The plenary panelists, including Zankina, reflected that diverse mix of collaborators. The presenters included Robin Bloom<\/strong>, senior director of strategic communications, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), Jennifer Johnson Kebea<\/strong>, Ed.D., president, Campus Philly, William Keyes<\/strong>, program director, International House Philadelphia and Rogelio Mi\u00f1ana<\/strong>, Ph.D., vice provost, Global Engagement and professor of global studies and Spanish, Drexel University. The panel was moderated by Lisa Meritz<\/strong>, director of communications and marketing, Global Engagement, Temple University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis city is a phenomenal place for higher education, comprising every price point, and every level of education from phenomenal community colleges to Ivy League.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Emilia Zankina <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n Why Philadelphia?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked about the origins of this initiative, Temple\u2019s Zankina and Drexel\u2019s Minana talked about their own backgrounds as international students and their desire to provide a home for others like the one they found here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis city is a phenomenal place for higher education, comprising every price point, and every level of education from phenomenal community colleges to Ivy League,\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Minana added, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever felt the connection to a place like I feel here.\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With a projected workforce shortage looming across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia\u2019s college-educated youth, including international students, will play a crucial role in filling the gap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOver 50% of students that learn here stay post-graduation,\u201d said Kebea. <\/p>\n\n\n Marketing that Incorporates the Student Voice<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bloom walked the audience through the marketing\u2014the website, downloadable brochure, and the campaign tagline: \u201cThink Philly where you can learn, live and thrive.\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Affirming the campaign\u2019s 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the students in the winning group, Graphic Designer, Hailey Rose (Klein \u201924), 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Further integrating the student voice in developing the campaign, Temple\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n International students embraced the concept. Philadelphia has all that it needs to secure its position as a key destination for future international college students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By Massin Larbi, CLA \u201925, Global Engagement writing intern Previous articles on this topic: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think Philly, an initiative to promote Philadelphia as a global education hub,\u00a0took center stage as a plenary panel at the 2024 PACIE (Pennsylvania Council for International Education) Conference, \u201cFoundations for a Global-Ready Future.\u201d The conference was hosted at Temple University on October 25-26, 2024.<\/p>\n 4 MIN READ<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/owltopia\/files\/2024\/11\/Global-Education-Hub-panel-10-25-2024-photo-by-J-Ryan-for-PHLCVB-17-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/owltopia\/files\/2024\/11\/Global-Education-Hub-panel-10-25-2024-photo-by-J-Ryan-for-PHLCVB-3-1024x683.jpg\")
Photos courtesy of the PHLCVB<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n