In higher and business education, the institutions that thrive are those that have a truly international outlook; welcoming students from around the world, offering teaching and conducting research with a diverse faculty, and initiatives and programmes with a global perspective.

However, building a coherent media presence across multiple countries remains a huge communication challenge for many institutions. Different media landscapes, cultural nuances, and news cycles demand tailored strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Why build a presence across multiple countries

International students are incredibly important for diversifying the perspectives of people in education, exposing them to different ways of thinking and approaching challenges.

Not to bring up money, but they are also necessary sources of income for higher education institutions. For example, in the UK, universities are heavily subsidised by international students; in England, students pay around £9,000 a year for higher education, while international students pay anything between £11,000 and £200,000, depending on the course. In 2024, international student fees made up 23% of English universities’ total income, forecast to rise to 28% by 2026/27.

And it’s not just school finances; international students have a huge impact on a country’s economy too. For example, despite the Trump administration imposing restrictions on student visas, economists warned that the loss of international students would affect local and state economies. The 1.1 million international students that studied in the US in 2024 contributed nearly $44 billion to the US economy during the 2023-2024 school year, according to NAFSA.

Many rankings also feature international aspects of a school within their methodology. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings consider the International Outlook of a school; the ability for a university to attract undergraduates, postgraduates, and faculty; whilst the QS World University Rankings assess global engagement, such as international student ratio, international faculty ratio, and international student diversity.

To attract students and faculty from abroad, and develop an international profile, building a media presence across multiple countries is vital. Business schools and universities compete for students, faculty, and partners on a worldwide stage, so communications strategies cannot simply stop at national borders.

With the right strategy, schools can ensure their research, leadership, and impact are recognised globally.

Understand your audience

Prospective students, corporate partners, faculty, alumni; their profiles and priorities will differ from country to country. When choosing your target regions, do some research into what is important to individuals from those areas.

The GMAC Global GME Candidate Segmentation study identified variations in prospective students’ core qualities and considerations. This survey of 10,000 respondents in 21 countries revealed the reasons why individuals pursue graduate management education, what information channels they consider, attitudes toward education, and the perceived value of business education in supporting their career goals. Ultimately, the analysis revealed eight well-defined, mutually exclusive segments of candidates with some degree of interest in GME.

One segment, Wealth Builders, are motivated by earning money and most prominent in the US; whilst another, Aspiring Entrepreneurs, are motivated by a desire to start their own business and most prominent in South Africa. Insights like these can be used as a steering guide as to which countries will be most receptive to which content. For example, candidates from South Africa might be particularly receptive to a new programme focused on entrepreneurship.

Another GMAC report, the Prospective Students Survey 2025, also explores what prospective students from around the world prioritise. For example, students from Brazil and Pakistan are most interested in learning about AI in business school and, whilst the US and Western Europe remain top study destinations, and candidates in India and Greater China are increasingly considering programmes at home.

Insights such as these can help inform you when making decisions on which regions to target, and with which type of content.

Target the right publication with the right stories

The specific students and alumni stories or other content you use in media outreach need to be tailored to the countries you are targeting. Dutch journalists are not going to be interested in the experience of your Spanish students, and media in South East Asia are probably not going to feature a story about a alumni entrepreneur with a successful business in Dubai.

Also identify your institution’s core messages and what goal you want to achieve. If you want to increase applications to your MBA, highlight certain interesting aspects of your specific programme, and details that are relevant to your target region. Perhaps you offer scholarships relevant to students from certain countries, or have particularly successful alumni from a region you want to reach.

When further exploring the readership for certain publications, you can also learn more about the actual regions they reach. For example, don’t just assume Forbes is only read in the UK or US; as a world-renowned publication, features can be easily read throughout multiple countries. Targeting publications such as the Financial Times or The Economist with more broader interest stories will also reach a more varied global readership, whereas pursuing smaller, national publications with targeted topics relevant to the specific country will reach a more local audience.


You could also consider partnering with a PR agency that understands the international higher and business education landscape. For more information on how to build a media presence across multiple countries, reach out to BlueSky Education today.

Author: Kyle Grizzell

Kyle is experienced in working with leading institutions in far-flung corners of the globe, from London to Kazakhstan. His client list features the likes of the London School of Economics’ Department of Management, ESMT Berlin, BI Norwegian Business School, Nazarbayev University, and many more around the globe.