ISC Research has published its prestigious list of the most influential people on social media in the world of international education.
The consultancy analysed the social media activity and followings of leading influencers in international education, looking at their X and LinkedIn accounts.
They were judged on original content, frequency of posting and also how much their posts resonated with readers, producing shares and reposts.
ISC Research’s top influencers in international education – the full list:
One of this year’s so-called “Edruptors”, Amy Baker, CEO and co-founder of The PIE website, told researchers her secret for successful engagement on LinkedIn: “Use hashtags! Even on LinkedIn and Instagram it’s definitely worth using hashtags if you want to see who else is saying interesting things or sharing photos or perspectives from an event.
“I think events are still, to a certain extent, the lifeblood of the sector. People love to connect with other professionals and peers in their community, so using hashtags is a really good way to do that.”
Another winner, Duncan Partridge, leadership coach, trainer and owner at Educe Mentoring and Coaching, told researchers how he liked to seek diversity in the content he engages with on social media.
He said: “One of the things I consciously do is try to follow people that are not in my echo chamber; I try to live in something that’s much broader than my echo chamber. In fact, I probably end up engaging with their content more than I do with other people that I follow, because I feel I’ve got something to learn from them.”
Another winner, Tatiana Popa, deputy academic director at Heritage International School in Moldova, added:
“Social media is a wonderful tool to get connected to other like-minded people… I have my philosophy of building a stronger professional learning network (PLN). My PLN is full of people that I admire in education. If you have a look at who I follow, the majority of them are just educators or people who are connected to education in one way or another.”
The ISC Research report announcing the winners added: “We’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the Edruptors for 2023.
“It is great to see a mix of new and familiar names who have provided inspiring content throughout the year. The list includes a diverse range of educators, journalists, and senior leaders all united by passion for international education. We look forward to seeing what’s to come in 2024.”