‘Just like studying abroad’: an analysis of the online promotional videos of Thai university international programmes

ABSTRACT

Universities around the world increasingly use online videos to recruit both domestic and international students. However, little is currently known about how such videos are used to market international programmes in the Global South. We analysed a sample of 19 videos that promote international programmes at Thai universities. After transcribing the videos, we conducted a thematic analysis of their overall features. We found that, despite some attempts to address international students, the primary audience that was targeted was domestic. Our analysis revealed that the videos constructed international higher education (IHE) as offering: intercultural experiences with regard to learning, languages, careers and exchange, and the opportunity to have an international experience with the comforts of home. The videos also tended to position IHE as advancing the development of the host nation. Based on our analysis, we argue that further nuanced thinking regarding the meaning and promotion of IHE in Thailand is required.

KEYWORDS:

• Internationalisation
• promotional videos
• Thailand
• Global South

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The term ‘Global South’, does not necessarily refer to the geographical south (or southern hemisphere). Instead, it refers to countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean that are positioned as low and middle income, or as newly industrialized. For the purposes of this study, Thailand is considered a country in the ‘Global South’.