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Keywords

Public Relations, Private, University, International Rankings, Indonesia

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The study uncovered that private universities must rely on more than their international ranking achievements to maintain their legitimacy in the competitive market. The institution must utilize its public relations effort to enhance its competitive position in the global education market by emphasizing transparency, the relevance of the message, and demand from the stakeholders. The study employed in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 37 first-year students attending a private institution. The study revealed that students' decision-making process in selecting a private university was intricate and involved multiple aspects. In addition to rankings, students also considered variables such as parental influence, networking possibilities, availability of information, and the level of facilities and support services provided by the university. The university's public relations team has the responsibility to liaise with other units, such as the school counsellor and marketing, to help develop the most relevant information needed, especially during the student recruitment process. Although university rankings like QS and Times Higher Education may help gauge institutions' perception of quality and prestige, it is advisable to adopt a more balanced approach. Access to information via digital platforms, such as websites and social media, has played a critical role in demonstrating the program's and university's reliability.

First Page

53

Last Page

63

Page Range

53-63

Issue

1

Volume

54

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.21831/informasi.v54i1.73114

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