Welcome to ICEF
We are the global market leaders in business-to-business networking events and services for the international education sector.
Through our unrivalled global programme of online and in-person networking events, support for education agents and market intelligence services, we facilitate outstanding international student experiences.
About us
For over 30 years, we have been bringing together education institutions, carefully chosen student recruitment agents and providers of other services for the international education industry with the simple aim of improving international student mobility.
Why work with ICEF?
In a world with tightening budgets, higher education institutions are coming under growing pressure to get the most out of their marketing budgets as they seek to meet ambitious student recruitment targets. Why then do so many universities and colleges put ICEF at the core of their student recruitment strategies? Learn more here.
Upcoming Events
To find out more about our upcoming events for international education professionals from around the world, click on the links below.
ICEF Virtual Latin America
September 28 - 30, 2021
ONLINE
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF Latin America returns virtually in 2021 as a networking event dedicated to helping global education providers to easily and cost-effectively identify reliable new student recruitment partners and refresh existing relationships with education agents from this part of the world.
This 3 day online event is designed to enhance opportunities for international study as students increasingly look to travel to and within this region.
Register for the event
ICEF Virtual China
October 13 - 15, 2021
ONLINE
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF Virtual China is an exciting new online networking event dedicated to helping education institutions around the world identify reliable new student recruitment partners as well as refresh existing relationships with agents in China.
Featuring high-quality, ICEF-screened education agents from 24 Chinese cities and provinces, the event brings 3 days of dedicated focus.
Register for the event
ICEF Berlin
October 31 - November 03, 2021
Berlin, Germany
GLOBAL EVENT
ICEF Berlin, the international education industry’s largest and most comprehensive global networking event, returns in 2021 for its 27th edition.
At our flagship global networking event, you can build your own personalised programme of over 38 in-person and 116 virtual one-on-one meetings with existing and potential partners.
Register for the event
ICEF Virtual Miami
December 14 - 16, 2021
ONLINE
DESTINATION EVENT
ICEF Miami returns virtually in 2021 as a networking event enabling education providers to meet with over 300 ICEF-screened education agents focused on sending students to the Americas.
This event allows participants to schedule over 70 one-to-one video meetings with existing and potential partners of interest.
Register for the event
ICEF Virtual Secondary Education
February 22 - 24, 2022
ONLINE
GLOBAL EVENT
ICEF Virtual Secondary Education provides a dedicated networking opportunity for international providers of secondary, boarding, high school, foundation, and junior education programmes.
In 2022, this event returns for its 3rd edition to connect international secondary schools with the largest gathering of ICEF-screened secondary education focused agents anywhere in the world.
Register for the event
ICEF ANZA
March 09 - 11, 2022
Adelaide, Australia
DESTINATION EVENT
The 15th annual ICEF Australia New Zealand (ANZA) gives you the opportunity to meet the top international student recruitment agents from around the world who have a focus on Australia and New Zealand, as well as leading educators and service providers from this exciting and vibrant study destination.
Register for the event
ICEF Eurasia
March 20 - 22, 2022
Kyiv, Ukraine
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF Eurasia gives international educators and service providers the opportunity to meet top-quality student recruitment agents from all over Central Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus at one focused event, enabling them to effectively intensify their marketing & recruitment efforts in these important student markets.
Register for the event
ICEF Central Asia Focus
March 31 - April 01, 2022
Almaty, Kazakhstan
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF Central Asia Focus gives international educators and service providers the opportunity to meet top-quality student recruitment agents from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Mongolia and Northern China at one focused event.
In 2022, ICEF Central Asia will be a hybrid event held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as well as welcoming participants simultaneously online.
Register for the event
ICEF Spanish Education
April 19 - 21, 2022
Seville, Spain
DESTINATION EVENT
With more than 470 million native speakers, Spanish is the second largest mother tongue spoken in the world. It is also the third most studied language after English and French.
The inaugural edition of ICEF Spanish Education provides a unique opportunity for Spanish education providers promoting study programmes taught in Spanish to network with ICEF-screened, quality student recruitment agents from around the world.
Register for the event
ICEF Toronto
May 13 - 15, 2022
Toronto, Canada
DESTINATION EVENT
ICEF returns to Toronto in 2022 to give education providers from across the Americas the world’s best opportunity to meet student recruitment agents from around the world actively looking to send students to this leading study destination. Attended by the world’s best education agents focused on the Americas and organised by the industry leader in educator-agent networking events, ICEF Toronto is the must-attend international education networking event in Canada.
Register for the event
ICEF French Education
May 17 - 18, 2022
Montréal, Canada
DESTINATION EVENT
The 2nd edition of ICEF French Education takes place in Montréal and provides a unique opportunity for francophone education providers promoting study programmes taught in French to network with screened, quality student recruitment agents from around the world.
Register for the eventMarket Intelligence
ICEF Monitor is the leading source of market intelligence for the international student recruitment industry. Read about the latest issues affecting the sector and learn about emerging trends with ICEF Monitor.
What does return to campus look like in the US this fall?
A feature presentation at ICEF Virtual Higher Education provided some important insights this week into how the new academic year is taking shape in the United States. The 2021/22 academic year got underway over August and September at universities and colleges throughout the US, and American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) Executive Director Brian Whalen –Continue reading…
Approved ELT providers in Ireland will soon be permitted to resume international recruitment
Beginning this month and through October, the Irish government will relax most official COVID-related restrictions and place the onus on citizens and businesses to stay safe. Rules will be replaced with guidance “underpinned by a focus on public health advice, personal judgement and personal protective behaviours.” The move reflects a priority of reopening the IrishContinue reading…
Measuring the economic impact of foreign students in the UK and the country’s competitive position in international recruitment
Two new fascinating reports released recently underline the importance of international students to the UK economy and what is at stake in terms of the UK’s ability to maintain market share relative to other leading study abroad destinations. The first is an analysis from London Economics commissioned by the Higher Education Policy Institute and UniversitiesContinue reading…
Chinese border to remain closed until second half of 2022
Reports from Times Higher Education, the Wall Street Journal, and others all indicate that China’s current border restrictions will remain in place until the second half of 2022. The news comes as the new academic year gets underway in China this month, an event that has reportedly led a number of universities to reach outContinue reading…
How to build a better peer recruitment programme
Are you missing out on the power of peers or student ambassadors in your international recruitment effort? Some of the available data in this space suggests that many educators are, including those in major study destinations. An estimated two-thirds of UK universities engage peers – whether current students or alumni – in student recruiting. And the practiceContinue reading…
Significant student housing shortages reported in the Netherlands
Many students planning on going to the Netherlands this year for study will face a challenge in securing housing, and this challenge looks like it will intensify in the next few years. The issue could well affect international enrolments, since foreign students will of course think twice before applying to Dutch universities if they knowContinue reading…
Canadian post-secondary institutions announce COVID vaccine requirements for 2021/22
As students begin returning to Canadian university and college campuses this fall, they are checking not only their programme requirements and class schedules but also the COVID vaccine and/or testing requirements at their school. Institutional executives have been listening to government guidance and balancing the need to keep their campus communities safe with the needContinue reading…
Private finance companies are expanding loans for international students
For each international student whose family can afford to send them abroad, many other students face an uphill battle paying for studies at the school of their dreams. The events of the past couple of years have made the latter group even larger – which is unfortunate given the number of promising students within it.Continue reading…
Mapping COVID-19’s impact on global student mobility
A newly published joint paper from the Institute of International Education (IIE) and IC3,“International Student Mobility Flows and COVID-19 Realities,” illustrates the great extent to which international student mobility flows shifted in the 20 years from 2000–2020 and suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic is altering the decision-making process of prospective students. As you can seeContinue reading…
Australian border closures cost ELICOS sector AUS$1.2 billion in 2020
A newly released impact study commissioned by English Australia concludes that the continuing closures of Australia’s borders led to a direct loss of AUS$1.2 billion for the ELICOS sector in 2020. Prepared by industry research specialist Bonard, Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the ELICOS Sector in Australia also found that enrolment in Australian ELICOS programmesContinue reading…
Stand out with ICEF
ICEF Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality with ICEF empowers education and accommodation providers to tell uniquely engaging stories, access new audiences, and grow international student recruitment. Learn how to leverage this immersive technology to connect with students around the world and tell powerful stories about your institution.
Training for education agents
International student recruitment agencies play a vital role in international education, connecting education institutions with students around the world. We offer high-quality professional development to keep education agencies informed about immigration requirements, course entry standards, and student support expectations around the world.
