ICEF Dubai Workshop For international educators and student recruitment agents from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai February 06-08, 2017 Seminar programme February 06, 2017 14:00 15:00 How to Maximise your ICEF Workshop Experience - for Providers Nick Stevenson, Business Development Manager EMEA, ICEF, Germany How to Maximise your ICEF Workshop Experience - for Agents Isabel Vogt, Vice President Events & Logistics, ICEF, Germany 15:00 16:00 ICEF Agent Training and the ICEF Agency Recognition Programme (IAS) Stephanie Zimmermann, Senior Agent Relations Manager, ICEF, Germany Audience: All Study in Germany - Your Way into German Universities Annette Friedl, Owner and Director, ISL Sprachschule / ISL Language School, Germany 16:00 17:00 Student Recruitment in the MENA Region Nabil Najd, Manager MENA Region, ICEF, Lebanon Study Opportunities in the UK Helen Obaje, Professional Development Manager Agents, British Council, United Kingdom 17:00 18:00 Pace of Adoption of International Student Recruitment Agencies by U.S. Universities Jean-Marc Alberola, President, Bridge Education Group, USA Audience: All Identifying Special Education Needs and Strategies to Improve Outcomes Andy Cobley, International Projects Director, Priory Group, United Kingdom Adam Foster, International Development Director, Priory Group, United Kingdom 18:00 19:00 The Impact of Social Media on Education in the Middle East Suad Alhalwachi, CEO, Education Zone, United Arab Emirates How to Foster Good Collaborative Practices with Education Institutions - an Insider s Perspective Saeed Adam, Senior Sales & Marketing Manager (MENA & Turkey), New College Group, United Kingdom Nabil Najd, Manager MENA Region, ICEF, Lebanon
14:00-15:00 How to Maximise your ICEF Workshop Experience - for Providers Nick Stevenson This session will provide you with a step by step guideline on how to make the most out of your participation in ICEF Workshops in general and the ICEF Dubai Workshop in particular. The session will cover the following topics: Preparation prior to the workshop Workshop parameters and how to maximize your time during the event Post-workshop follow-up and agent contracts How to maximize your working relationship with agents Nick Stevenson, Business Development Manager EMEA, ICEF, Germany Nick has been at ICEF since July 2014, responsible for business development within the UK & Ireland, helping educators and service providers develop relationships with agencies overseas. He has been working within the international education sector since 2008. He studied Spanish & Management at the University of Leeds, including an Erasmus Year at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid Faculty of Economics & Business. After graduation, his first role was at Study Travel Magazine responsible for business development across various international education markets. More recently he was International Sales Manager at Inline Marketing, a supplier of marketing & logistics services to language schools. Page 1 of 10
14:00-15:00 How to Maximise your ICEF Workshop Experience - for Agents Isabel Vogt This session will provide you with a step by step guideline on how to make the most out of your participation in ICEF Workshops in general and the ICEF Dubai Workshop in particular. The session will cover the following topics: Preparation prior to the workshop Workshop parameters and how to maximise your time during the event Post-workshop follow-up and contracts How to maximise your working relationship with providers Isabel Vogt, Vice President Events & Logistics, ICEF, Germany Isabel Vogt is Vice President of Events & Logistics at ICEF GmbH, offering a range of solutions designed to help educators, agents and service providers achieve real results in their marketing and student recruitment initiatives. Isabel holds a Master's degree in Communications and Political Science from the Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany. She has been involved in the implementation and organisation of events for the international education industry since 1996. During her time at ICEF she has organised agent workshops, student fairs and conferences in over 30 countries around the world. Page 2 of 10
15:00-16:00 ICEF Agent Training and the ICEF Agency Recognition Programme (IAS) Stephanie Zimmermann Audience: All This session will provide you with an introduction to ICEF s agent training courses as well as its agency recognition programme: The ICEF Agent Training Course (IATC) is a practical, professional training course developed by ICEF for education agency-based student counsellors. The course is available online and free of charge to agency student counsellors in a self-paced modular format The Canada Course for Education Agents was an initiative of the Government of Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Consortium for International Education (CCIE) and ICEF, and was officially launched in May 2013 The USA Agent Training Course (USATC) is designed for international education agents working with American schools, universities, and colleges to recruit international students, and is aimed at increasing agents knowledge and standards of practice in their work with both institutions and students The ICEF Agent Status (IAS) is recognised as an indicator of agent quality, showing that an agent has been successfully vetted for, and participated in, ICEF Workshops. The IAS is renewed through ongoing quality assurance screening and reference checks Educators and service providers are welcome to join the session. Stephanie Zimmermann, Senior Agent Relations Manager, ICEF, Germany Stephanie joined ICEF in 2006 through an internship programme while completing her Master s degree in Germany. In 2007 she accepted a full time role as a Project Manager in ICEF s Agents Department and has since May 2011 held the position of Senior Agent Relationship Manager. Stephanie s role includes connecting multinational student recruitment agents with international educators at ICEF events. In addition, she is responsible for building and managing a wide range of agent relationships and advising agents as to which ICEF Workshops will provide them with educator contacts to fit their student profiles and demand. Page 3 of 10
15:00-16:00 Study in Germany - Your Way into German Universities Annette Friedl Many young people dream about studying in Germany. Not only are the universities without tuition fees, they also have an excellent reputation around the world. Germany needs young, qualified people to help grow the economy. In 2015 the number of foreign (non EU) students registered in European universities has for the first time exceeded the number of foreign students in the US. Germany and Sweden have the biggest numbers amongst the European non-english speaking countries. Pathway programmes (language, foundation and university) offer a structured way to access German universities. We will explain the necessary steps, the visa process, the documentation you need and take a look at prerequisites. There will be room for individual questions. Annette Friedl, Owner and Director, ISL Language School, Germany Annette Friedl co-runs three schools in Germany and is focussed on customer contact in Asia and the Middle East. She has been working independently for over seven years in advising and helping international students who wish to study in Germany. She has close contacts with many German Universities and the German Foreign Offices in many Mid-East/ Asian countries. She deals with several hundred applications from potential students per year and has seen a large increase of interest in Germany in the last few years. She holds a teaching and business degree from universities in Germany and Ireland. Page 4 of 10
16:00-17:00 Student Recruitment in the MENA Region Nabil Najd The Middle East and North Africa are important source regions for international students. This session will aim to provide you with an overview and general information on the region's most important markets including the following details: General background - Geopolitical - Size of market - Education system Current status of the study abroad market - Number of students studying abroad - Course and destination preferences - Average length a student spends abroad - Student expectations Future potential & market trends Nabil Najd, Manager MENA Region, ICEF, Lebanon Nabil joined ICEF in 2011 as an Agent Relations and Business Development Manager for the Middle Eastern and North African markets and since 2014 holds the position of Manager MENA Region, ICEF Lebanon. Nabil has developed a wide range of contacts within the industry and contributed towards broadening ICEF's access to the region by focusing on introducing quality agents to our workshops around the world. In addition, Nabil is responsible for assisting and advising educational institutions new to working with education agents and/or new to ICEF Workshops and helping clients to select the most appropriate ICEF services to increase their international student enrollments. Nabil graduated with a Master's degree in Automation Technology from the Technical University Berlin, Germany in 2010. He speaks English and German as well as his native language Arabic. Page 5 of 10
16:00-17:00 Study Opportunities in the UK Helen Obaje Every HEI now has an ambitious internationalisation strategy and the number of countries with plans to be education hubs grows yearly. This has partly led to unprecedented competition amongst host recruiting countries, not least over the agency channel. Despite these changes, the UK continues to be a leader in international education and recruitment, and the first choice for many agents and prospective students. But how? And what are the strategic and practical advantages being an agent for the UK? This session will discuss the breadth of opportunity, resources and marketing benefits available to education agents recruiting to the UK. Helen Obaje, Professional Development Manager Agents, British Council, United Kingdom Helen delivers the Education UK Certificate for Agents and Education Advisors at the British Council, and the professional development programme for global staff working in International Higher Education, responsible for monitoring and enhancing both the internal and external training through a process of continuous improvement. Prior to working at the British Council she has worked in a diverse range of education institutions from community education to FE. With an MA in Technology she has focused on developing the use of technology for teaching. Page 6 of 10
17:00-18:00 Pace of Adoption of International Student Recruitment Agencies by U.S. Universities Jean-Marc Alberola Audience: All This innovative research commissioned by Bridge Education Group in partnership with StudentMarketing provides insight on both the pace of adoption of agencies as a recruitment channel partner by U.S. universities, as well as how specific market forces and public opinion are influencing how this adoption takes place and to what degree it differs from practices in other countries. Understand comprehensive quantitative data on the impact of third-party international recruitment on U.S. university enrolments, including pace of adoption, commission and compensation models, and average number of agents engaged by institutions Gain visibility into the effect of agent accreditation, role of intermediaries and master agents, trends in the role of agents, fees charged, and how public opinion is shaping how agency channel partner adoption is evolving and practiced Understand key concerns and the controversy over the use of agents Jean-Marc Alberola, President, Bridge Education Group, USA Jean-Marc is President of Bridge Education Group, a comprehensive provider of language and education services including corporate language training, teacher training, study abroad, and university pathway programs. Jean-Marc has over 25 years experience in language and education abroad and regularly presents at NAFSA, AIRC, IALC, and ICEF events. Page 7 of 10
17:00-18:00 Identifying Special Education Needs and Strategies to Improve Outcomes Andrew Cobley & Adam Foster A child who has a learning difficulty should have access to special education provision which allows them the greatest chance of maximising their education and social outcomes in life. However, identifying and then finding the right type of provision for that young person can be extremely difficult. This presentation discusses some of the basics of identifying young children with a special education need including how they typically present, what assessments need to be carried out to diagnose their condition and then explores the range of strategies to improve their outcomes. The presentation will equip agents with a good understanding of Special Education Needs and allow them to advise young people and families on what support they can access. This will be a general presentation on: Understanding what a SEN is What is the scale of some of the main SENs internationally? I.e. key facts How do young people present (including some cultural differences for our international audience)? Identifying autism, diagnosis and management in the classroom Identifying dyslexia, diagnosis and management in the classroom What support exists for young people, families, funders for people with a SEN? Managing expectations Case study of 2 young people with SEN Andy Cobley, International Projects Director, Priory Group, United Kingdom Andy Cobley has over 23 years experience as a teacher working in the field of special needs and holds a Master's in Educational Research, a Master s in Education and an Honours degree. He has focussed his professional practice on working with children and young people with special needs, especially autism, often in the residential/boarding school setting, this includes working with children from overseas. He has worked for over 20 years with the Priory Group holding senior positions as Principal, Operations Director and Project Director. Adam Foster, International Development Director, Priory Group United Kingdom Adam has over 15 years experience in the Life Sciences Industry in a variety of commercial roles. During the last six years he has been heavily involved in service development in the field of mental health, autism and learning disabilities across both healthcare, adult social care and more recently education and children s services. He has been with the Priory Group now for three years holding the senior position of Business Development Director. Page 8 of 10
18:00-19:00 The Impact of Social Media on Education in the Middle East Suad Alhalwachi This session focusses around economic and education conditions in the Middle East and shows a case study and exercise that we used at Education Zone in promoting our products successfully on social media. The analysis showed us who is willing to travel and where they are willing to travel to. The cost of the promotion was very low and we completed the campaign in a month's time, receiving many visits on our website and resulting in many enquiries that have been converted. Suad Alhalwachi, CEO, Education Zone, United Arab Emirates Suad began college at the age of 16 and was sponsored by the Iraqi government to study economics at a university in Iraq. She did not find college work particularly challenging and therefore spent time being a strong member of the Bahraini club and organising trips for students. She travelled for a year after her studies. Following her undergraduate degree, Suad returned to Bahrain and worked in a government ministry as an international affairs officer where she also had the opportunity to travel and study. Suad came to the UAE in 1980 following her marriage. She gained a position in a Dubai company and managed the financial accounts. That company sponsored her for two years overseas to gain a professional accounting qualification and she also completed another Arabic professional accounting qualification during the same period of work. The company was strong in training and education so she also gained an Organisation Development Certificate from UoT. Suad immigrated to New Zealand for a period of five years for family reasons where she began a Ph.D. programme in accounting, but stopped because of the length of study and exited with a Master s in commerce. Suad also taught and was a manager within an institute of technology. Exposure to international education led to her returning to the UAE to set up her business. Page 9 of 10
18:00-19:00 How to Foster Good Collaborative Practices with Education Institutions - an Insider's Perspective Saeed Adam & Nabil Najd This session will provide a brief personal experience on the best practices on how agents can develop and make the most of their business relationships with education institutions. In particular the session will cover the following topics: Building up relationships The importance of providing essential training Communication Bridging the cultural gap Providing regular feedback to partners Saeed Adam, Senior Sales & Marketing Manager (MENA & Turkey), New College Group, United Kingdom Saeed Adam is the Senior Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for New College Group (NCG), an English language school based in the UK. He has more than 5 years of experience in the international student recruitment industry. Saeed is passionate about education and academic excellence as enablers for students to really achieve transformational change. As well as the background in education, Saeed has experience within the media industry having worked as a journalist for 5 years, working for the Liverpool Echo, Scandinavian Press Agency, and BBC amongst others. Saeed has a degree in International Journalism and a Master's in Global Politics from Liverpool John Moores University. Nabil Najd Manager MENA Region ICEF, Lebanon Nabil joined ICEF in 2011 as an Agent Relations and Business Development Manager for the Middle Eastern and North African markets and since 2014 holds the position of Manager MENA Region, ICEF Lebanon. Nabil has developed a wide range of contacts within the industry and contributed towards broadening ICEF's access to the region by focusing on introducing quality agents to our workshops around the world. In addition, Nabil is responsible for assisting and advising educational institutions new to working with education agents and/or new to ICEF Workshops and helping clients to select the most appropriate ICEF services to increase their international student enrollments. Nabil graduated with a Master's degree in Automation Technology from the Technical University Berlin, Germany in 2010. He speaks English and German as well as his native language Arabic. Page 10 of 10