The Rundown #11 - Insights at the halfway point
The first half of 2023 is under our belt and wow, it was quite the season. With just over 100 study programs completed, we’ve certainly had the chance to reflect on what’s current in the world of experiential learning! Let’s take a look at a few insights from our side over the past 6 months.
ESG and DEI are essential components of study programs
Throughout 2022, the predominant concern was health & safety, however, in the first two quarters of this year, we’re happy to say academic and cultural content is once again the number one priority. There’s an obvious and marked increase in requests for programs that hone in on the most current and pertinent topics, especially ESG, universities are relishing the opportunity to jump into industries and areas of business that spotlight social and environmental change.
We now see more and more clients asking for speakers and academics that fully represent local diversity. Take for example a sampling of programs we’ve run this year in South Africa and Namibia; during the preparation for the academics side of the itinerary the request was to select business visits to companies that represent all aspects of social background in the destination, the aim being to give students the chance to discover the business but also learn about the cultural makeup of the region.
Clients are feeling adventurous again!
New destinations for us are cropping up with exceptional potential for study programs which we’ve experienced firsthand this year in Oman, Albania, Serbia and Namibia! What’s been wonderful with these new picks is that the clients predominantly came to us and asked, “Can you take us to this destination?”, and of course, we made it happen. It shows clients are feeling adventurous and we’d like to think that’s down to having a reliable provider with all the safety and expertise needed to venture to new places. Get a glimpse of the 40+ countries we’ve already taken groups to this year via the globe below, and who knows, maybe you’ll find some inspiration for your next study program!
Flexibility and preparation mean a lot
It’s no secret that post-pandemic we’ve seen a rise in inflation, something that’s affecting economies and industries across the globe. This means some clients are understandably seeking more cost-savvy, flexible options for trips without skimping on the content. For us, this has meant we’ve been able to grow our portfolio even further to offer more locations across 6 continents.
Clients have also mentioned that student recruitment and preparation for the trips, particularly for MBA courses, is more challenging than before the pandemic. We’ve taken that on board and have been offering promotional tools to successfully help get programs off the ground.
Undergraduate trips are on the rise
Whilst the levels of MBA and postgraduate programs have a steady increase, we’ve seen the level of undergraduate trips increase quite significantly. From conversations with our clients, this can mostly be accredited to these universities seeking a provider who can ensure one of the top priorities for students of this level: safety and reliability. More undergraduates are seeking study abroad opportunities that were once primarily done in-house at universities and this growing number of students wanting to travel has increased the need for an external, expert partner, like us.
In fact, our number of undergraduate programs has doubled from last year in just the past 6 months, and we’re already on par with our pre-pandemic numbers! By providing high-level standards of care and organization, we’re delighted to keep growing these numbers in the upcoming travel seasons.
That’s all from this edition as we head into summer and get set for the fall season and 2024! If you spotted something you’d be interested in discussing further or would like to have a brief, non-committal call to explore your study program opportunities with us, you can book a slot via my Calendly or feel free to reach out directly via my email.
Best regards,
Tomas Chalupnik
CEO
chalupnik@studyprograms.com