ITA and BONARD partner to empower study state consortia in the U.S.

International Trade Administration establishes strategic partnership with BONARD to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. international education

Highlighting a shared commitment to the success of the international education sector, the International Trade Administration and BONARD have announced a new partnership.

The ITA and BONARD have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to collaborate on enhancing the international competitiveness of the U.S. international education sector by promoting the United States as a premier study destination for foreign students with the aim of increasing the number of foreign students studying in the United States.

Under the agreement, the ITA and BONARD will collaboration on a number of joint activities such as webinars and the creation of a toolkit to support the creation of economic impact reports on U.S. educational service exports by state.

Igor Skibickij, BONARD’s Chief Operations Officer, commented:

“We are committed to providing organizations and institutions in the international education sector with the tools they need to thrive, and we are honored to be partnering with the U.S. Government to achieve this aim.”

“This partnership represents a significant opportunity for U.S. study state consortia and other state entities to gain support from state legislators, solidifying their strategic position as crucial players in the sector.”

Igor Skibickij

COO, BONARD

The partnership will officially be launched during a session at the NAFSA Conference on May 30, 2024. The session, chaired by ITA and featuring representatives from BONARD, Study Hawaii and Study Pennsylvania, will offer participants an overview of the activities and services to be provided for study state consortia and other state entities in the United States.

The partnership has two main pillars:

First, ITA and BONARD will develop a comprehensive toolkit to facilitate the production of reports capturing the economic impact of the international education sector. The toolkit will feature templates and blueprints to support every stage of the process, from data collection to reporting, and will be made accessible to U.S. study state consortia members and other state entities.

Second, a series of webinars will be held presenting best practices for drafting economic impact reports and designed to assist study state consortia and other state entities in utilizing the toolkit effectively.

Experts from ITA and BONARD’s International Education team will lead the series’ webinar and provide attendees with information, analysis, and interactive Q&A sessions.

Both initiatives will empower study state consortia and other state entities with knowledge and expertise to inform their research and benchmarking projects and plan strategic marketing and advocacy.

“We note that destinations that have strong state or provincial bodies responsible for joint marketing and recruitment activities are more successful in building their global presence,” said Patrik Pavlacic, Chief Intelligence Officer at BONARD, added.

“Our ultimate goal is to help study state consortia and other state entities promote their state as a study destination, liaise with state legislators, and spread awareness of the international education sector among the wider public.“

Patrik Pavlacic

CIO, BONARD

NOTES FOR EDITORS

About the International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration (ITA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. Operating in more than 100 U.S. locations and 80 markets worldwide, the ITA promotes trade and investment, assists U.S. businesses and workers to export and expand globally, and ensures fair trade and compliance by enforcing U.S. trade laws and agreements. For more information on the ITA, visit www.trade.gov.

About BONARD

Established in 2007, BONARD is an independent market research and strategic development firm specializing in international education. BONARD accompanies education providers, associations, governments, and investors on their journey to make international education a transparent, thriving, and transformative industry. BONARD is a member of ESOMAR World Research and provides global student mobility data, benchmarks and analytical tools as well as independent advisory backed by in-field research. Learn more about BONARD at www.bonardeducation.com.

For more information about the agreement, please contact:

U.S. Commercial Service Contact:

Robee Sallegue, Commercial Specialist

robee.sallegue@trade.gov

U.S. Commercial Service Austria

U.S. Embassy Vienna

Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090 Vienna

BONARD Contact:

Patrik Pavlacic

Chief Intelligence Officer

patrik.pavlacic@bonard.com

Museumstraße 3b/16, 1070 Vienna, Austria