Higher Education in the International Market: A Savonia UAS Student Recruitment Marketing Research

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the international student recruitment and marketing of Savonia University of Applied Sciences. As nations possess unique cultures, it is probable that the marketing channels and contents of Savonia UAS need to be differentiated in accordance with the varied demands and preferences of its diverse potential students. Initially, a comprehensive literature review was conducted on the topic of international higher education and its marketing. Subsequently, an online survey was published concerning the marketing platforms and contents of Savonia UAS. The survey gained responses from a total of 64 students, all of whom were current students of international degree programs of Savonia. The majority of the respondents, 48 students, were international students originating from 23 different nations, while 16 of the respondents were Finnish students. Based upon their respective countries, the respondents were further categorized into five separate continental groups: Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Russia. The results indicated that different regional preferences existed among the five aforementioned continents regarding the initial platform of discovery, the recommended platform of promotion, and the demanded type of marketing content. Overall, the internet and social media proved to be the most popular promotional platforms, while the most demanded type of content was information on the student experience. For Savonia to reach and attract international prospects better, it is recommended to recognize the different platforms where its target audiences reside, focus on the most suitable platforms based upon the selected target group’s preferences, and adhere to the content needs of the prospects with an emphasis on positive word-of-mouth promotion. The findings of this thesis could assist Savonia in identifying and targeting certain popular online platforms as well as in recognizing different levels of demand for the specific types of requested promotional content