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Higher Ed Chats

November 19th, 2025

21 minutes

Why First Impressions Matter in International Higher Education

Join us for this episode of Higher Ed Chats featuring Mark Pettitt, Founder and CEO of Edified, a specialized consulting firm operating across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. Mark brings over 25 years of international higher education experience to a conversation about how artificial intelligence and technology are reshaping student recruitment practices. 

Since establishing Edified in 2017, Mark has positioned his firm, focusing exclusively on helping education providers enhance reputation, recruitment, retention, and graduate outcomes through pragmatic technology adoption. 

The discussion addresses pressing questions facing recruitment professionals today: Where do most universities actually stand in their AI adoption journey? How is artificial intelligence transforming student identification, communication, and admissions processes? What does data reveal about student perceptions when they encounter AI-powered interactions? And critically, what does the inquiry response experience tell us about institutional readiness for this technological moment? 

Also, Mark shares fresh findings from the 2025 Inquiry Experience Tracker Global Report, a partnership with UniQuest that mystery-shops university inquiry responses worldwide. The data reveals dramatic improvements in how institutions handle prospective student communications, surprising insights about chatbot acceptance, and notable regional performance differences. 

Mark offers his perspective on the near-future evolution of admissions—from weeks-long processes to seconds-long decisions—and his honest assessment of what remains unpredictable about teaching, learning, and the broader transformation of higher education.

Who’s in the episode?

Mark Pettitt_headshot
Mark Pettit
Mark Pettit is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Edified, a specialized consulting firm that helps education providers build their reputation, attract and retain students, and deliver on student experience and graduate outcomes. Since founding Edified in 2017, Mark has been helping universities navigate the digital transformation, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in international higher education.  
Scott Miller_headshot
Scott Miller

Scott Miller is the host of Keystone Higher Ed Chats and the Executive Director of Keystone's international division, bringing over 11 years of EdTech experience to conversations about global education. 


After graduating from DePauw University, living and working in different cultures showed him that stepping outside your comfort zone doesn't just broaden your horizons; it reshapes them entirely. That belief in the transformative power of international experiences brought Scott to Keystone in 2010, where he's spent over a decade (and counting) helping higher education institutions reach students worldwide. 


On Keystone Higher Ed Chats, Scott speaks with thought-leaders in the industry about what he's most passionate about: how education changes lives, how cultural experiences broaden perspectives at any age, and how Keystone's mission—connecting students with their ideal higher education institution—makes those life-changing moments possible. 

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