ICEF Student Recruitment for Online Programmes • Webinar Schedule

View the webinar schedule for ICEF Student Recruitment for Online Programmes 2026, where guest speakers and panellists will be discussing the synergies that exist between online learning formats and international education. The webinars will take place on Tuesday, January 20 between 16:00 and 18:00 CET.

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Tue • Jan 2016:00 - 17:15Online
ISROP opening session: Discussing the synergies between online learning and international education
Group meeting
Moderator
Martijn van de Veen
Martijn van de Veen
Martijn van de Veen is the Chief Business Development Officer at ICEF, a leading global organisation that facilitates connections within the international education industry. In his role, Martijn oversees strategic growth initiatives, with a current focus on emerging study destinations, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. He also explores the synergies between online learning and international education and is responsible for strategic growth within relevant industry verticals, especially digital/AI, accommodation, and finance. On top of being the host of the leading ICEF Podcast series for international education professionals, Martijn frequently moderates ICEF webinars as well as panel discussions at ICEF events around the world, covering topics from policy changes and digital innovations to student flows and emerging destinations. In addition, in 2023 Martijn was recognised as one of the 50 leading voices in European international education by The Pie News. Martijn's extensive career in international education includes his time as the Global Director of the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) and as the Founder and MD of ‘Student Card Service Japan’. With a degree in Japanese, French, and International Business Communications, and having lived and worked in multiple international locations including Tokyo, Paris, Ho Chi Minh City, Vancouver, Bangkok and Amsterdam, Martijn brings a wealth of international education sector insights and a broad global perspective.
CBDO, ICEF
Panelist
Courtney Gillan
Courtney Gillan
Courtney Gillan is the Chief Partnerships Officer at Flylane, supporting schools and agents as they adopt Campus AI, AI tutoring, AI Camps and virtual learning pathways. With more than 20 years in international education across school operations, edtech and university preparation, she has worked with organisations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Her work focuses on building scalable partnerships and practical adoption models that help institutions navigate AI with clarity and confidence. Courtney’s role centres on connecting innovation with real-world implementation, ensuring schools and partners are equipped to prepare students for a rapidly changing future.
Chief Partnership Officer, Flylane
Panelist
Prof. Keiko Ikeda
Prof. Keiko Ikeda
Keiko Ikeda (Ph.D., University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) is Vice-Director of the Institute for Innovative Global Education (IIGE) at Kansai University and Professor in its Division of International Affairs. She leads national initiatives such as the JIGE (Japan hub for Innovative Global Education) 2023-2028 and the OSIP (Osaka Social Impact Project) 2024-2030, embedding COIL/VE and active-learning pedagogy to enhance international student employability. Her research focuses on language interaction, foreign-language education, internationalisation-at-home, and industry-legible skill-mapping.
Vice-Director, IIGE (Institute for Innovative Global Education), Kansai University
Panelist
Claire Whittingham
Claire Whittingham
Claire leads the EMEA business at Risepoint, helping universities develop and grow high quality, workforce relevant learning experiences. Before joining Risepoint, Claire was a Managing Director at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. She joined QS from AVADO Learning, where as Chief Growth Officer she led strategic partnerships with Google and Tableau. Prior to this she worked for a leading Venture Builder Investment firm, Blenheim Chalcot, and in M&A Consulting at Deloitte, following a PhD in Mineral Physics at University of Cambridge. Claire’s is passionate about delivering a positive impact for society through her work.
VP, Education Services EMEA, Risepoint

**Webinar exclusively for ISROP attendees (ISROP: ICEF Student Recruitment for Online Programmes)**


In the rapidly evolving international education sector, the appeal of online learning opportunities, digital campuses, or even virtual internships is increasing fast. Once considered competition to studying overseas, today it is very clear that ‘online’ and study abroad are not mutually exclusive - quite the opposite.


As the official introductory session to this year’s ICEF Student Recruitment for Online Programmes (ISROP), we invite all delegates to join us for the official ISROP opening session where we will discuss the specific advantages, opportunities, or even challenges that exist as we explore the synergies between online learning and international education. We will begin with a panel discussion featuring three key industry stakeholders. Following the panel, speakers and ISROP delegates are invited to engage in a debate and provide commentary on several strategic statements.


The opening meeting will conclude with two ‘Campfire’ sessions: engaging interactive discussion featuring our event sponsors:

16:45 – 17:00 CET: Campfire 1: Placing online students into high-demand tech roles (with DSTI School of Engineering)

17:00 – 17:15 CET: Campfire 2: Agent strategies for online secondary enrollment (with Ontario International High School)

Tue • Jan 2017:30 - 18:30Online
Education agents as the hidden gems in student recruitment for online education
Webinar
Moderator
Josephine (Jo) Phinith
Josephine (Jo) Phinith
Josephine Phinith is a seasoned professional in international education, recognized for her dedication to driving positive change. With a solid foundation in the accommodation market, Josephine began her career at Student.com, where she quickly advanced to the role of Regional Manager for SEA. Her strategic insights and commitment to excellence contributed to notable growth in bookings and revenue during her tenure. Transitioning to Amber Student, Josephine played a key role in guiding the company's international expansion efforts. Drawing on her industry expertise, she contributed to shaping global strategies and cultivating valuable partnerships. With six years of experience in the accommodation market, Josephine brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success to her role as ANZ Business Development Manager at ICEF, where she aims to continue driving impactful initiatives within the international education landscape.
Global Business Development Manager, ICEF
Panelist
Mathew Jacobson
Mathew Jacobson
Mathew Jacobson is the president and Founder of Kennedy University of Leadership and Dūcere Global Business School, an award-winning education enterprise partnering with governments, universities, and industry leaders to deliver career-focused, applied learning across four continents. Recognized for his innovation in higher education, Mat has collaborated with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Nobel Laureates, and Fortune 500 CEOs to make world-class education globally accessible.
Founder & CEO, Kennedy University
Panelist
Ian Cann
Ian Cann
Ian Cann is CRO at ICEF and has spent more than 15 years in international student recruitment, helping institutions build successful internationalization programs. He is a regular speaker at global conferences, sharing insights on recruitment strategies, international marketing, and regional market intelligence, with a focus on agent partnerships and ethical recruitment practices. He began his career in publishing at Time Inc. in London before transitioning into international education. He spent three years managing student fairs in Brazil before joining ICEF in 2009. A year later, he relocated to Barcelona, where he continues to play a key role in developing internationalization programs. Ian’s global experiences have shaped him into a multilingual, internationally minded professional committed to advancing best practices in student recruitment and institutional growth.
CRO, ICEF

**Register here - Available for everyone**


The global expansion of online education presents an interesting paradox: how do online learning providers achieve high-touch, localised recruitment in diverse international markets? Traditional study abroad agencies, with their established local presence and deep understanding of student demographics, are uniquely positioned to be the answer. These agencies possess the trust, local social media insights, or even in-market networks that online education providers often lack, making them attractive partners to grow global enrollment.


In this session, we’ll start with an update on the latest statistics and insights on demand for online programs from ICEF’s annual agent survey, “Agent Voice.” Following this, our panel will explore the crucial partnership with education agents as the ‘hidden gem’ in recruitment for online programmes and degrees, analysing the distinct advantages that education agents bring to the online recruitment table. We will also discuss strategic models for successful agent partnerships, examining how online providers can best work with education agents to generate high-quality, diverse enrollments across more countries.


The webinar will conclude with a ‘Campfire’ session: an engaging interactive discussion of 15minutes featuring one of our event sponsors. The campfire will focus on ‘’Online learning as a stepping stone to study abroad’’

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Tuesday, January 20Wednesday, January 21 Thursday, January 22
  • 16:00 - 17:15 ISROP opening session: Discussing the synergies between online learning and international education
  • 17:15 - 17:30 Break
  • 17:30 - 18:30 Webinar: Education agents as the hidden gems in student recruitment for online education
  • 09:00 - 12:00 1:1 online meetings
  • 12:00 - 12:30 Optional break
  • 12:30 - 15:30 1:1 online meetings
  • 15:30 - 16:00 Optional break
  • 16:00 - 19:00 1:1 online meetings
  • 19:00 - 19:30 Optional break
  • 19:30 - 23:55 1:1 online meetings
  • 00:00 - 02:00 1:1 online meetings
  • 02:00 - 02:30 Optional break
  • 02:30 - 05:30 1:1 online meetings
  • 05:30 - 06:00 Optional break
  • 06:00 - 09:00 1:1 online meetings
  • 09:00 - 09:30 Optional break
  • 09:30 - 12:30 1:1 online meetings
  • 12:30 - 13:00 Optional break
  • 13:00 - 16:30 1:1 online meetings
  • 16:30 - 17:00 Optional break
  • 17:00 - 20:55 1:1 online meetings
  • 21:00 Closing remarks