In a time of unprecedented flux, the BMI Global Scholarship Symposium will provide both scholarships organisations and institutions with a platform to come together to discuss the issues of the day. During this unique, interactive event, we will feature different panel sessions covering topics of mutual interest that are vital to this specific sector of international education.

Topics and opportunities include:

• Facilitated panel sessions that will bring together both sides of the funded student equation to discuss a range of issues.
• Breakout discussions for more focussed, topical conversations.
• Updates on specific scholarship programmes by the organisations themselves.

All participating institutions will have the opportunity to submit a pre-recorded 15-minute introduction to their institutions with a welcome message describing how they are uniquely geared to receive funded students and how they can add value to their sending partners.

The Global Scholarship Landscape – How is it changing? How well is it working?

Governments, corporations, foundations and universities have used scholarships for decades to support access to education, develop talent and grow their economies. In recent years, however, there has been not only a growth in the number of international scholarship programmes but also in the models that sponsors are using, the tools and processes they are using to implement them, and the goals they are seeking to achieve.

Scholarships are now central to efforts to modernise economies; advance cutting edge research in AI and related fields; build strong trade relations; establish new universities and higher education hubs in non-traditional locations; and reinvent companies for today’s economy.

This keynote will use data and analysis to address a number of key questions and lay the foundation for key themes to be discussed subsequently throughout the event:

• Where are students coming from? Where are they going?
  Utilising data from IIE’s Open Doors and Project Atlas projects, we will look at the recent increases and decreases in sponsored student flows within major hosting/sending countries. We will also look at the amount of money being invested globally in scholarship programmes.

• What fields/sectors are scholarships prioritising?
  By reviewing the priority fields from large scholarship programmes, we can see a shift in emphasis in the goals scholarship sponsors are seeking to address – from the traditional focus on advancing cultural understanding to very specific efforts to develop talent and advance research in new areas of economic priority.

• What impact are scholarships having?
  IIE and other organisations regularly conduct impact evaluations to measure the short- and long-term impact of international scholarship and capacity-building programmes. Since scholarships are major investments, we will discuss what these evaluations tell us about the ROI of scholarships.

• How is the practice of scholarship management changing?
  Today’s scholarship recipients study in more countries than ever before, are preparing for an increasingly complex labour market and expect immediate responses and access to information. We will look at some best practices for how providers and universities are best supporting scholarship recipients to succeed personally, academically and professionally.

• How are scholarships adapting in the wake of Covid-19?
  We’ll explore how some major international scholarships have continued despite the challenges of 2020 and we’ll discuss the use of new solutions such as hybrid or virtual models.

The link between work experience abroad and scholarship programmes

Two experts on the Canadian market will talk us through the benefits of work-integrated learning for sending nations and how providers can tackle skills shortages in labour markets via new partners or initiatives. Their presentation will be followed by an open Q&A discussion with international scholarship providers.

• What new types of partnerships are emerging to support more customised programmes or joint initiatives with a dedicated focus around work experience? And how can funding organisations and institutions ensure the success of these new initiatives?
• What are some of the positive effects Covid has had on work-integrated learning, and how are institutions tackling the negative consequences of Covid?
• We often talk about preparing students for an international study environment; how can we best prepare them for work experience abroad and a global work environment?
• How are international students leveraging their overseas work experience when they return to their home countries? How can institutions and scholarship providers capture these success stories and celebrate their alumni?

Best practices in scholarship management around the world

Our esteemed panel of international speakers will explore the following:

• What are some examples of scholarship-related, Covid-induced changes your institution/organisation made this year which you think might stay in place going forward, or had a positive impact?
• With travel restricted, how are institutions using on-the-ground resources in sending countries (embassies, alumni, branch campuses, etc.)?
• How can scholarship organisations best work with universities to enhance the student experience in the Covid era?

Forward-thinking strategies, flexibility and innovation

Our esteemed panel of international speakers will explore the following:

• How has disruption in travel enabled your institution/organisation to adapt your programme requirements or funding models?
• The new student journey – How can we prepare students before, during, and after their international education experience to help them adapt and thrive?
• How can we create an engaged community of scholarship alumni ambassadors?

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