Kelly-anne Watson: Student accommodation: key trends and considerations

In April 2023, the EAIE published its New report: International admissions 2023–2024, which includes interesting insights into current and future dynamics of (international) student admissions across the European Higher Education Area. The data from the survey showed, amongst other things, that the issue of inflation/cost of living is currently a ‘moderate’ barrier to international student enrolment for a majority of respondents (66%). But how big of an issue is affordability within the international education sector at the moment, especially when it comes to student housing?

In this episode of the EAIE podcast we talk to Kelly-anne Watson, Managing Director at The Class Foundation, Europe’s leading platform for the student housing sector. She tells us more about some of the key challenges the European market is currently facing, the importance of communication and collaboration between higher education institutions and local accommodation providers and whether there are any other mid- to longer-term trends or issues we should be on the lookout for when it comes to student living-learning dynamics. Tune in to this episode to learn more!

About Kelly-anne Watson

Kelly-anne Watson is the Managing Director at The Class Foundation, with a wealth of experience in events, politics, higher education and real estate. Her passion for education and quality housing for students is at the core of her work. She understands that a positive and supportive living environment is crucial for students’ success and has dedicated her career to improving access to the sector. As a former member of the National Code, Kelly-anne implemented the first health and wellbeing clause into the UK national accreditation scheme in 2016. In her current role, she has been instrumental in connecting the largest network of private and public stakeholders covering €298 billion in assets across Europe and driving positive change in the student living sector. Kelly-anne is focused on continuing to champion social value, investment, sustainability, wellbeing, community and policy reform within university cities across Europe.

Additional Resources

For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:

→ What’s happening in higher education regulation and what does this mean for transnational education

→ The Value of Transnational Education Partnerships

→ UK higher education: time for an international rebrand?

→ Transnational education

→ Tibor Ágotai: Student accommodation – a frontline view