���������

INTEREST CATEGORY: GLOBAL MARKETING
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Journals

Posted by: Qin Sun

---

Submit a Manuscript to the Journal

Journal of Global Marketing

For a Special Issue on

Marketing International Education in the Post-Pandemic Era

Manuscript deadline

15 August 2025

Special Issue Editors

Fang Liu, University of Western Australia, Australia
fang.liu@uwa.edu.au

José I. Rojas-Méndez, Carleton University, Canada
jose.rojas@carleton.ca

Geoffrey Soutar, University of Western Australia, Australia
geoff.soutar@uwa.edu.au

Qin Sun, California State University, Northridge, USA
qin.sun@csun.edu

Marketing International Education in the Post-Pandemic Era

This special issue of the Journal of Global Marketing looks at international education and related topics on its marketing challenges and opportunities. International education includes both onshore programs, where international students come to a host country for studies, and offshore programs, where the universities offer a program in a foreign country through collaboration with a local university (Li et al., 2013)*. The extant literature has examined various factors that influence international students’ decision to choose a specific program or university, as well as the international marketing implications for higher education institutions (Li, et al., 2013; Nguyen, et al., 2019; Paswan & Ganesh, 2007). The international student recruitment and the international marketing practices of higher education institutions are also greatly influenced by the immigration and foreign policies of the host country (Firang & Mensah, 2022; Institute of International Education, 2019). During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have experienced decreasing international student enrollment (Deckert, 2021; Sin et al., 2023). With the reopening of the borders at the end of the pandemic, international student enrollment has rebounded. In the academic year of 2022/23, international student enrollment in the U.S. increased 11.5 percent over 2021/22 (Buchholz, 2023), with the enrollment of new international students surpassing the pre-pandemic level (Institute of International Education, 2023), while Canada had 29% increase in international students from 2022 to 2023 (Canadian Bureau for International Education, 2024).

The international education market is not all roses. Its growth brings tension in house rentals, employment, basic infrastructures, and facilities, such as hospitals and health, in a country or a region. Due to these tensions, the Australian Government recently introduced legislation to support the integrity and sustainability of the international education sector. The legislation will enable the Minister for Education to allocate the maximum number of new international student enrollments that educational providers can offer. Similar legislations have been planned or implemented in several countries, such as Canada (The Economist, 2024). How will these policies and regulations influence the international marketing strategies of higher education institutions in these countries? For instance, will potential students consider them signs of “unwelcoming” and withdraw their interest in attending these countries for higher education degrees? To address many of these issues, marketers need to take a leading role and take a multifaceted approach through, but not limited to, leveraging data analytics, enhancing digital presence, building strong value propositions, and fostering partnerships and community engagement. These are even more important when marketing a service like international education.

The post-pandemic era presents unique challenges and opportunities for international education, with cultural aspects playing a pivotal role in shaping student experiences and educational outcomes. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of cultural adaptability and resilience in the face of unprecedented disruptions to traditional educational models. As international students navigate new learning environments, cultural differences in communication styles, learning preferences, and social interactions become more pronounced. For instance, following Hofstede’s (1980) cultural dimensions theory, one could expect that variations in individualism versus collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance can influence student engagement and participation in virtual and hybrid classrooms. Moreover, integrating technology into education has necessitated a deeper understanding of digital literacy across different cultures, as students from diverse backgrounds may exhibit varying levels of proficiency and comfort with online learning platforms (Zhao, 2020). The shift towards remote learning has also exacerbated existing inequalities, as access to technological resources and stable internet connections can differ significantly across countries and socio-economic groups (UNESCO, 2021). Therefore, educators and institutions must adopt culturally responsive teaching strategies that acknowledge and bridge these gaps, fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students (Gay, 2018). By embracing cultural diversity and promoting intercultural competence, international education can evolve to meet the demands of a more interconnected and digitalized world, ensuring that all students thrive in the post-pandemic academic landscape. Examining the potential impacts of student, institutional, and national-level factors on global marketing practices of higher educational programs is worthwhile.

Higher education institutions (as well as countries) must better market and position themselves to attract and retain students in this increasingly competitive, dynamic, post-pandemic landscape. We need better theoretical models that address decision-making by potential students, the impact on the institutions’ bottom line, institutional branding, and other relevant global marketing issues. We also welcome the cross-cultural or cross-country comparison of marketing educational topics. This special issue intends to provide insights to marketing educators regarding the educational challenges and proposed solutions and to higher education institutions concerning their global marketing outreach. Both conceptual/theoretical and empirical papers are welcomed, and the special issue is agnostic to any research methods that may be used by contributing authors. More specifically, the call for papers will look at research dealing with the following issues (this is only indicative and not an exhaustive list):

• Decision factors (e.g., attitudes, values, culture, and lifestyles) influencing the prospective international students and their families after the pandemic
• The higher education institution marketing concerns differences between demographic groups, such as traditional vs. non-traditional students, international vs. domestic students, and various socioeconomic backgrounds
• The global marketing practices of higher education post-pandemic to define and communicate the unique value propositions of the institution’s programs and services
• The impact of various digital marketing strategies, such as social media campaigns, email marketing, and online advertisements, on international education
• Factors contributing to international student retention and developing marketing strategies to keep students engaged and enrolled
• The impact of cultural differences on global marketing strategies in different regions
• The role of educational technologies in attracting and retaining international students
• The effect of innovative program delivery methods, such as online, hybrid, and competency-based education, on international education across different student segments
• The role of partnerships with local businesses, government agencies, and community organizations in higher education marketing
• Cross-countries or cross-cultural issues in marketing education
• The impact of artificial intelligence on marketing education in different countries
• The role of regulatory policies in global marketing practices for higher education
• The diversity and inclusive considerations in global marketing outreach of higher educational programs or marketing education in different countries
• Potential changing landscape of onshore and offshore programs post-pandemic and related international marketing implications

*for list of references, please contact Fang Liu or Qin Sun

Submission Instructions

Timetable

The Special Issue is scheduled to be published in 2026. The following dates will be followed:

• Submission opens: April 2, 2025
• Submission closes: August 15, 2025
• Feedback, Revision(s), Acceptance of papers: On a rolling basis
• Expected delivery date to Journal of Global Marketing: March 29, 2026

Contributing authors may contact the special issue editors to discuss whether their potential submissions align with the aims of this special issue.

Submission Guidelines

Through this special issue, we intend to bring out a certain set of academic contributions relevant to the marketing of international education context for researchers, policymakers, and industry practitioners. Full-length papers should be submitted via the online submission system:

.

Please see ‘Instructions for Authors’ on the Journal homepage at the following link:

Papers suitable for publication in the Special Issue will be double-blind reviewed, following the Journal of Global Marketing’s review process guidelines.

.