Larger training consultants talking on the QS World College Rankings: Asia panel in Seoul urged universities to pair cutting-edge, AI-driven instruments with a continued give attention to human connection, stressing that the enduring worth of private interplay should stay central to their model identification and communication.
In a panel session moderated by Edward Harcourt, senior vp of QS Quacquarelli Symonds, audio system confused that whereas automation brings effectivity and personalization to the appliance and enrollment course of, genuine human engagement and oversight are important to sustaining institutional repute and forging significant connections with potential college students.
Panelists broadly agreed that scholar expectations have dramatically modified over the previous decade, particularly in software velocity and transparency.
“College students in 2025 are completely completely different than college students in 2015. They count on us to be very quick, very complete, and to supply all the required data not solely in regards to the college, however even about their specified majors,” mentioned Prof. Sherine Farouk of Abu Dhabi College. She emphasised how college students, outfitted with digital instruments, need on the spot responses and tailor-made data, reflecting a broader shift towards a customer-service mindset in greater training.
Professor Sherine Farouk of Abu Dhabi College speaks in the course of the panel session “The Way forward for Scholar Recruitment in an AI-Pushed World” on the QS World College Rankings: Asia in Korea College, Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Occasions picture by Choi Received-suk
Jason Hwa Khang Chan of Swinburne College Sarawak echoed these sentiments by recalling that twenty years in the past, college students waited weeks for a paper admission letter. “Now, they need responses by on the spot messaging. Turnaround time is essential. College students need to make sure they are going to get a optimistic reply for an software they put in, and so they need to know forward of time methods to improve their possibilities,” Chan mentioned.
Universities are adopting new applied sciences to fulfill these rising expectations. In keeping with Christopher Carey of Massey College, the establishment goals to reply to 90 % of candidates inside 48 enterprise hours, a efficiency pushed by each devoted workers and the rising use of AI instruments.
“We’ve already come to want some refined options for AI to judge our future functions, however I simply don’t assume we’re there but. There’s in all probability too many errors in AI proper now,” he famous, underscoring that whereas automation aids effectivity, human oversight stays essential.
Christopher Carey of Massey College speaks in the course of the panel session “The Way forward for Scholar Recruitment in an AI-Pushed World” on the QS World College Rankings: Asia in Korea College, Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Occasions picture by Choi Received-suk
Panelists described how AI-powered buyer relationship administration programs and predictive analytics are enabling extra customized and speedy communication with candidates.
Farouk detailed her college’s use of AI-driven platforms not only for admissions, but in addition for focused advertising. “Through the use of AI in admission, we will see quite a lot of progress within the conversion price from software to admission. The expertise helps us make the journey very environment friendly and of top quality,” she mentioned.
Regardless of these clear benefits of automation, the panel repeatedly emphasised the irreplaceable worth of human engagement in college branding and scholar communication.
“We have to at all times have the fingerprints or the tone of the college in every message delivered to college students … AI can speak on our behalf, however it ought to speak like us,” she mentioned, underscoring that branding and institutional identification can’t be left to algorithms alone, particularly in contexts demanding cultural sensitivity.
Jason Hwa Khang Chan of Swinburne College Sarawak speaks in the course of the panel session “The Way forward for Scholar Recruitment in an AI-Pushed World” on the QS World College Rankings: Asia in Korea College, Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Occasions picture by Choi Received-suk
Chan additionally highlighted the necessity for genuine, human interplay. “Personalization from a world recruitment group — those that communicate on to college students — makes a distinction to your model,” he mentioned.
Carey agreed, cautioning {that a} poorly designed AI chatbot might frustrate college students and erode institutional repute if it lacks sufficient data or fails to switch to a human when wanted.
The panel concluded that whereas AI streamlines processes and transforms how universities have interaction with potential college students, the essence of college communication — authenticity, identification and a private contact — should stay rooted in human oversight, guaranteeing every message aligns with institutional values and resonates with college students throughout various backgrounds.
