From Porto to the Future

Navigating Europe's Higher Education Renaissance

As Chair of the Global Advisory Committee (Europe), I had the privilege of witnessing something extraordinary unfold in Porto this June. Nearly 800 changemakers from over 50 countries gathered not merely to discuss the future of higher education, but to actively shape it. What emerged was far more than a conference—it was a collective reimagining of what European universities can and must become in an era of unprecedented change.

The summit's timing could not have been more critical. With 8.5 million students projected to study abroad by 2030, and the landscape becoming increasingly volatile and competitive, European institutions face a defining moment. The conversations in Porto didn't shy away from this reality. Instead, they embraced it with remarkable clarity and purpose.

Discovering Our Institutional DNA

Senior Vice President of QS, Ben Sowter's metaphor of universities as superheroes struck a profound chord. His challenge—that each institution must discover its unique superpower—goes beyond clever branding. It speaks to something deeper: the need for authentic institutional identity in an increasingly homogenised global marketplace.

This isn't about manufactured differentiation. It's about excavating what truly makes each institution distinctive and valuable. For some, it might be pioneering research in sustainability. For others, exceptional industry partnerships or innovative pedagogical approaches. The key insight from Porto is that these superpowers already exist within our institutions—they simply need to be recognised, refined and courageously projected.

But as Selma Dröfn Toohey, QS’ Executive Director (UK & Europe), astutely observed, institutional strength alone isn't sufficient. Universities operate within a complex ecosystem shaped by three critical forces: Policy, Perception, and Projection. This framework has become my north star for strategic thinking. Policy shapes what we can do, perception influences who engages with us, and projection determines how effectively we communicate our value. The most successful institutions will be those that master all three dimensions simultaneously.

The Skills Imperative: Beyond Knowledge Transfer

Perhaps no theme resonated more strongly than the urgent need to reimagine how we prepare students for their futures. Vice President, Strategy and Analytics, Matteo Quacquarelli's emphasis on employability wasn't about reducing education to vocational training. Rather, it was a call to ensure that the transformative power of higher education translates into tangible outcomes for graduates.

The summit surfaced a troubling disconnect: students often cannot articulate the skills they're developing, let alone connect them to market needs. This isn't a failure of students; it's a failure of how we structure and communicate learning outcomes. The path forward requires radical transparency about skill development and deliberate integration of competency mapping throughout the student journey.

Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, Co-Founder of Female Invest , used a trinity of critical thinking, problem-solving, and curiosity which provides a foundation, but we must go further. The conversations in Porto pointed toward a fundamental shift in educational design: from content delivery to capability development, from passive absorption to active application, from isolated learning to integrated, real-world problem-solving.

Marketing in the Age of Authenticity

In my session on "Marketing to Students Who Swipe," I explored how technology has fundamentally altered the engagement landscape. But the real revelation wasn't about tools or tactics; it was about the primacy of authentic connection in a digital age.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren't just digital natives; they're authenticity natives. They can detect institutional posturing from a mile away. The marketing strategies that will succeed are those rooted in genuine understanding of student needs, powered by data but driven by empathy. When we ask, "Who are our students?" we're not seeking demographic profiles but deep insight into their aspirations, anxieties and expectations.

AI enables us to create personalised journeys at scale, but technology is merely the enabler. The magic happens when we combine sophisticated tools with genuine institutional purpose. As I emphasised in Porto, ROI builds credibility, but the return students seek isn't just financial. It's transformational.

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