Is It Time to Change How We Market Overseas Higher Education?

Why student recruitment must now speak to Gen Z, parents, future skills and geopolitical risk

After two decades in international student recruitment, my answer is clear: yes, it is time to change.

The traditional formula—promote a country, display a university ranking, mention a scholarship and suggest a possible permanent residency pathway—is becoming less effective and increasingly risky. Today’s families are more informed, more cautious and more willing to compare several countries before making a decision.

The education sector is no longer selling only a degree. It is helping a family make one of the largest financial, emotional and strategic investments of its life.

There are now two decision-makers—not one

Gen Z students and their parents often approach overseas education from different directions.

The student is usually asking:

  • Will this course lead to a meaningful and well-paid career?
  • Will I enjoy the country, campus and student experience?
  • Can I work during and after my studies?
  • Does this qualification match my identity, interests and ambitions?
  • Can I trust what I see on social media, university websites and AI platforms?

The parent is more likely to ask:

  • Is the country safe, stable and welcoming?
  • Is the institution reputable and the qualification recognised?
  • What is the total cost—not only the first-year tuition fee?
  • Are the employment outcomes strong enough to justify the investment?
  • What happens if visa, migration or post-study work policies change?
  • Will my child become more independent, responsible and globally employable?

This makes the family a two-person buying committee: the student is the future user of the education, while the parent may be the principal financier and risk assessor.

Research in Sri Lanka has identified parental education, income, financial status, involvement and material support as influential in tertiary-education choices. Regional evidence also illustrates the financial weight carried by families. In HSBC’s 2024 survey of affluent Indian parents—a useful regional indicator, although not a substitute for Sri Lanka-specific data—90% intended to fund overseas education, while only 53% had an education savings plan; 51% hoped for a scholarship and 27% would consider selling assets. For many South Asian families, overseas education is not an ordinary purchase. It may involve savings accumulated over decades.

Parents should be segmented by motivation and risk—not only age or income

“Parents” are not one audience. A stronger recruitment strategy should recognise at least five practical profiles:

  1. Self-funded professionals and business owners seek quality, prestige, global networks and long-term career optionality.
  2. Upper-middle-income stretch funders require scholarships, transparent total-cost planning and credible return-on-investment scenarios.
  3. First-generation international-education families need plain-language guidance, trusted human support and reassurance about each stage of the journey.
  4. Diaspora-connected families may prioritise a destination where relatives can provide accommodation, cultural support and employment networks.
  5. Profession-led families focus on accreditation, licensing, graduate outcomes and whether a qualification leads to a recognised career.

Advertising the same message to all five groups wastes money and weakens trust.

Career outcomes have replaced vague aspiration

The 2026 State of Student Recruitment research, based on more than 67,000 prospective students across 150 countries, found that students are widening their destination choices and placing greater emphasis on long-term value, graduate outcomes and internships. The message is straightforward: students still want inspiration, but they now demand evidence.

This means a successful campaign must show more than attractive campus photographs. It should demonstrate the connection between the course, skills, industry experience and realistic career opportunities.

We must move beyond “popular course” and “PR course” advertising

IT, accounting and business remain valuable disciplines. The problem is not the subject; the problem is promoting a broad qualification mainly because it is currently associated with migration or because it was popular in the previous decade.

Australia’s 2025 Occupation Shortage List found that 29% of assessed occupations were in national shortage, down from 33% in 2024. Jobs and Skills Australia also describes the list as a point-in-time assessment. A shortage visible when a student enrols may change before that student graduates.

No ethical adviser should imply that a degree guarantees employment, a post-study visa or permanent residency.

The stronger question is:

What combination of technical knowledge, human capability, accreditation, industry experience and geographic mobility will still create value five years from now?

Which STEM areas deserve greater attention over the next five years?

The World Economic Forum expects 39% of workers’ existing skills to change or become outdated between 2025 and 2030. It identifies AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy among the fastest-growing skills. It also points to growing roles in renewable energy, environmental engineering, electric and autonomous vehicles, healthcare and education.

Australia’s current list of critical technologies reinforces several specialised fields that deserve more attention:

  • artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced data analytics;
  • cybersecurity, including cloud security, operational technology and post-quantum security;
  • robotics, mechatronics, autonomous systems, drones and advanced sensing;
  • renewable energy engineering, power systems, battery technology and energy storage;
  • semiconductor design, microelectronics, advanced manufacturing and materials science;
  • biotechnology, genomics, bioinformatics and medical technologies;
  • environmental engineering, water systems, climate adaptation and geospatial science.

However, a “rare” course is not automatically a safe career choice. Some niche sectors have small labour markets, limited entry-level positions or roles restricted by citizenship, security-clearance or professional-registration requirements. Before recommending any specialised program, advisers should test four things:

  1. Is there a real industry cluster in the study destination?
  2. Does the course include laboratories, placements, employer projects or work-integrated learning?
  3. Can an international graduate legally and practically enter the relevant jobs?
  4. Will the skills remain transferable if the student returns home or moves to a third country?

The most resilient graduate will not be the person with the rarest degree title. It will be the person with deep technical capability, communication skills, commercial awareness, practical experience and the ability to keep learning.

Geopolitics is now part of the education decision

Families are watching elections, wars, trade tensions, public attitudes toward migration, housing shortages, inflation and changes to student-visa policy. The 2026 State of Student Recruitment report identifies policy shifts, geopolitical pressures and the rapid rise of AI as major forces changing how students decide where and what to study. The OECD’s 2026 review of international student mobility also emphasises that cost, financial support, migration regulation, work rights and broader living conditions interact to influence where students study and whether they remain after graduation.

Geopolitics is also reshaping careers. The World Economic Forum reports that geopolitical tensions and geoeconomic fragmentation are expected to transform the business models of 34% of surveyed organisations by 2030. This strengthens demand in areas such as cybersecurity, resilient supply chains, semiconductors, critical minerals, energy security and advanced manufacturing.

Parents are therefore not merely asking, “Which country is best?” They are asking, “Which country is most likely to remain safe, affordable, welcoming and economically relevant throughout my child’s education?”

No adviser can predict five years of politics. What we can provide is a transparent country-risk discussion covering:

  • visa and post-study work policy stability;
  • safety, social cohesion and attitudes toward international students;
  • housing availability and total living costs;
  • graduate employment conditions and employer demand;
  • currency and family-financing risk;
  • travel continuity, healthcare and student support;
  • alternative plans if policies or personal circumstances change.

How student recruitment strategy should change now

First, build separate but connected communication for students and parents. Use short-form video, student stories and career identity to attract Gen Z. Use webinars, detailed guides, ROI scenarios, safety information and transparent cost planning to build parental confidence.

Second, replace course promotion with course-to-career mapping. Show the skills developed, professional recognition, industry projects, likely entry roles, employer sectors and alternative career paths—not merely the course title.

Third, present best-case, realistic and fallback scenarios. A trustworthy adviser should explain what happens if a student obtains a graduate role, returns to Sri Lanka, changes destination, or does not secure a migration pathway.

Fourth, make evidence visible. Families should be able to examine graduate employment data, accreditation, internship access, employer partnerships, total costs and official visa sources.

Fifth, become discoverable across social media, search and AI. INTO’s 2025 research found that students are already using generative AI to compare universities, programs, rankings and careers. Recruitment content must therefore be current, consistent, structured and easy to verify. AI may create the first impression, but trusted advisers and official sources must validate high-stakes decisions.

Finally, measure quality—not vanity. The important metrics are qualified enquiries, parent participation, completed financial plans, application-to-offer conversion, visa readiness, enrolment and long-term student outcomes—not likes alone.

The future belongs to responsible, evidence-led recruitment

The next generation of successful education advisers will not behave as course sellers. They will act as career strategists, risk interpreters and trusted family advisers.

Our responsibility is not to tell every student to study STEM, nor to dismiss established fields such as IT, accounting or business. It is to help each family choose a qualification with genuine academic fit, strong practical learning, international relevance and several possible futures.

The strongest message for the market is no longer:

“Choose this course and migrate.”

It is:

“Choose capabilities that remain valuable—even when technology, migration policy and geopolitics change.”

That is how we protect families, strengthen student outcomes and build sustainable trust in international education.

— Harsha Perera Suriyarachchige
CEO, AEMC Global

Research referenced