The Impact of Government Policy on Higher Education International Student Recruiters

Abstract

This paper explores higher education actors involved in the recruitment of internationalstudents and their perceptions of their home country’s government policy on their practice. It examines case study institutions from three countries Canada, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. This study shows higher education institutions do not exist in a vacuum and regardless of their location, government policy shapes perceptions for international student recruiters who believe that government policies contribute or hinder their practice. All of the participants, regardless of location, show a high level of awareness of government policy that greatly shapes their strategies. More specifically, recruiters find tensions arising from these policies with government shaping recruitment priorities and restricting or instigating competitive responses, while their institutions do not challenge government policy (enough). The findings suggest that government policies establish the “playing field” for recruiters as they attempt to navigate an increasingly competitive environment but at the same time, these perceptions are highly localized and need to be understood in their individual settings.Keywords:internationalization; government policies; recruiters; students