Paper Title
Country of Origin and University Choice: Empirical Evidence from the MENA Region

Abstract
University choice to study abroad is a risky decision for students in general and from the Middle East in specific. In this situation, the Country of Origin (COO) can play an important role as a risk reliever, giving consumers greater confidence in their decision-making and increasing trust. Although COO has been extensively researched in the context of physical products, rather less attention has been devoted to understanding the concept in relation to the service sector context. The current study develops a conceptual framework reflecting the role of the country of origin in the service sector and in the specific context of higher education (HE). The proposed conceptual framework is developed based on qualitative exploratory research in Egypt as an example of the MENA region. The paper begins with an overview of relevant literature followed by exploratory qualitative research and then the proposed conceptual model was presented. The paper ends with a conclusion and recommendations for future research.