If you think of global higher education hot-spots or hubs, what city comes to mind? It should be Philadelphia. With over 100 colleges and universities of many different types across the region, rich diversity, a strong economy, a strategic location and a thriving arts and culture community, the founders of the Philadelphia Global Education Hub want prospective international students to Think Philly.
The resulting campaign, “Promoting Philadelphia as a Global Education Hub” took center stage as a plenary panel at the 2024 PACIE (Pennsylvania Council for International Education) Conference, “Foundations for a Global-Ready Future.” The PACIE conference was hosted at Temple University on October 25-26, 2024.
According to one of the campaign’s leaders, Temple’s Vice Provost of Global Engagement and Dean of Temple Rome, Emilia Zankina, such collaboration between universities, colleges, globally minded organizations and government agencies has been key to this campaign since its inception in early 2023.
The plenary panelists, including Zankina, reflected that diverse mix of collaborators. The presenters included Robin Bloom, senior director of strategic communications, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), Jennifer Johnson Kebea, Ed.D., president, Campus Philly, William Keyes, program director, International House Philadelphia and Rogelio Miñana, Ph.D., vice provost, Global Engagement and professor of global studies and Spanish, Drexel University. The panel was moderated by Lisa Meritz, director of communications and marketing, Global Engagement, Temple University.
“This city is a phenomenal place for higher education, comprising every price point, and every level of education from phenomenal community colleges to Ivy League.”
– Emilia Zankina
Why Philadelphia?
When asked about the origins of this initiative, Temple’s Zankina and Drexel’s Minana talked about their own backgrounds as international students and their desire to provide a home for others like the one they found here.
“This city is a phenomenal place for higher education, comprising every price point, and every level of education from phenomenal community colleges to Ivy League,” said Zankina. She elaborated that no matter the academic or financial background of an international student, they can find an institution that serves their needs in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Minana added, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt the connection to a place like I feel here.” To his thinking, Philadelphia is a global city, with all the resources needed to be a hub for international higher education. And the campaign wants to leverage those resources to encourage international students to stay here after graduation.
With a projected workforce shortage looming across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s college-educated youth, including international students, will play a crucial role in filling the gap.
That is according to Kebea and Keyes, whose respective organizations, Campus Philly and International House Philadelphia, recently completed a study about employment for college students.
“Over 50% of students that learn here stay post-graduation,” said Kebea.
Marketing that Incorporates the Student Voice
Bloom walked the audience through the marketing—the website, downloadable brochure, and the campaign tagline: “Think Philly where you can learn, live and thrive.” She explained how the campaign fits well with her work at PHLCVB, promoting Philadelphia as an international destination. Bloom also urged attendees to begin sharing the Think Philly marketing with their audiences.
Affirming the campaign’s relevance, the marketing was created leveraging student voices. In fact, the branding originated from a Temple University Klein College capstone course, in which student groups in the class, under the guidance of Professor Stacey Harpster, were tasked with doing their own research and creating a campaign.
One of the students in the winning group, Graphic Designer, Hailey Rose (Klein ’24), continued work on the brochure, when she was a student and then later as an alumnus. Her work was then developed by the hub marketing group.
Further integrating the student voice in developing the campaign, Temple’s Global Engagement marketing office, led by Meritz, organized focus groups with international students at five different institutions across the region: Arcadia University, Community College of Philadelphia, Drexel University, Temple University and Villanova University.
International students embraced the concept. Philadelphia has all that it needs to secure its position as a key destination for future international college students.
Think Philly, in its early stages, is still developing, with plans for an official introduction through a press conference in early 2025, an employer event in the spring and, possibly, an orientation for international students citywide in the works.
By Massin Larbi, CLA ’25, Global Engagement writing intern
Photos courtesy of the PHLCVB
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