Universiti Malaysia Kelantan: International Promotion Strategies in the Global Pandemic Era

Abstract

The economic recession due to the COVID-19 crisis has influenced the affordability of most international students to further their studies overseas. The fear of the global health crisis and the lockdowns has affected the demand for international education, including international student recruitment. This paper discusses the experience of the international office of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, a public university in Malaysia, in enhancing marketing and promotional strategies during the pandemic to attract international students. It analyses the marketing and promotional strategies implemented, including the strengths and constraints faced in getting international students. This paper is divided into several subheadings, which are the strategies employed to attract international students, including repositioning brand visibility, student recruitment agencies, digital marketing, and virtual info day, where each strategy is scrutinised and assessed thoroughly based on the author’s observation as the person involved in international promotion. All the strategies employed were found to be the most effective types of marketing strategies to be implemented during the pandemic. The findings would assist policymakers, universities and international office personnel in reviewing their current promotional strategies.