ICEF Podcast

Tackling the sub-agent dilemma: Exploring the pros and cons of aggregated recruitment

Episode Summary

Main topic: Building a sub-agent network has been a well-known strategy in international student recruitment for many years. Sub-agents can provide education providers with a range of advantages, including expanding market reach, leveraging local expertise, increasing diversity, and enhancing conversion rates. However, the use of sub-agents also has its challenges, and with the dramatic increase in sub-agent recruitment, fuelled by the emergence of ‘agent aggregators’, more and more concerns are being raised about quality control, transparency, data security and potential conflicts of interest. In addition, the absence of direct relationships between agents and education providers may expose institutions to reputational risks if sub-agents engage in unethical practices or provide misleading information to students. In this episode's main topic we take a look at sub-agent recruitment, exploring its pros and cons, and examining the impact of agent aggregator platforms on the student recruitment process and the broader international education sector.

Episode Notes

Also in this episode:

Main topic sponsor: ICEF Digital
Keys to the Market sponsor: COICEC - “La Confederación de Organizaciones de Intercambio Cultural del Ecuador”

Speakers

Gautham Kolluri
Founder/Managing Director
CIP STUDY ABROAD
 

Chris Price
Senior VP Partnerships (UK & Europe) 
Adventus
 

Craig Riggs
Editor in Chief
ICEF Monitor

Martijn van de Veen (Moderator)
Chief Business Development Officer
ICEF