Speak to a Uni, the first-ever dedicated website for higher education events, has launched with over 1,000 university events now available to students at their fingertips and in one place.
Prospective students can search from over 1,800 subjects by level and country, and shortlist the events that match their specific search criteria. They can choose from open days, open evenings, virtual fairs, campus tours, university fairs and coffee mornings, all for both undergraduate and postgraduate study.
Currently, 150 UK institutions are listed, but with the site open to universities across the world, the number of partner institutions is growing daily. Furthermore, any university can list their events for free.
Jemma Davies, founder of Speak to a Uni, believes that’s what sets the website apart from others. She said:
“I wanted students to see the full scale of options available to them and marketing budgets shouldn’t hide part of that picture. However, trust and transparency is a key part of the site and for those who do want to pay to stand out, students will know the difference with a ‘sponsored’ icon on the paid-for listings.”
Speak to a Uni is a one stop shop for university events that will enable students to engage with institutions that are directly relevant to their ambitions, and in the easiest possible way – just search, book, meet! – Jemma Davies
“Global higher education is a crowded space and it is often difficult for students to know where to start when seeking out their perfect university. Speak to a Uni is a one stop shop for university events that will enable students to engage with institutions that are directly relevant to their ambitions, and in the easiest possible way – just search, book, meet!”
Complete with a vibrant, contemporary design and easy-to-navigate options, the new website also features advice articles for students to make the most of their time engaging with a university, and editorial content is written by current students and those with expertise in higher education.
Charlotte M’Doe, Head of Marketing at the University of Groningen, believes it will support the challenges regarding return on investment when carrying out international student recruitment activity. She said:
“There is always a need to effectively assign spend, targeting international student recruitment due to it being one of the most expensive channels to recruit. Being able to list international events allows for more efficient tracking and engagement, which in turn make it easier report on return on investment.
“The free listings with Speak to a Uni will make our budgets stretch that little bit further and where necessary, we can pay to boost events in countries which are strategically important to us as an institution. It’s a win-win situation.”
Speak to a Uni also has dedicated area for school staff advising pupils earlier in the application cycle.
If a European business school was attending an event local to me, how would I know that? Speak to a Uni will bring those opportunities forward for me to explore further. The simple layout and search facility allows me to find my perfect match. – Gareth Roberts, prospective finance student
Gareth Roberts, a prospective finance student looking to go to university, believes the website would open up opportunities students wouldn’t have thought of. He said:
‘If a European business school was attending an event local to me, how would I know that? Speak to a Uni will bring those opportunities forward for me to explore further. The simple layout and search facility allows me to find my perfect match.”
Meanwhile, Alexandra Crisan, a Romanian student who has studied in Canada, the Netherlands, Romania, the UK, and the USA, considers the website a must-visit for those who are contemplating study abroad. He said:
“As an international student, there is only so much research online you can do. Being able to see all universities visiting my home country would have helped me understand the bigger picture of what was available to me. A website like this would have allowed me to make my shortlist of who I wanted to meet, ensuring I didn’t miss anyone.”
Speak to a Uni founder Jemma, who hails from Warwick in the UK, has a strong track record in higher education marketing roles in both the UK and the Netherlands, and it was during these positions that she came up with the innovative concept.
Speak to a Uni reflects the burgeoning transnational space that students are now entering, but, at the same time, it doesn’t restrict an individual’s choice. – Jemma Davies
She added:
“Student recruitment is an expensive business and to make it worthwhile, you need to generate interest. There was no dedicated space for me to do that. One of the great things about Speak to a Uni, above the student experience, is that it gives the underdog universities a chance to get on the radar of students.
“Higher education is a truly global industry that is rapidly growing, with an increase of 21 million in enrolments worldwide predicted between 2011 and 2020. Speak to a Uni reflects the burgeoning transnational space that students are now entering, but, at the same time, it doesn’t restrict an individual’s choice.
“Working with my dedicated team in conjunction with prospective and current students, we plan to grow Speak to a Uni to become the global destination of choice for all those planning to study in the higher education sector.”