The International Student Barometer survey was answered by 121,418 students from 137 universities around the world in autumn 2023, and gives a good overview over international student impressions and experiences. So, what makes students happy and satisfied in their studies? And what can we learn from the survey when we continue to work with student recruitment? What we learn can be applied to both international and national student recruitment.
Cathrine Norberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.
Photo: Mattias Pettersson
Shortly before Easter, I took part in a presentation and an in-depth analysis of the results of the survey broken down into sub-categories. Just like in all surveys, there are positive areas and areas with room for improvement, which are also important to find out. Worth highlighting is that Umeå University had one of the highest response rates in the survey: 62 per cent of the total number of international students at Umeå University (both fee-paying and exchange students) completed the survey.
In general, the results show that the most important aspects for international students' choice of university is personal safety and well-being, future career impact and cost of living. It's evident from the results that our students feel welcome; that the supportive services offered are well-functioning; and that students appreciate our inclusive, safe and cohesive campus environment as well as the accommodation offered. Students are also pleased with their education and the contact and feedback given by our teachers. The survey also shows that they appreciate the good quality of life in Umeå and at the University, and mention IKSU in this context.
All in all, I can establish that there are many services and staff members at our university who do a really fine job to ensure our students feel welcome and included in our academic community. The work performed by the International Office and the Student Health Service is in high esteem and the students also mention the importance of our buddy programme. Another detail derived from the survey, and which was highlighted at the results presentation, is the importance of showcasing and making visible good climate and sustainability activities when recruiting students.
In Vision for Umeå University, internationalisation is emphasised as a condition for quality and competitiveness in both education and research. Key to success is, which is also evident from the survey, to have commitment across the University. It's also important that we stay in touch with our students, both before and after they've competed their studies. Satisfied students – national and international ones – are valuable ambassadors and many of them could be our future researchers. I was also pleased to hear that 86 per cent of the respondents said they would happily recommend Umeå University to friends and family. We rank as number one in Sweden in this category.
Despite internationalisation being prioritised at Umeå University, the number of international students here is relatively low in national comparison. In other words, we have the potential to welcome more students, particularly since we don't reach our funding cap. In 2023, the Vice-Chancellor decided that we should intensify internationalisation endeavours with an additional focus on Europe. Internationalisation is also on the agenda for upcoming Strategic Council for Education assemblies. This includes discussing the recruitment initiative in Europe, what impact the strategic alliance AcrossEU will have on the University, and what we can learn from the International Student Barometer. From a recruitment perspective, we can already establish that quality of life and inclusion are important factors to highlight. We have a lot to offer, and we should be proud to communicate it.