Client Feedback
Interview with Hamsa Daher, Associate Director for International Students and New Markets, Walsh College
Download a PDF version of this article.
As a global leader in international student marketing and recruitment, the Toronto-based LearnHub helps schools across the globe to promote their programs and recruit qualified applicants among 3,000,000 LearnHub visitors annually. We recently had an opportunity to sit down with Hamsa Daher, Associate Director for International Students & New Markets at Walsh College in Michigan.
A LearnHub partner since October 2008, Walsh is Michigan’s largest business school. It offers students an array of cutting-edge educational opportunities and unparalleled environment that prepares students for leadership positions in business, technology and economics. More at walsh-college.learnhub.com and www.walshcollege.edu.
LH: Hamsa, why don’t we look back on the beginning of your international outreach. What was the primary reason you decided to actively recruit international students to Walsh College?
HD: We started to see an increase in the international student enrollments, as well as a more diverse student body, and decided to really grow this population. Having international students on campus adds a unique experience to the classroom, allowing us to better understand the truly globalized world that exists out there.
LH: And as you decided to support and augment this population growth – what avenues and options did you consider in devising a strategy for international recruitment?
HD: Since Walsh College is an upper division school where undergraduate students must be transfer students, we decided to target our community college partners to recruit at the undergraduate level. This has been very successful, since students take pre-determined courses and credits at the community college level, and
At the graduate level, we did an international recruiting tour overseas and have since continued our efforts online, through print and through paper fairs.
LH: And as that strategy was forming, what led you to choose LearnHub as an international recruitment and marketing partner?
HD: Seeing how our Indian Student inquiries increased over the past year and learning that LearnHub had a strong Indian-based student community, we decided to give it a try.
LH: You mentioned utilizing a few additional avenues for international recruitment that together give you a very well-rounded approach. What other recruitment services are you using in conjunction with LearnHub?
HD: We are doing different types of projects with the Department of Commerce such as paper fairs and reach out to US Education Centers abroad and are also pursuing articulation agreements with community college partners in Canada.
LH: By now, you are likely able to assess the effectiveness of each of those channels. What in your opinion differentiates LearnHub from other services you are currently using or have considered?
HD: The fact that LearnHub processes and filters the most qualified inquires and forwards them to our attention is wonderful! This allows us to educate each prospective student to a specific Walsh College program. The system of sending messages through the web and text messages to students’ cell phones allows us to better connect and communicate with each prospective applicant. Additionally, the reliability and ease of using LearnHub make it great to work with.
LH: What are some of the learnings and successes you’ve experienced since you commenced your recruitment partnership with LearnHub?
HD: After talking with each student who came to us via LearnHub, we have noticed that prospective applicants are more serious and knowledgeable about their programs of study.
LH: What would be your advice to your graduate and undergraduate colleagues who are considering focusing on international recruitment?
HD: I believe that schools can become successful by actively recruiting online. Although overseas recruiting is effective, the online approach reaches a much bigger student audience while being cost-effective at the same time. This is when LearnHub, or similar educational & social networking sites, come in and assist the schools with international recruiting and marketing.
About LearnHub
LearnHub is the world’s first and largest social learning network for international students. With over 140,000 registered users, LearnHub offers a pipeline of pre-screened, pre-qualified applicants and is home to some of the largest free test-prep tools and educational communities online. Visit LearnHub at http://learnhub.com/
