Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the world’s #1 AI CRM, today announced that University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) is adopting Agentforce, the leading digital labour platform that enables businesses to transform into Agentic Enterprises, to enhance student experience during the university applications process. Prospective students can chat with an AI agent, NOVA (Nottingham Online Virtual Assistant), to get real-time responses to enquiries about course eligibility, scholarship and accommodation options, and autonomously schedule appointments to speak with a course advisor or take a campus tour.
This will also significantly benefit international students, who account for over 50 percent of UNM’s applicants, that often submit enquiries outside local business hours when a human representative might not be available. With NOVA taking on these administrative tasks, UNM’s course advisors and admissions staff will have more time to focus on in-person engagements with prospective students.
Creating a unified, always-on digital touchpoint
The university’s adoption of Agentforce underscores UNM’s commitment to leading digital transformation in higher education, leveraging AI to deliver more responsive, efficient, and personalised student services at scale. UNM is the first tertiary institution in Malaysia to deploy Agentforce, and in the long-term aims to provide a unified, always-on digital touchpoint that supports prospective and current students through every stage of their university journey. Beyond operational efficiencies, Agentforce plays a strategic role in UNM’s digital transformation efforts by driving higher applicant conversion rates and helping raise student satisfaction.
This deployment builds on the success of UNM’s previous rollout of Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Digital Engagement and Einstein. The Agentforce solution will be deployed on the website, WhatsApp, Facebook and WeChat. UNM will put Agentforce to work in Sales Cloud to process student enquiries and facilitate lead conversion, including:
- Smart course enquiries: AI agents will deliver instant, consistent answers on courses, eligibility fees, and scholarships, cutting response times and boosting satisfaction
- Supporting scholarships and accommodation: Agents will provide future students with information about scholarships and bursaries they may be eligible for based on their academic results and other achievements, and students may also learn more about accommodation options on or around the campus.
- Simplified appointment booking: From speaking with a course counsellor to campus tours, students can self-schedule in seconds, making it easy for them to pick a time that works best without waiting for a human response.