ICEF Academy, the professional development and training platform for stakeholders in the international education sector, is delighted to announce the launch of the Working with Education Agents Course (WEAC). As the first educator-facing course in the platform’s portfolio, the WEAC helps educators to establish and optimise productive partnerships with reputable agents in order to strengthen their institution’s international student recruitment efforts.

With the number of internationally mobile students projected to reach 9 million by 2030, it has become crucial for educators to explore practical strategies to expand their global reach and attract a diverse range of high-quality students. Working with agents offers significant advantages, including access to extensive networks and local market expertise.

However, these partnerships also present challenges, such as fraudulent activities, unmet contractual obligations or targets, as well as subpar student recommendations, which can discourage institutions from fully embracing and integrating them into their recruitment strategies.

"Collaborative partnerships between educators and agents are crucial for facilitating access to quality education worldwide. Our commitment to fostering high standards and promoting sustainable growth in the sector is highlighted by the WEAC, our first course aimed at educators, providing them with the tools to build and maximise partnerships with reliable agents."
- Markus Badde, CEO, ICEF.
 
Drawing upon ICEF's decades of expertise in connecting carefully screened agents with educators at B2B networking events, the WEAC covers topics such as agent selection and due diligence, contract management, effective communication and performance evaluation best practices. Course participants will also have access to an interactive companion workbook with exercises and templates, to help them build a practical agent partnership strategy whilst learning.

For more information about the Working with Education Agents Course (WEAC), please visit www.icef.com/academy/courses/working-with-education-agents.