New Global Body Launched to Boost Ethics in International Student Recruitment
A new global organisation, the Global Education Recruitment Standards Authority (GERSA), has been launched to address concerns over compliance and ethical standards in international student recruitment. The organisation aims to bring transparency and accountability to the sector, which faces increasing pressure to prove its ethical credentials.
GERSA, which began operations this week following an initial launch in the UK, plans to share anonymised data among its members to encourage transparency and evidence-based risk management. This data sharing initiative is part of a broader framework that includes a global code of practice, a risk-tiered system of due diligence for agents, and scheduled audits of recruitment practices.
The organisation, led by Chief Executive Officer Nick Golding, aims to provide a single, independent audit standard for institutions and education agents involved in cross-border student recruitment. This standard is expected to complement, not replace, existing national standards like the UK's AQF and Australia's ESOS framework. Golding will outline GERSA's framework at the NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference in San Diego later next week.
The success of GERSA may depend on its adoption by institutions and agents, and how governments respond to the idea of a third-party compliance mechanism operating across borders. So far, GERSA has been welcomed by three UK Government Departments and is hoped to establish a precedent for engagement with other governments. Despite no recent public indications of government interest, GERSA's launch signals a significant step towards enhancing ethical standards and transparency in international student recruitment.
