The British Council hosts global events for agents and counsellors throughout the year, providing participants with the latest information and resources. These include both in-person and online events.
Event details will be updated in the table below on a quarterly basis. Please check the website regularly for the latest updates.
If you are an agent or counsellor, please log in to the UK agent and counsellor hub for more event details and to register.
If you work in the UK education sector and have enquiries about an event, please reach out to the contacts listed in the table.
Global conference for agents and counsellors
UK International Education 2026: Policy, Compliance and Practice
08.00 UK time, Wednesday 14 October 2026
This free, one-day virtual event is designed to give agents and counsellors a clear, practical understanding of the developments shaping UK international student recruitment in 2026 and beyond. From the UK’s updated International Education Strategy to changes in UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements and the integration of the UK Agent Quality Framework (AQF) into sponsor guidance, this is a moment of real change for the sector. The conference brings together perspectives from the British Council, Universities UK International (UUKi), the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA), UKVI and the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) to help agents and counsellors understand what these shifts mean for their day-to-day practice.
Across five themed sessions, participants will explore the latest research on student behaviour and decision-making, gain knowledge on sponsor compliance and accountability, and learn how AQF standards are reshaping ethical, student-centred recruitment. The event will help agents and counsellors strengthen their practice, enhance their credibility as a partner to UK institutions, and stay ahead of evolving sector expectations.
Programme
- 08.00 to 08.15 – Welcome from the British Council and a UK Government Minister.
- 08.15 to 09.00 – Sustainable growth – the future of UK international student recruitment – This opening panel sets the strategic context for what sustainable, ethical and high-quality international student recruitment looks like for the UK, situated within the UK International Education Strategy 2026. Speakers include Catriona McCarthy (British Council), Jamie Arrowsmith (UUKi), UKVI, and Lily Rumsey (BUILA).
- 09.15 to 09.45 – The size and shape of mobility to the UK – Drawing on British Council and Study UK research and insight, this session presents the current picture of international student mobility to the UK – who is coming, from where, and how demand, behaviour and decision-making are shifting. Speakers include Kevin Prest, Sandeepa Sahay, and Sonia Wong (British Council).
- 10.00 to 10.45 – The role of the Agent Quality Framework (AQF) – protecting students and raising standards – This panel will discuss how universities, agents and counsellors can use the AQF to strengthen trust, empower students, improve student outcomes and support responsible and ethical international student recruitment. Speakers include Aatreyee Guha Thakurta (British Council), Will Burns (Oxford Brookes University; BUILA) Alex Lock (Anglia Ruskin University; UKCISA), Golam Mortuza (MH Global Group), and Rohan Rego (IDP).
- 11.00 to 11.45 – The UK policy context for international student recruitment – This session will explore the key policy shifts within the UK that affect international student recruitment, considering how UK universities seek to manage the risks that arise from the external policy landscape and what impact this has on their recruitment behaviour. Speakers include Charley Robinson (UUKi).
- 12.00 to 12.45 – The value proposition of a UK degree – This session will explore what international students expect from a UK degree, whether those expectations are being met, and how universities, agents and sector partners can better communicate and deliver value throughout the student journey. Speakers include Nilgün Felchner, Helen Etheridge-Arbib and Nataliya Khrushch (British Council), Noeleen Hammond Jones (Graduate Futures Institute), and Urvashi Prasad (UK alumna).
- 12.45 to 13.00 - Closing remarks from Catriona McCarthy (British Council).
Register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/7GfMdthVaV