From border closures to studying from home and attending digital events near and far, COVID has noticeably impacted the ways in which we connect, engage and reach people across the world. Working in International Education at this time has presented with a handful of new challenges to overcome, particularly when trying to recruit prospective international students.

Our central pillars of student recruitment have long been founded at open days, student fairs, agent events and one-on-one meetings. Re-imagining student recruitment is requiring a creative and innovative new approach, one that can continue to allow opportunity for increased productivity. What’s the secret you ask? The University of New England in collaboration with Sofiri, an application development company that specialises in developing apps related to the education sector, have come up with the perfect solution.

This September, UNE will be launching a first-of-its-kind student recruitment web portal – UNE Engage.

The portal will enable prospective students to connect with education counsellors from their desktop computers or mobile phones anytime and from anywhere. Imagine being a student based in Nepal, aspiring to study abroad but needing more information and support to ultimately make your final decision, particularly at the moment when there is a lot of confusion and anxiety around studying abroad. This portal provides the opportunity to access the information you need easily and from the comfort of your own home. Basically, we see you COVID-19 restrictions and we raise you one digitally ground-breaking initiative that is connecting agents and students across the globe.

“Education agents are highly valued partners of UNE International (UNEI) and this app means we can help them transition to online recruitment and continue doing so in a sustainable way. UNE International is proud to partner with Sofiri to launch this platform and are very much looking forward to helping our partners engage with pre-qualified prospective students” says International Marketing Manager, Chris Daly.

“It makes it quick and easy for prospective students queries and questions to be answered almost instantaneously by handpicked experts that have worked with UNE for a while, who understand our processes and are committed to student success” says International Regional Manager Francis Mwaura.

He continued, “technology is an enabler and this app is designed to enhance the student journey, even before the student commences their studies. Students can choose a vetted and experienced UNE agent that speaks their language, who is from their home country or otherwise with responses given in real-time with 24/7 application support. This kind of technology and system gives students visibility and control of their application.”­­

The initiative is part of a greater plan to continue working with prospective students on their plans to study in Australia in 2021.

It’s an exciting prospect, knowing that UNE International is pioneering this kind of technology to ensure the future of international education here in Australia is promising and can continue.

So take that COVID. We might not have figured you out yet, but we’ve figured out a way to work around you and keep pushing forward. Here’s to the future!

Author: Alexandra Cook – Student Engagement Coordinator, UNE International

For more information, check out the below resources.

Planning to study with the University of New England – take the first step. 
If you are planning to study with UNE, we can help. We will match you with an expert counsellor in education who will guide you through selecting your course, applying, and enrolling.

Start talking to a counsellor now
We brought together a group of people that will devote their time and energy into helping you.

UNE Engage Platform Overview
UNE Engage is a platform used by aspiring international students seeking study options at the University of New England in Australia. Our online platform offers a modern and digital approach to the education agent service traditionally used by international students.