students to a destination that could be potentially disruptive, Dr Johnson advises, “be honest with families and prospects about the risks.”

The power of social media during disrupted times

At the end of the day, the community-enabling influence of social media is well-established and widely documented across a wide range of social and political contexts around the world. For example, the Occupy Wall Street protests spread to 950 cities in 82 countries, thanks to the power of social media during this time. And protests considered to be inspired by the Arab Spring have taken place on every inhabited continent, with varying degrees of success and prominence.

The Arab Spring protests particularly illustrate the effective use of social media to organise, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression and Internet censorship (see graph below). As such, they demonstrate as well the increasingly broad reach and importance of major global platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Source: EAIE 2012

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