FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 10, 2025
BOSTON, Massachusetts – Shorelight and ICEF announced today a new strategic partnership as a part of their joint efforts to raise professional standards in the recruitment of international students to US institutions of higher education.
The collaboration builds on ICEF’s three decades as a global leader in agent quality assurance and Shorelight’s proven expertise in connecting US institutions with talented international students from across the world, and trusted service providers to support their efforts to do so. At a time when global higher education faces increasing scrutiny, the two organizations are united by a commitment to ensuring quality and integrity in international student recruitment.
By combining their experience, reach, and influence, ICEF and Shorelight will work collaboratively to promote transparent, compliant, and ethical approaches to international student recruitment, supporting US institutions at a time of significant challenges.
“Now more than ever, the leading organizations in the international higher education ecosystem need to work together to give the universities we serve the confidence, trust, and support they need to continue to grow their international student enrollment,” said Tom Dretler, CEO of Shorelight. “This unique opportunity allows both of our organizations to maximize the benefits of our complementary expertise as we continue our vital work to bring the best talent from across the world to study and thrive at US colleges and universities.”
“Our new strategic collaboration with Shorelight presents a natural fit, by aligning our global agency quality assurance program and training platforms with Shorelight’s deep expertise in university partnerships, we are reinforcing the standards that international students and institutions deserve,” said Markus Badde, CEO of ICEF.
The collaboration will focus on several key initiatives designed to elevate industry practices, including:
Promoting industry self-regulation through ICEF’s agency accreditation program and AI-powered compliance monitoring platform
Collaborating on best practices for agency training and support, including facilitation via ICEF’s Train Your Agents platform
Providing scholarship opportunities for further professional development of ICEF-certified counselors
Collaborating on data-sharing to understand the positive impact of agent-based recruitment on student outcomes
Working together for transparency, ICEF and Shorelight are committed to building a more ethical, transparent, and outcomes-focused international education system.
About Shorelight
Founded in 2013, Shorelight works with universities to create innovative programs that deliver comprehensive educational services to international students. We connect international students, universities, and service providers to drive student enrollment and performance at scale. We do this so that a more globally diverse population can lead and prosper for generations to come. Together, we help educate the world.
About ICEF
At the heart of the international education community for over 30 years, ICEF leads the way in raising industry standards with a global network of thousands of ICEF accredited agencies and certified student counsellors who have graduated from ICEF Academy, our professional development platform. We connect screened agencies with international education and service providers through our unrivalled B2B networking events around the world, and inform strategic international student recruitment through our market intelligence arm, ICEF Monitor.
Shorelight Media Contact
Alex Goldstein
