When most of the countries around the world were placed in lockdown in 2020, teachers were given just a few days to grapple with an unprecedented situation. There was a risk of falling into a dire learning crisis as educators,educational institutions and policymakers, as well as students of all ages, had to find ways to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic has extremely affected the international education sector. The disruption has come at a great cost for higher education institutions located in power players like Canada and Australia—the latter, ranked first among countries with the largest number of international students as “a share of the total higher education population in 2020.”
Recent years have shown the international higher education sector growing tremendously. In effect, countries are competing to attract the students with promise. However, what higher education institutions (HEIs) offer and what international students are looking for may need reassessment or re-alignment, especially in the context of international student experience and employability.