A Socio-Cognitive Study of Information Practices among Potential International Applicants: Implications for University Web Mediated Communication and Branding

Abstract

As universities across the globe respond to the pressures of neoliberal marketization and the internationalization of higher education, they have progressively redesigned and modernised their websites and digital infrastructure. Grounded in the socio-cognitive 
perspective of professional communication, this study explores how prospective international students seek, interpret, and utilise information communicated through the websites of elite Chinese universities. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates 
questionnaire data with interview findings, the study reveals that prospective applicants effectively employ various online tools to identify information about their preferred institutions. Beyond simply accessing institutional websites, they actively engage with the 
available content, assess its usefulness, and critically appraise its credibility and relevance. Based on these findings, the study provides practical recommendations for enhancing information management, web-based communication, and institutional branding strategies in the higher education sector.