How are prospective postgraduates rethinking where they study, and what does this mean for international student recruitment?
Political and economic uncertainty is reshaping the international study landscape. Prospective postgraduates are reconsidering traditional destinations, exploring new alternatives and reassessing what they want from studying abroad. So what does the new map look like?
Join Keystone's Mark Bennett and Jennifer Parsons for a data-led look at the international postgraduate market at the end of 2026. Drawing on behavioural search data, ongoing audience polling and live application and enrolment trends, this session will explore how prospective students' interests, perceptions and intentions are changing.
We'll examine evolving engagement with established destinations such as the UK and USA, explore opportunities across Europe and Asia, and uncover the motivations and concerns influencing prospective postgraduates' decisions.
In this session, you'll discover:
- Changing destination preferences: How prospective students are engaging with traditional study destinations and where their attention is shifting.
- Emerging opportunities: What established European destinations and growing Asian alternatives could mean for international recruitment.
- Student perspectives: The motivations, concerns and questions shaping how prospective postgraduates evaluate their options.
- What the data tells us: How search behaviour, audience sentiment and application and enrolment trends combine to reveal a changing international market.
Whether you're reviewing your international recruitment strategy or looking to understand how prospective students' priorities are evolving, this session will provide evidence-led insights to help inform your next steps.
Register now
Mark Bennett – Global Director - Market Insight & Data Product, Keystone Education Group
Mark leads Keystone’s global research and insight function, helping universities and institutions understand student decision-making in a fast-changing world. With over 20 years of experience in policy, teaching and research, he specialises in turning complex data into actionable strategies for student recruitment and engagement. Mark regularly presents on postgraduate marketing, recruitment and policy topics, having previously spoken at events organised by CASE Universities Marketing Forum (UMF), HELOA, NAGAP, ContentEd, the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE), Westminster Forum and others.
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Jennifer Parsons – Executive Director - Market & Partnerships Officer, UniQuest, Keystone Education Group
Jennifer brings over 20 years’ experience in international education to UniQuest, including leadership roles at London universities and i-Graduate. She also has experience running her own successful consultancy, delivering research to inform strategic developments across the sector. She ensures her team are exceeding partner expectations through effective data exploitation and the provision of actionable insights to help them meet their goals.