The role of the higher education sector in nation branding

SOUTH AFRICA

Amid dwindling public funding, the higher education sector has to continuously redefine its role in society and prove its public good. As part of these debates, the value of institutions’ internationalisation and global engagement efforts have also been questioned.

Internationalisation, which generally encompasses universities and higher education institutions’ international student recruitment, mobility and study-abroad programmes, as well as international research collaborations, is, therefore, increasingly threatened by budget cuts, restrictions on international student recruitment and immigration challenges.

However, what is often forgotten is the value and centrality of higher education to the nation brand.

The nation brand

A nation brand is the sum of the perceptions held about a country by other nations and nationals. Conversely, nation branding aims to measure, build and manage a country’s reputation, uniqueness and selling points to remain globally competitive, attract tourism and foreign investments, facilitate trade, attract and retain talent, facilitate cultural and scientific exchanges and partnerships, and extend geopolitical influence.

The nation brand value is an asset, and understanding this helps a country to better structure investments into projects – and whole sectors, such as higher education.

Understanding brand value also enables a return on investment. For the higher education sector, this is important as it often provides numerous intangible values that go beyond the education it offers and the research it produces.

Through strong higher education institutions, nations can leverage the quality and reputation of their universities to enhance their overall nation brand and attract international students, researchers and talent, also contributing to its soft power and economic development.

HE and the nation brand

There are many nations around the world that are known for their excellent higher education systems and, by extension, well-educated populations and workforces. In these contexts, higher education is an essential part of the nation brand.

Think about Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom and Yale, Stanford, MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Harvard in the United States.

They contribute to their respective nations’ standings as drivers of a knowledge economy, economic growth and innovation.

There are also other examples of countries using higher education for nation branding. Singapore, for example, focuses on building a reputation for high-quality education and research, thereby attracting talent to its tech-focused economy.

African HE and branding

For South Africa and Africa, which might not have received vast numbers of international students, and where higher education might not traditionally have been seen as contributing to the nation brand, there is now a great opportunity to strengthen the role that higher education plays.

There are several areas in which higher education contributes to the nation brand. It might seem like a given that, to promote academic excellence, universities attract top students and scholars from around the world, but this does not happen without clear strategies for internationalisation and global engagement.

Internationalisation and global engagement are crucial in the role that higher education plays in nation branding. This is acknowledged and recognised in university rankings, which, among other factors, measure the proportion of international students and staff as well as international collaboration.

Rankings aside, high-quality universities attract talented researchers from around the world, leading to advancements in various fields and boosting a country’s reputation for scientific excellence and development.

Equally, attracting international students contributes substantially to the talent pool. International students often also contribute significantly to a country’s economy through tuition fees, spending on living expenses, and potential future investments as skilled professionals. International students bring diverse perspectives to a country, fostering intercultural understanding and promoting a more globalised society.

Importantly, by attracting international students and providing a positive experience, universities build their international alumni and ‘brand’ ambassador networks. Alumni are crucial for the promotion of their alma mater and they should be actively and continuously kept abreast of developments and projects. Creating awareness, as well as a sense of pride in the university brand, is crucial and will contribute to the nation brand as well.

Differentiation

As with all marketing and branding, differentiation is crucial. However, for the nation brand, developing the sector as a whole and gaining credibility through an education system that delivers high-quality education across the sector, is crucial. That said, there is still a need for differentiation within the sector.

South African universities, for example, would do well in differentiating themselves so that funding can be better distributed, and needs tailored to different sectors of the economy.

This does not mean that a nation brand is solely focused on industry needs or financial competitiveness. A nation brand is equally influenced by how well cultural values, ethics and sustainability are articulated. These are all areas in which universities perform well, and they have an active role to play in nation branding.

Thus, as much as national governments need to understand the value of their own nation brands, higher education institutions need to understand their value in advancing the nation brand and use this to garner support and funding from government.

In particular, the need for, and the direct impact of internationalisation and global engagement on the branding of universities and, by extension, the nation brand, needs to be emphasised in relation to the role higher education plays in society.

Once again, apart from educating the nation as well as many foreign students, and providing cutting-edge research with national as well as international and global impact, higher education contributes numerous intangible values that contribute to the nation brand.

In the South African and African context, emphasising what higher education does and highlighting its unique selling points, as well as those of the sector, gives us an opportunity to contribute to the competitiveness of our own nation brands and, by extension, the development of our nations.

Professor Ylva Rodny-Gumede is professor of communication studies and senior director, Division for Global Engagement, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. This commentary is in response to parliamentary debates in November during which internationalisation at universities in South Africa were in the spotlight. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.