Yugo heads to ICEF China to explore new student markets

International student accommodation provider Yugo is heading to ICEF China – one of the region’s largest events connecting global institutions, education agents and accommodation providers to students from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Mongolia.

Tim Klitscher, Yugo’s Managing Director in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East, sees ICEF China as the perfect opportunity to educate students about the life-changing opportunities in studying abroad, and help them embrace Australia as an educational destination to rival the US and UK.

“Australia is a unique country and the quality of our higher education is just as high as the US and the UK, along with a healthy outdoor environment where students can have a fantastic life experience,” Mr Klitscher said.

“Whether they’re interested in studying in Perth, Melbourne or Adelaide – where two of Australia’s best universities are preparing to merge – we provide a home and a safe place to live and study, along with a range of holistic living programs which help empower their experiences both on and off campus.”

There were more approximately 793,335 international students studying in Australia at the end of June, 2024, according to the Australian Government’s Department of Education.

At the end of the 2022-23 financial year, international education was worth $36.4 billion to the Australian economy.

Yugo operates 113 student living spaces in nine countries and oversees over 40,000 student beds, including four properties in Perth, Adelaide and in Melbourne.

An additional property, The Waterford, is under construction in Perth and is due for completion in 2026. The new property will have 913 student beds, with Yugo working in conjunction with property developer Exal Group.

Mr Klitscher said international students not only contributed to the Australian economy, they helped to create a diverse community.

He said ICEF was a great opportunity to connect to industry professionals, hear the latest industry developments and share trends in different markets.

“ICEF provides us with an opportunity to speak to agents, who are often the people responsible for connecting students to institutions and student living providers such as Yugo,” he said.

“It will also give us an insight into the Chinese market and how the industry is faring there, and what sort of appetite Chinese students have for studying in Australia. This will help us address concerns about political moves to cap student numbers in the future.”

ICEF will be held in Beijing from October 14-16. Find out more here: ICEF China 2024 - ICEF