avoid the arms race escalation in commission costs. If we continue on the current recruitment cost trajectory (marketing costs, agent commission and specialist support) International Office directors are going to do themselves out of jobs as the margin on international students decreases. More important though than the costs is being sure that the way we work with agents and others to whom we pay commission is undertaken in a professional manner and is consistent with both the UKCISA Code of Ethics and the QAA's guidance on international students studying in the UK. We need to ask ourselves some simple questions:  Is our work with agents consistent with the values of the UKCISA Code of Ethics?  Does it meet the requirements outlined in the QAA Guidance on international students?  Would you be happy to publish on your web site the names of all of those organisations and individuals (agents, school counsellors, schools, etc.) to whom you pay commission?   And if not, why not.  And for those that pay commission to schools and school counsellors, how would you feel if your son or daughter was at a school where the advice on university applications was influenced by which universities pay that school a fee rather than which was the most appropriate university for them?  How far are you willing to go and how much are you willing to pay to beat the competition?" Vicenzo Raimo. Vincenzo Raimo has been director of The University of Nottingham's