The Erasmus Mundus Global Promotion Project

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The Erasmus Mundus Global Promotion Project

• Action 4 co-ordinators meeting
• 29 February 2008

William Aitchison DG EAC - European Commission
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EM Global Promotion Project
WHY A GLOBAL PROMOTION PROJECT?

• Aims of Erasmus Mundus
• Promote European quality offer in higher
  education
• Encourage incoming mobility of third-country
  graduate students and scholars
• Foster structured co-operation with third-country
  higher education institutions
• Improve profile, visibility and accessibility of
  European higher education in the world

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EM Global Promotion Project
WHY A GLOBAL PROMOTION PROJECT?

• Definitions
• Timeline 2007-2009
• Erasmus Mundus Global Promotion Project
• Europe (EU, EFTA, candidate countries)
• Target audiences (students/student bodies
  secondary audiences HEIs, parents, employers)

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EM Global Promotion Project
WHY A GLOBAL PROMOTION PROJECT?

• A growing market
• Perceptions of European Higher Education
• A common approach

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EM Global Promotion Project
A GROWING MARKET

• Number of internationally mobile students seeking
  an education abroad continues to rise - 1.8
  million in 2001 2.5 million in 2004 and a
  projected 7.2 million in 2025
• Recent research shows potential for Europe to
  increase its share of this market (EURODATA)
• Essential to boost interaction between European
  universities and partners in rest of world
  (Lisbon objectives)

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EM Global Promotion Project
PERCEPTIONS OF EUROPEAN HE

• Perceptions of European HE in Third Countries
  Study
• Europe in general is too little-known as a study
  destination among third-country students
  (fragmented, confusing, too culturally and
  linguistically diverse)
• Too traditional
• US is widely regarded as offering the best
  quality education, although Europe also scores
  highly

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EM Global Promotion Project
PERCEPTIONS OF EUROPEAN HE

• Asian students ranked the US above Europe in
• Quality of facilities
• Quality of education
• Most prestigious universities
• Reputation of degrees
• Chances of getting a job and staying on after
  graduation
• Work opportunities during studies

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EM Global Promotion Project
PERCEPTIONS OF EUROPEAN HE

• Key strengths of European HE
• Quality of education
• Traditional and innovative
• Internationally compatible degrees (Bologna)

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EM Global Promotion Project
PERCEPTIONS OF EUROPEAN HE

• Also
• Diversity (unique opportunities)
• Safety/Accessibility
• Affordability (Value for money)

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EM Global Promotion Project
A COMMON APPROACH

• Creation of a clear European identity
• Build upon perceived strengths and correct
  misperceptions
• European umbrella brand, based on elements
  common to all European countries but allowing for
  tailor-made campaigns

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EM Global Promotion Project
A COMMON APPROACH

• NOT
• Duplicating national promotion efforts (Study in
  Europe is a window onto European HE)
• Attempting to cover whole of EHEA
• Promoting individual HEIs or courses

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EM Global Promotion Project
GPP - OBJECTIVES

• Overall objectives help make European HE more
  easily accessible, enhancing its profile and
  visibility across the world contribute to
  European competitiveness and promotion of
  international/intercultural understanding.
• Specific objectives improve availability/accessib
  ility of information on studying in Europe and
  advantages of doing so enhance professional
  capacity of European HE to promote itself
  proactively as a place of study.

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EM Global Promotion Project
GPP 5 INTERRELATED STRANDS (LOTS)

• Lot 1 Develop European brand and website
• Lot 2 Innovative services for international
  study
• Lot 3 Improve HE marketing techniques
• Lot 4 Events to promote European HE
• Lot 5 Media campaign/information materials

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EM Global Promotion Project
GPP - LOT 1

• Development of European HE brand logo key
  messages (stakeholder workshops held in April
  2007 brand will be publicised via Lot 5)
• Creation of Study in Europe website (32
  countries - will be available in Chinese,
  English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish
  integrated with PLOTEUS search engine)

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EM Global Promotion Project
GPP LOT 2

• Feasibility study on online information service
  (call centre) for those seeking information on
  European HE
• Analysis of existing networks of
  promoters/national information offices in HE,
  recommendations for possible European network
  pilot project in Mexico (2008-2009)
• Analysis of current trends in transnational
  education (offshore courses and campuses, online
  learning) conference in May 2008

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EM Global Promotion Project
GPP LOT 3

• Development of toolkit (guidelines, code of good
  practice)
• Workshops in January and April 2008 for national
  HE promoters and individual higher education
  institutions
• Advice on effective marketing and branding,
  campaigns, key messages about European HE,
  getting the most out of fairs, using agents,
  building a database of contacts, handling the
  press and media

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EM Global Promotion Project
GPP LOT 4

• Organisation of European HE fairs in Moscow
  (13-15 November 2008) and Sao Paulo (March 2009)
• Accompanying promotional campaigns will allow for
  trialling of GPP products
• Compatibility with EHEFs in Asia

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EM Global Promotion Project
GPP LOT 5

• Development of media strategy using Study in
  Europe brand
• Trial media campaign around the EHEF in Brazil
• Development of a set of information products

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EM Global Promotion Project
INVOLVEMENT OF EM CO-ORDINATORS

• GPP Communications Forum
• Promotional Skills Workshop on 17-18 April
  exchange experience and ideas
• Brand participation (e.g. Fairs, thematic
  promotion, publicity materials)

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EM Global Promotion Project
POSSIBLE PROMOTIONAL GROUPINGS

• Regional promotion projects
• BalticStudyNet, Barents Education Network, Go
  North!
• Subject/theme-related promotion projects
• AMEU, CBP3, E4DCs, ENHSA, EXAMPLE, ISEKI MUNDUS,
  LENOTRE, Mundus Musicalis, PENTA, SDPROMO
• Networks of European HE promoters
• Forum on Europe, PEHE-EACN, Tea Team

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EM Global Promotion Project
POSSIBLE PROMOTIONAL GROUPINGS

• Distance learning
• ACTIVE, ACTIVE ASIA, EDU-Contact
• Improving mobility (recognition, services, etc.)
• BRIDGES-LAC, CHEMEPASS, CPCNASCE, EMIS, FASTQUAD,
  VALUE