This document discusses UCL's plans to significantly increase postgraduate research student numbers, especially from overseas. It aims to grow overseas PGR numbers by 253% by 2012-13, well above national trends. To achieve this, UCL will need to take market share from competitors and improve various aspects of the student experience and recruitment process. Suggestions include orienting department websites for prospective students, improving the enquiries and applications process, using customer relationship management tools to track trends and conversions, and developing communication materials and online resources to promote opportunities.

1. Growing Overseas Graduate Research Numbers – First Steps John Burnett, Educational Liaison

3. OS PGR acceptances are down 14%

5. 1% growth rate in UK PGR student numbers in UK.

6. UCL’s 2012 -13 targets are 253% and 201% above national growth trends respectively.

7. UCL needs to take market share from competitors to achieve these targets.

8. International student recruitment in the US grew by 10% in 2007N.B. Figures for UCL were previously under-reported. From 2008 UCL reports in the same way as all other universities

9. Ratio of PGR students per academic Ratio of Home/OS PGR students by faculty N.B. Figures from MAPS TBC

10. www.ucl.ac.uk OS PGR Sources of Funding by Volume

11. www.ucl.ac.uk OS PGR Sources of Funding by Percentage

12. PGR Volume From Key Countries

13. UCL Market Share of Students From Key Countries

14. SWOT Analysis – Post Graduate Research Strengths Size of institution, multi-faculty Quality of education / academic staff Strong Brand (developed markets) Location Open Access Website Good funding from Research Councils Most Doctoral Training Centres Weaknesses Website is not PGR orientated Funding for scholarships / studentships Poor brand recognition (emerging markets) Imperfect application and enquiries system Poor conversion of UCL alumni to researchers International Office poorly resourced No searchable database of research opportunities Opportunities 4% International growth in PGR Weaker £ UK reputation for quality Increase in unemployment Strategic Alliances (universities, funders) Many graduate events in UK and OS Overseas Faculty to build brand / recruit Threats Low domestic growth in PGR 1% Increasing competition (UK and OS) Increasing EU competition – Bologna Process Global recession may impact on funding sources. Points based immigration may restrict access UK and London perceived as expensive Perception that research has poor economic prospects

15. Strategies for growing PGR student numbers

16. Visibility

17. Web Resources and Digital Media The UCL website is the primary point of contact and source of information for prospective PGR students. Efforts must be made to make this resource more customer focussed, visible and more accessible. Visibility Searching for “graduate research London” in Google, SSEES is number 10 and UCL Law number 17. No UCL presence! Proposed Action Open Access Website – Great Opportunity! Multi-media content to link through to UCL homepage or graduate research. UCL should work with trade websites to direct traffic to the UCL site. Prospects.ac.uk UCL should register key pay per click search words with Google Advertise on Facebook and Research social networking resources to promote the website. Behavioural re-targeting to maximise conversions. Investigate off-shore advertising with The Times, Guardian (Adgent007) Cost Free £1.5K £5K £5K

18. Graduate Research Graduate Grad Research Why UCL Discover UCL RAE Research Opportunities Realize Your Potential My life at UCL Finance Resources Graduate Life Useful Contacts International Visit UCL Accommodation Scholarships Discussion Forum Exciting Research Opportunities at a World Leading University. UCL has more Professors than any other UK university. More Discover UCL More Inspiring Minds Prof Lim ..... Why UCL Why UCL Research Opportunities at UCL Explore different research areas and research routes, and find guidance on how to apply, More UCL News UCL receives £350 Million... Prof Wilson wins Nobel prize for... Search In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) UCL was rated the best research university in London, and third in the UK overall. More Brain Food Prof Xiao talks about.... Graduate evening at Bartlett... Realise Your Potential. We work with you to turn innovative thinking into world changing reality. More Life at UCL What support can you expect from a world leading university in one of the most exciting and diverse cities in the world. More Finance Find out how much your programme will cost and what financial help you could be eligible for. More

19. Graduate Research at UCL Video Features Graduate Students Star Academics Highlight scholarships London as hub of academia Destinations Info on amazing facilities Networks and partnerships Aim Aspirational video with viewer left feeling: UCL has amazing resources UCL is conducting important research London is a great place to build r. career There is money for scholarships/support Great for personal and career development I really want to be a UCL researcher! Academics Mark Lythgoe: UCL Institute of Child Health. m.lythgoe@ich.ucl.ac.uk. Tel 46164 Mark Maslin: Head of Department and Director of the Environment Institute.m.maslin@geog.ucl.ac.uk . Tel +44 (0)20 7679 0556 Kathy Burk: History. k.burk@ucl.ac.uk. Tel. 020 7679 3605 CJ Lim: Bartlett. Professor of Architecture and Cultural Design. c.j.lim@ucl.ac.uk. Tel 24842 Graduate Researchers Frederick Arce: Division of Infection and Immunity: f.arce@ucl.ac.uk (overseas) MichelaColetta: Dept of History/Anthropology - received a one-year Cross-Disciplinary Scholarship (EU): m.coletta@ucl.ac.uk HeidaJohannsdottir - Centre for Intercultural Studies: h.johannsdottir@ucl.ac.uk (overseas) Aiduan Li - Dept of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering: aiduan.li (overseas - completed successfully, but still around as a post-doc member of staff, I think. Daniel Hulme: Dept of Computer Science - d.hulme@cs.ucl.ac.uk (home EngD student - completed successfully, but I think still around.

20. Communication Materials Where and how can UCL market to prospective PGR students. Resources also need to promote the Doctoral Training Centres and promote key funding streams. Materials Cost A4-fold flier 9000 x 5p £450 Banner 6 @ £300 £1800 A3 Posters 200 @ 0.20 £40 Enabling Materials £2100 For academics Total £4390

21. Accessibility

22. UCL Institutional /Departmental Constraints and Opportunities Analysis to current constraints and opportunities to growing non EU PGR students by Dept. Graduate Research Market analysis – orientating programmes and marketing to appeal to trends (business) Incentivise academics to take OS PHDs – benefit directly from 30% of fees for research. Can only reach a certain grade if you supervise researchers, supervisor salary increment? Build the brand Brain Food – UCL Events News highlights mailing list, intellectual update, circulated internally too to encourage uptake Overseas speaking tours by “star” researchers Focus Countries – Thailand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, India, U.S., China, Taiwan, Brazil. Open Source University “Fair Trade” University Selected Pay Per Click Selected advertising on British broadsheet country specific websites (Thailand, Singapore, Saudi Arabia) Social Networking Features Review current press release policy

23. Orientating departmental websites for prospective PGR students Canvas current PGR students on how to make their dept websites better for prospective applicants. Survey or Focus groups. Conference to Identify best practise and mainstream across departments where appropriate. Each departmental website should have a dedicated “Thinking of doing a PHD / MPhil” (Name?!) section Feedback built into enquiries / application process. Average time on page is under 1 minute. Information must be “bite size” Total Cost £300 £1500 £1800

24. Enquiries Management Enquiry Process UCL needs to ensure that it is fully capitalising on enquiries from prospective PGR students. PGR enquiries are navigated through an enquiries portal to the Departmental Graduate Tutor. The Tutor writes to confirm receipt and then identifies a potential supervisor (s). In some cases this may be in another department / faculty. The supervisor must then respond to indicate if the PGR student is indeed an attractive “fit”. If the student is an attractive “fit” the supervisor should make contact with the student to flesh out a proposal. If the student isn’t an attractive “fit” the Department Graduate Tutor refers the student to a graduate tutor in a different cross-cutting department if appropriate. Enquiries Portal Key Points The portal should capture: The country of origin / domicile Previous academic institutions attended. An E-marketing pack and feedback form should be automatically sent to each PGR enquirer. The Department Graduate Tutor should have notify features to pass enquiries to other possible DGTs, by subject area or department area if inappropriate / no capacity in their dept.

25. Applications Management - LSE Case Study

26. Enquiries and Application Management – Recommendations

28. Previous Initiations Attended