Promoting Erasmus Mundus towards European Students: Activate, Communicate, Engage 1

Goals and objectives Background and key information Activities and Outputs Student & Staff Survey EM-ACE Promotional toolkit AGENDA 2

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES To 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 3 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 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) 4

Full Partners Associate Partners Institute 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: ,00 BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT (2) 5

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 6

General Objectives Collect and analyse data on the visibility and awareness of EM at European level, the reasons why European students do not participate in EM, which of these reasons are most important, and what mechanisms are appropriate to overcome those barriers Targets (a) Students (European EM students and alumni; Erasmus students; other students who have the potential to be EM scholars) (b) HEI staff directly involved in the EM programme (EM coordinators, IRO, etc.) Methodology Preparation of surveys (1 for students, 1 for staff) Testing of surveys at partner universities (Sapienza, Ghent) and UNICA student conference Dissemination of surveys through EMA, Erasmus Student Network (ESN), UNICA network, partner universities, CampusFrance overseas offices, IT and PT NS STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (1) 7

Student survey findings 2300 responses, 81% completion 75% aware of EM but 75% didnt choose the accurate description of it out of 4 options Website/social media is main marketing tool Brand distinctiveness: EC quality imprimatur Incentive – more career, than travel Why not apply?: 1) too expensive 21% 2) I dont know anything about it – 18% 3) I am unsure of qualification I will get 7% 8 STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (2)

Student comments Great human experience but little opportunities to put diploma into good use for employment out of university/research sector. Only heard of it today - never ever been talked about. So any form of promotion would help! Improve clarity, accessibility and availability of study abroad's requirements and opportunities (more centralized?). I find universities' homepages are often confusing and 'hard to find right information Motivate the MUNDUS alumni (positive experience and personal touch) and they would do the PR work for you. STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (3) 9

Staff survey findings 270 completions, 47% academics Nearly third staff not bothered about more EU (28%) students applying to EM Unwillingness to lose own students Internationals main target of marketing effort Barriers to more EU students: 1) Lack of promotion 2) lack of financial support 3) unwillingness of unis to lose own students 4) academic recognition and timing STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (4) 10

Staff comments …many European students have zero knowledge about EM and it is often confused with the regular Erasmus exchange (non-degree mobility). The small number of scholarships offered to EU students has a chilling effect on the application rate; if there were more scholarships for EU Students there would be a higher number of applications. We were very late in the process to market outside our schools to the general public, plus no budget to do so I would prefer to have different names for EMA1 and EMA2 as it has constantly caused confusion in the past, especially when having EMA2 mobilities in EMA1 fostered master programmes. Having one name (Erasmus for all) for all programmes will cause even more confusion. The programme structures are not similar, the objectives are not the same, the contact persons differ. STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (6) 11

COMPARING STAFF IMPRESSIONS OF WHY EUs DONT APPLY 12 1) Lack of promotion – BRAND/reputation 2) lack of financial support - COST 3) unwillingness of unis to lose own students 4) academic recognition and timing – RECOGNITION/CAREER ADVANTAGE 1) too expensive 21% - COST 2) I dont know anything about it – 18% - BRAND/reputation 3) I am unsure of qualification I will get 7%- RECOGNITION/CAREER ADVANTAGE Staff reasonsStudent reasons

Summary Conclusions (1) Good product, poor marketing Confusing and bureaucratic brand names Unequal EM incentives for non-EUs (scholarship and going abroad for jobs) Lack of incentives for unis to target own No compelling EM website or listed programmes STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (7) 13

Summary Conclusions (2) Strong need for promotion and brand awareness of EM EM-ACE project cannot solve main problem with EU applications (financial allocations) but can help raising brand awareness Internet as most important information source Need to untangle EM and Erasmus Desire for more support from EMA Strong interest in the promotional tools to be created by EM-ACE Full needs analysis and marketing strategy soon available on STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (7) 14

Key recommendations (target: HEI) Enhance the prestige of EM through events and marketing efforts, involving EMA Enhance the narratives about career advancement (case studies of EM alumni) Create a consistent EM visual identity that communicates the brand in an attractive and unified way ( EC) Encouraged HEI to have marketing strategies and trained marketing staff for EM in addition to other markets. STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (7) 15

Key recommendations (target: HEI) Target students in their 2 nd and 3 rd year as well as after completeing their Bachelor degree for EM, but focus on the 3 rd ug year if money is limited. ALUMNI: Target Erasmus students for EM continuation. Intensify the use of the university websites as well as social networking sites Improve universities EM websites/pages and ensure the EM programmes have a professional digital strategy Full needs analysis and marketing strategy soon available on STUDENT AND STAFF SURVEY (7) 16

EM-ACE PROMOTIONAL TOOLKIT Marketing 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 PRINT MATERIAL EM-ACE portal / One-stop- centre for EU students : Web material (student- friendly content for websites that HEI and EM NS across Europe can use and adapt); Social networks and Apps MULTIMEDIA EM 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;. WEB 17

The EM scheme – its value 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? How do you measure the success of EM (if at all?)? Are you planning to do more or less in future? Do it yourself! Get across the idea of Erasmus Mundus in 140 characters that can be tweeted to all your students. DISCUSSION 18

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? Is the website good? How could these materials be improved? Does the name EM work? Do it yourself! Play your ACE: What would you select as the best marketing indictors? DISCUSSION 19

EM-ACE promotional toolking: any suggestion? We are planning to create 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 if anything should be in those guidelines, do you think? DISCUSSION 20

PLAY YOUR ACE! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! WEB 21