
welcome to icef
We are the global market leaders in business-to-business networking events and services for the international education sector.
Through our unrivalled global programme of online and in-person networking events, support for education agents and market intelligence services, we facilitate outstanding international student experiences.
about us
For over 25 years, we have been bringing together education institutions, carefully chosen student recruitment agents and providers of other services for the international education industry with the simple aim of improving international student mobility.
upcoming events
To find out more about our upcoming events for international education professionals from around the world, click on the links below.

ICEF Virtual Eurasia
March 23 - 25, 2021
ONLINE
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF Virtual Eurasia is an exciting new networking event dedicated to helping education institutions around the world identify new student recruitment partners and refresh existing relationships with agents across Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Register for the event
ICEF Virtual Americas
May 11 - 13, 2021
ONLINE
DESTINATION EVENT
ICEF Virtual Americas gives education providers from across the Americas the opportunity to meet high quality, carefully-screened international student recruitment agents from around the world.
More than 650 education professionals join us every year for an unmatched programme of business meetings, insightful seminars and industry presentations.
Register for the event
ICEF Virtual Africa
June 08 - 10, 2021
ONLINE
ORIGIN EVENT
Following its success in 2019 and 2020, ICEF Africa returns in 2021 as a virtual networking event dedicated to meeting the needs of international education providers looking to attract students from the continent.
The event is a standout opportunity for educational institutions around the world to access these emerging student markets and pro-actively market their institutions to would-be recruitment partners.
Register for the event
ICEF Virtual Asia
June 22 - 24, 2021
ONLINE
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF Virtual Asia is an exciting new online event designed specifically to meet the needs of international education professionals from across Asia.
Bringing together colleagues from right across the region, we are proud that this event provides the region’s best networking community for professionals with an interest in countries including South Korea, Japan, The Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.
Register for the event
ICEF Virtual ANZA
August 10 - 12, 2021
ONLINE
DESTINATION EVENT
ICEF Virtual ANZA is the 13th in our series of networking events for the Australian and New Zealand international education community. Developed specifically to meet the needs of this distinctive region, ICEF Virtual ANZA gives you the opportunity to meet the top international student recruitment agents from around the world who have a focus on Australia and New Zealand, as well as leading educators and service providers from this exciting and vibrant study destination.
Register for the event
ICEF Higher Education
September 11 - 13, 2021
Sweden
GLOBAL EVENT
ICEF Higher Education is the only annual agent networking event catering specifically to the higher education sector, enabling you to engage with highly qualified and carefully-selected student recruitment agencies from all over the world.
All agents at this event are focused on higher education and represent all main international student recruitment regions: Turkey, Russia, India, Ukraine, Nigeria, Pakistan, Colombia, Morocco, Sweden, Iran, and more.
Register for the event
ICEF Latin America
September 30 - October 02, 2021
São Paulo, Brazil
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF Latin America brings together high quality, carefully-screened student recruitment agents from Latin America and education providers from all over the world.
Agents who attend this event often specialise in student recruitment from the following regions: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Register for the event
ICEF China
October 13 - 15, 2021
Beijing, China
ORIGIN EVENT
ICEF China in Beijing is the largest agent networking event of its kind in the region. Offering international education professionals unrivalled access into China and its unique educational environment, the vent brings representation from across 24 Chinese regions.
As well as enabling participants to meet with top quality ICEF-screened agents from China, ICEF Asia also features standout student recruitment agents from 11 other Asian countries.
Register for the event
ICEF Berlin
October 31 - November 02, 2021
Berlin, Germany
GLOBAL EVENT
ICEF Berlin gives you the international education industry’s largest networking event, and the world’s most comprehensive way to keep up with the latest developments in the international education sector.
Attendees can hold up to 40 one-to-one business meetings with other conference attendees over the course of the event and attend a range of insightful seminars, covering issues affecting the world of international education.
Register for the event
ICEF Miami
December 06 - 08, 2021
Miami, USA
DESTINATION EVENT
ICEF Miami is an ideal opportunity for education institutions from the Americas to benefit from a large number of top quality student recruitment agents committed to building lasting partnerships and sending students to the region.
This packed event allows participants to schedule up to 38 one-to-one business meetings, and enjoy various market intelligence seminars and industry presentations.
Register for the eventmarket intelligence
ICEF Monitor is the leading source of market intelligence for the international student recruitment industry. Read about the latest issues affecting the sector and learn about emerging trends with ICEF Monitor.
Key factors influencing the language travel market for 2021
In a readout from the January 2021 edition of StudyWorld, English UK Business Development Director Tim Barker highlighted some of the key takeaways from the virtual event. While Mr Barker’s remarks were focused on the outlook for the ELT sector in the UK, they can be broadly applied to most other major destinations for languageContinue reading…

US graduate programmes report 39% fewer international commencements in fall 2020
Graduate programmes across the US suffered steep first-time enrolment declines among international students in fall 2020, especially at the master’s level, according to data from the Council of Graduate Schools’ (CGS) International Graduate Applications and Enrollment: Fall 2020 report. The CGS report is based on information submitted by 326 US colleges and universities. Sixty-nine percentContinue reading…

Russia reopens to international students
Russia is opening its borders to foreign students under certain conditions, according to the country’s ministry overseeing consumer protection, Rospotrebnadzor. To be allowed into the country to study, students must present a medical document written in Russian or English that confirms that they have received a negative COVID-19 test no more than three days priorContinue reading…

The link between vaccine rollouts and the attractiveness of study destinations
Over the past few years, various study abroad destinations have seen their international student numbers wax or wane in tandem with their governments’ approaches to post-study work rights and immigration policies. For example, Canada owes a good deal of its recent popularity to its welcoming immigration policies, while UK institutions saw their growth curtailed byContinue reading…

Canada: International students can complete studies online and still be eligible for post-study work permit
International students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions will now be able to apply for Canada’s popular Post-Graduation Work Program (PGWP) regardless of how much of their programme is completed online and remotely. Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco Mendicino, announced last week that international students can complete up to 100% of their degreesContinue reading…

New insights on parents’ priorities for international school selection
In December 2020, ISC Research conducted a survey of senior admissions staff in international schools distributed across Europe, the Middle East, East and South East Asia. Those staff responses uniformly reported that parent inquiries indicated a number of “new priorities…which have arisen as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Parent interest in online learning,Continue reading…

How the pandemic is shaping the expectations and decisions of international students
The pandemic is fundamentally shaping the lives of young people belonging to Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2015). Across the world, these young adults are confronted with challenges that include interrupted education programmes, uncertain job prospects, and deteriorating mental health and finances. On top of it all, they face a worsening climate change crisisContinue reading…

Germany projects year-over-year enrolment growth for winter 2021
A December 2020 flash survey conducted by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) estimates that foreign enrolment has actually increased slightly in German universities this semester. The survey gathered enrolment data from 161 of the 270 member universities of the German Rectors’ Conference, and extrapolates those results across all institutions for the current winter semesterContinue reading…

New report describes shifting Nigerian demand for study abroad
With its large youth demographics and expanding middle class, Nigeria has become one of the most sought-after markets for student recruiters in major destination countries including Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, the US, and the UK. Along with Ghana, Nigeria’s outbound student mobility greatly exceeds that of other African markets. But it is not always theContinue reading…

UK’s updated International Education Strategy commits to growth targets and post-pandemic recovery
Despite all of the disruptions arising from the pandemic, the number of foreign students in UK universities grew by 12% last year and surpassed a total enrolment of 500,000 for the first time ever. As a sign of its commitment to maintaining this growth trajectory, the UK government has released an update to its InternationalContinue reading…

stand out with icef
icef virtual reality
Virtual Reality with ICEF empowers education and accommodation providers to tell uniquely engaging stories, access new audiences, and grow international student recruitment. Learn how to leverage this immersive technology to connect with students around the world and tell powerful stories about your institution.
Training for education agents
International student recruitment agencies play a vital role in international education, connecting education institutions with students around the world. We offer high-quality professional development to keep education agencies informed about immigration requirements, course entry standards, and student support expectations around the world.