The impact of the ECoC title on
international student recruitment
Gyöngyi Pozsgai – Tímea Németh
University of Pécs
Contents
Mission of Ecoc
 Role and neccessity of international
student recruitment
 Factors motivating students decisions
 Survey results
 Conclusions

European Capital of Culture
programme
Purpose
The European Capitals of Culture initiative was set up
to:
 highlight the richness and diversity of European
cultures
 ……
 regenerate cities
 raise their international profile
 give new vitality to their cultural life
 boost tourism
(EU ECoC website http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/capitals/european-capitals-ofculture_en.htm
)
Educational tourism
New type of tourism is emerging – educational tourism
 International student mobility is crucial not only from
an educational point of view but for tourism as well
 Students often choose their universities not only
because of the educational advantages of the university
but also because of the attractiveness of the cities

University –local
economy
The University has positive effects on local
economic development
These effects can be classified into two categories:
1. supply effects—related to human capital and
research
2. demand-side effects—related to expenditure
and its multiplier impact on local economy
ECoC- international universities

ECoC should generate local economy – so does an international
university through the spendings of the foreign students
What do universities gain?
1.
The location of the univ gets more widely known nationally and
internationally – crucial in domestic and international student
recruitment
2.
Boosting cultural life – appealing to all students
3.
The better the ECoC is the more attractive the city is – the more
foreign students a university can attract

Possibility of paralellism between the success of the ECoC and the
success of international student recruitment – do univs make use
of the ECoC title in order to recruit more international students?
Role and neccessity of international
student recruitment
Huge increase in international student enrollment - 2009: 3,3 million international
students 2025: 8 million (UNESCO estimation )
benefits
1. on institutional level –
 to balance growing costs, decreasing govenmental support- substantial revenue
 solution for demographic decline





2. on societal level - important financial commodity
- contribution to the US economy – 19 billion USD, UK economy – 14 billion USD
( 2010)
Canada : ( 2010)
International students spent in excess of 7.7 billion USD on tuition, accommodation
and discretionary spending
Created over 81.000 jobs
Generated 450 million USD in government revenue
In addition 34 million USD spent on additional tourism by the international
students and their families and friends
Factors motivating international
student choice of host country
‘Push-Pull’ model
Push factors
economic and social forces within the home country serve to ‘push’
students abroad
 Pull factors
the decision as to which host country they will select - it is
dependent on a variety of ‘pull’ factors.
- student’s prior knowledge and awareness of a host country
or institution,
- recommendations made by the student’s
family and friends
International students tend to select a country first
and then an institution within that country.

International student decision model- levels
of possible influence on student decision
Step 1. Preliminary
Key question: Should I study abroad?
Elements: students’ global identity and push-pull forces
Step 2. Destination
Key question: Where should I go?
Elements: perceptions of countries and pull forces
Step 3. Institutional type
Key question: What type of school is best for me?
Step 4. School selection
Key question: Which school should I attend?
Elements: Personal preferences and pull forces ( costs,
school location, student services etc)
(Bohman 2012)
Role of location

A more known location can attract more
international students – visibility and
reputation as key pull forces
Marketing activity for international
student recruitment
How can a university attract international students?
- product, price, place, promotion ( 4 Ps) – marketing mix elements
Product: programme, all services offered by the university
Price: tuition fee, living expense, travel costs
Place: sales channels
Promotion: promotion of the programme, services, distinguishing
features
HU: 70 universities – demographic decline, growing competition for
domestic and foreign students
– the city’s ECoC title can be a determining distinguishing feature, an
advantage towards the competitors
Survey among the Erasmus students
of Pécs
Online survey among the incoming Erasmus students of Pécs
2012 – 200 students
 Before applying to the University of Pécs did you
hear that Pécs was a European Capital of Culture in
2010?
Yes 47%
No 53 %
 Did it stimulate your application to the University of
Pécs?
Yes 68 %
No 32 %
More then 50 % of our Erasmus students had no information
about the Pécs ECoC title, however, if they know about it ,it
highly stimulates their application
Decision making factors of UP
students - Survey results 2011
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I can study subjects here that meet my interest
University with a high reputation
The degree I receive here helps me to get a good job
The city, where the university is located, is
attractive
Traditional university with long history
Reasons/benefits of the ECoC title
for the cities
3 main ECoC categories :
Well known place with active cultural life ( famous
for its cultural life)
A reward for the ongoing cultural boost of the city/ for the best
application ( Luxemburg, Avignon, Antwerp)
2. Well known place with a previously different
(industrial) image
Can help in changing the image of the city, industrial image to a
culturally vibrant place ( Liverpool, Essen, Marseilles)
3. Less known place with an active cultural life
Can put the city into the map of Europe – increase the EUwide recognitiation ( Sibiu, Pécs, Maribor, Kosice)
huge opportunity in promoting the existence of the city
1.
Survey among the usage of the ECoC title
in university marketing communication
13 completed questionnaires
1. Well known place with active cultural life - 4
2. Well known place with a previously different
(industrial) image - 3
3. Less known place with an active cultural life - 6
Does your university use in its marketing
communication that your university is located in a
past/future ECoC?
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Yes

No
No : well known places famous for their cultural
lives
If yes, in which student enrollment communication
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
domestic
international
both
In which of your marketing communication tools
do you mention it
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
website

leaflets
film
social media
univ
presentation at
int meetings
Universities from less known cities use ALL marketing
communication tools to promote that the university is
located in an ECoC
More important for Erasmus
students
Erasmus students
No
33%
Full degree seeking
international students
No
46%
Yes
54%
Yes
67%
Is it an important factor in the decision making
process of your international students that your
university is located in a past/future ECoC?
Have you ever asked your international students
whether your city’s ECoC title was important for them
in the university selection?
Yes
17%
No
83%

Universities from less known cities surveyed their
international students about it
Before
After
8
7
10
6
5
4
3
2
2
1
1
0
one-two
two-four
more
one-two
two-four
more
forever
How many years before/after the ECoC position of
your city is it worth communicating that your university
is located in an ECoC?
Conclusion





The competitiveness of a university is largely influenced by the
competitiveness and attractions of the city where the university is located
The marketing activity of the university should be in harmony with the
marketing activities of its city
University cities should harmonize their tourism destination management
activities with the aims of their universities – univ cities should serve the
needs of the potential foreign students of their universities
In marketing activities the universities and their cities should work
together more actively and more efficiently
An effective ECoC can result in a more effective collaboration of city and
its university – can have a positive effect on the international student
recruitement, too
A ECoC title is a unique distinguishing feature to speak about – in a
growing competition it is a MUST to
- Distinguish our universities from the competitors’
- Use the ECoC title in all our marketing communication activities/ tools
- Thus help the students to make their choices

Thank you for your attention!
pozsgai.gyongyi@pte.hu