Trio of university deals for OnlineEd
A NEW education division of Yorkshire-based virtual technology conference and events company iVent has announced deals with three major UK universities.
The University of York, Middlesex University, and King’s College London have all signed deals with OnlineEd to create global online recruitment events to attract prospective students.
Six further universities are also planning similar conference-style events as they look to boost overseas student numbers.
The division has been launched as Business Secretary Vince Cable plans to increase the number of overseas students at UK universities by 20% over the next five years.
OnlineEd, based at Conyngham Hall business centre in Knaresborough, gives potential students and current offer holders anywhere in the world the opportunity to take part in live Q&A sessions with lecturers, course leaders and current students.
Participants can also take part in sample lectures and faculty head presentations delivered live in virtual lecture theatres, as well as review course and prospectus material, and apply for a place on a course.
Mike Prime, director of OnlinEd, said: “Our interactive platform allows prospective students to ‘tour’ the campus, take a look at the halls of residence, talk to course leaders and tutors, as well as to hold Q&A sessions with current undergraduates or post-graduates from their laptop or tablet anywhere in the world.
“They can also drop in on sample lectures and talk to those involved in student support and welfare.
“We can completely tailor the offering to the needs of the university and its recruitment and marketing teams, providing an interactive tool for them to get their message across to potential students and their parents.
“All the information they need to make an informed choice is at their fingertips – without them even having to leave the building, let alone think about getting on a plane.”
He added: “We’re really excited by the interest we’ve received and we’re now developing the technology for the private school market, where again the competition to attract overseas students is fierce.
“We provide a complete turn-key solution, support and consultancy to enable the technology to be a bespoke offering for the individual university or school. That is proving to be extremely popular.”
Gavin Newman, managing director of iVent, says the company is now taking full advantage of the cutting-edge technology that it has developed to produce bespoke solutions for companies and organisations across all sectors.
He said: “The technology we have developed and brought together allows people to gain information more readily and be totally interactive between students and staff. This is why it is such an attractive proposition for universities, colleges and public schools.
“The potential savings that this kind of virtual technology can bring to all businesses and organisations are tremendous and that is attractive to universities facing increasing funding challenges.”
Jennifer Brannan, postgraduate recruitment officer at The University of York, said: “Through an online event we are able to offer a lot more activities and opportunities for students to learn about the university in a much more flexible way, as well as allowing us to learn about who they are and exactly what they are looking for.”
