Promoting Erasmus Mundus towards European Students: Activate, Communicate, Engage 1
Feb 24, 2016
Promoting Erasmus Mundus towards European Students:Activate, Communicate, Engage
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Video: how student- friendly is our information?
EM-ACE: goals & objectives, background information
Current EM promotional strategies in Europe: rationale, challenges and best practices
EM-ACE Survey and Needs Analysis
EM-ACE Promotional toolkit
Erasmus + : what implications?
AGENDA
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Link to video
1. HOW STUDENT FRIENDLY IS OUR INFORMATION?
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2. EM-ACE GOALS AND OBJECTIVESTo enhance the visibility, awareness and attractiveness of the EM programme across Europe, with the final goal to raise both the quantity and quality of applications received from European candidates
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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES • Information • Training • Promotion
TARGET GROUPS • Students • HEI staff • Other promoters
Why promoting Erasmus Mundus towards European students?
Key priority for the European Commission (Europe2020 strategy) EM Lacks visibility in Europe
Over the years, the international visibility of the EM programme has progressively grown. When it comes to Europe, however, the scenario changes significantly.
Scholarship quotas (cat B) never filled to date Low number of application received (in 2010, 4194 Cat B application
received vs 33837 Cat A applications) Quality of application below Cat A average
Preliminary needs assessment (EC, EACEA, EMA 2011) Identification of factors hindering European students' participation Preparation of marketing strategy
Background and key information (1)
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Full Partners
Associate PartnersInstitute of International Education (USA); NARIC-Italia / EM NS Italy (IT); Santander Group (BE); Erasmus Student Network (ESN); Portuguese EM NS (PT)
Duration: 36 months (September 2012 – August 2015)
Budget: € 247.183,00
Background and key information (2)
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Needs analysis on EM awareness and promotion (including surveys)+ international benchmarking (USA – Australia)
EM Promotion Strategy for EU students Short&long-term (EfA? YES Europe?)
EM Promotional Took-kit (online + print material) EM Marketing review tool (self-assessment) Promotional events (students) Training events (staff & promoters) Dissemination
Activities and Outputs
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Four key stakeholders share their experience:
European Commission
CampusFrance
Ghent University
Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association
3. CURRENT PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES IN EUROPE
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MissionLorem ipsum….
Rationale for current promotional strategy Lorem ipsum… Lorem ipsum….
EUROPEAN COMMISSION (1)
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Key challenges Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
Best practices Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION (2)
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MissionLorem ipsum….
Rationale for current promotional strategy Lorem ipsum… Lorem ipsum….
CAMPUS FRANCE (1)
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Key challenges Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
Best practices & tools Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
CAMPUS FRANCE (2)
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MissionLorem ipsum….
Rationale for current promotional strategy Lorem ipsum… Lorem ipsum….
GHENT UNIVERSITY (1)
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Key challenges Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
Best practices & tools Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
GHENT UNIVERSITY (2)
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MissionLorem ipsum….
Rationale for current promotional strategy Lorem ipsum… Lorem ipsum….
ERASMUS MUNDUS ASSOCIATION (1)
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Key challenges Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
Best practices & tools Lorem ipsum…. Lorem ipsum…
ERASMUS MUNDUS ASSOCIATION (2)
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General ObjectivesCollect and analyse data on the visibility and awareness of EM at European level, the reasons why European students do not participate in EM, and what mechanisms are appropriate to overcome those barriers Targets: Students + HEI Staff
Summary results:
4. STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (1)
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STAFF REASONS1) Lack of promotion – BRAND/reputation2) lack of financial support - COST3) unwillingness of unis to lose own students4) academic recognition and timing – RECOGNITION/CAREER ADVANTAGE
STUDENT REASONS1) ‘too expensive’ 21% - COST
2) ‘I don’t know anything about it’ – 18% - BRAND/reputation3) ‘I am unsure of qualification I will get’ 7%- RECOGNITION/CAREER ADVANTAGE
Summary Conclusions
Good product, poor marketing (confusing brand names)Unequal EM incentives for non-EUs Lack of incentives for unis to target own No compelling EM website or listed programmes Strong need for promotion and brand awareness of EMEM-ACE project cannot solve main problem with EU applications (financial allocations) but can help raising brand awareness Iternet/Social Media as most important information source Need to untangle EM and Erasmus Strong interest in the promotional tools to be created
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (2)
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Key recommendations (target: HEI)
Enhance the prestige of EM through events and marketing effortsEnhance the narratives about career advancementCreate a consistent EM visual identity that communicates the
brand in an attractive and unified way ( EC)Encourage HEI to have marketing strategies and trained marketing
staff for EM in addition to other markets. Target students in their 2nd and 3rd year ALUMNI: Target Erasmus students for EM continuation. Intensify the use of the university websites & social networking sitesImprove universities’ EM websites/pages and ensure the EM programmes have a professional digital strategy
STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (4)
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5. EM-ACE PROMOTIONAL TOOLKIT
EM-ACE portal / One-stop-centre for EU students : www.em-ace.eu
Web material (student-friendly content for websites that HEI and EM NS across Europe can use and adapt);
Social networks and Apps
WEBMarketing materials focus on EU students
Training materials for sessions at HEI aimed at IROs, including case studies.
Guidelines on how to prepare a successful EM application
MULTIMEDIAEM Marketing review tool (WP 3) – online self-assessment tool
PowerPoint presentation templates to be used during student talks;
Promotional video on EM experience in Europe; .
PRINT MATERIAL
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Student section: developed by students for students; tested on students in different European universities
Staff section: guidelines + ready-to-use material to promote EM and joint programmes in a student-friendly way
Online self-assessment tool to be launched soon add information on key indicators (TKP is working on it)
Erasmus + : what implicationsFloor to Gutierrez
FOCUS ON..EM-ACE WEBSITE as ‘ONE STOP CENTRE’
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The EM scheme – its value in the light of the new Erasmus + programme
What do you think of the EM scheme as a uni? How aware are students of the scheme? Do you proactively recruit your own students to EM or just external students? What are barriers to application? Do you have a corporate/academic strategy as a uni for EM?
What will the place of EM be in the new Erasmus + programme? What do you think will the main challenges be?
Do it yourself!Get across the idea of Erasmus Mundus in 140 characters that can be tweeted to all your students.
DISCUSSION (just a few suggestions – we should discuss this jointly during the SC meeting)
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Current marketing and promotional strategies
How do you promote EM at this uni? Who promotes it? (if at all). Do you have a separate EM marketing strategy? (can we see it). Discuss budget, staff, resource etc. How could marketing be improved, particularly to attract EU students? What do you as HEI need to do to improve EM marketing?Do you use EM centrally produced materials (which ones)? How effective are they? Do you test your information on students?
Do it yourself! Play your ACE: What would you select as the best marketing indictors?
DISCUSSION
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EM-ACE promotional toolking: any suggestion?We are developing marketing advice for EM officers, with some best practice guidelines and benchmarking allowing universities to compare their marketing with other universities in Europe.
Do it yourself! What would you like to see in those guidelines?
DISCUSSION
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