Pragmatic Marketing Strategies for a Small International Office

To increase visibility of an institution and to recruit a growing number of international students, marketing and promotion of a university are vital. University Sultan Zainal Abidin is one of the youngest and smallest of the 20 public universities in Malaysia. It is also one of three Islamic public universities in the country. With limited resources in terms of a dedicated marketing team for internationalisation, the International Centre at UniSZA looks at marketing and promotion from a pragmatic perspective and has focused on 4 key areas that serve to increase international student enrollment at the institution. By supporting a well-functioning ecosystem on campus, collaborating with scholarship bodies, engaging with individual agents, and taking advantage of new opportunities, UniSZA has been able to recruit and maintain a healthy international student population. This in turn serves to support Malaysia’s higher education internationalisation aspirations.