Cross-border delivery of higher education is becoming a financial necessity for some institutions and a strategic differentiation for others. Transnational education (TNE) takes many forms ranging from joint-degrees and branch campuses to recent emergence of technology-enabled learning. While TNE has provided new opportunities for global engagement and expansion for many institutions, these models often come with challenges of quality. Is growth of TNE dependent on more flexible standards of quality? Or, are we stifling innovation in TNE by putting too many barriers for experimentation?
• Rahul Choudaha, PhD, (Chair), Principal Researcher & CEO, DrEducation, LLC & interEDGE.org
• Nigel Healey, PhD, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) and Head of College, Nottingham Trent University
• Jason E. Lane, PhD, Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Strategic Leadership and Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, State University of New York
• Elizabeth J. Stroble, PhD, President, Webster University
• Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, PhD, Deputy Head of Division and Senior Analyst, OECD
Transnational education: growth at the expense of quality?
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What are your challenges in balancing expectations of growth and quality?
Send your questions through Q&A box
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How important in TNE for your institution's
internationalization strategy?
Not Important at All
4% Somewhat
Important
14%
Important
23%
Very Important
49%
Not
Applicable/Not
Sure
10%
n=176
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Growth
Quality
Growth at the expense of quality?
Yes
34%
No
35%
Don't
Know/Can't Say
31%
n=176
?
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Transnational
Education
Definition
TNE is broadly defined as:
“all types of higher
education study programs,
or sets of courses of study, or
educational services
(including those of distance
education) in which the
learners are located in a
country different from the
one where the awarding
institution is based.”
Resources
Qualitative Control
Complexity
Type of Global Engagement
Validation
Franchise
Twinning program
Fly-out model
Dual degree program
Joint degree program
Online program
International (branch) campus
Low
High
Source: UNESCO/Council of Europe (2001)
Code of Good Practice in the
Provision of Transnational Education
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‘Glocal’ Students:
Global Experiences
+ Local Cost
21% of all foreign students in OECD
countries came from countries that
share land or maritime borders
One out of five students studying
wholly overseas for a UK degree
through a distance learning program
(HESA, UK)
70% of international students in
Japan are from China, Korea and
Vietnam
More Malaysian students in branch
campuses of UK universities (45,000)
than those going to the UK (15,000)
~12,000 Indian students pursued
MBBS from China in 2012-2014
‘Glocals’ are expanding
segment of students seeking
international education
experience/credential while
staying in the country or
region
Source: Choudaha, R. (2013). Know your
international student – Global or glocal?
University World News
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Dr. Stéphan
Vincent-Lancrin
• Senior Analyst, Project
Leader and Deputy Head of
Division at the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation
and Development
(Directorate for Education
and Skills)
Source: Vincent-Lancrin, S., D. Fisher and S. Pfotenhauer (2015), Ensuring Quality in Cross-Border Higher Education: Implementing the
UNESCO/OECD Guidelines, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Compliance with the Recommendation by country and stakeholder
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Dr. Nigel Healey
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(International) at
Nottingham Trent University,
UK
Source: Healey, N., 2015. Towards a risk-based typology for transnational education., Higher Education. Higher Education, 69 (1), pp. 1-18.
Reputation risk versus transfer of control
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Dr. Jason E Lane
“…state regulations primarily focus
on issues pertaining to the approval
process of expansion, mandating
administrative requirements,
providing comparable programs,
and guarding against unnecessary
competition; whereas there is limited
focus on quality.”
• Senior Associate Vice-
Chancellor and Vice Provost
for Academic Planning and
Strategic Leadership, State
University of New York or
SUNY
Lane, J. E., Kinser, K. & Knox, D. (2013). Regulating Cross-Border Higher Education: A Case Study of the United States. Higher Education Policy 26: 147-172.
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Dr. Elizabeth Stroble
Webster University Ghana Campus is
accredited by the Ghana National
Accreditation Board (NAB) and the
United States Higher Learning
Commission (HLC).
• President of Webster
University, USA
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Shifting regulations…
UAE education ministry warns students of unaccredited online
foreign degree; provides a list of 100+ approved universities
The MoE China “will strengthen the quality assurance systems
of Sino-foreign cooperation in running joint programs and
institutes….It has also committed to improving the
management of penalties and mechanisms for institutions to
exit programs.”
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Emergence of “alternative
providers”
“A recent and growing
sector of higher education
composed of companies or
organizations that offer
higher education
experiences operating
apart from traditional
colleges and universities”
Overseas
Pathway
Providers
MOOCs
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The Future of Transnational
Education
“…a future where
education will be
unbundled and degrees will
be disaggregated ‘into
smaller credential
units…with the possibility
that the credentialing entity
may be different from the
institution that offers the
course“ – Future of MIT
Education Report
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Future Growth Opportunities
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Which of the following is the biggest
growth opportunity in TNE?
Other (Please Specify)
7%
Twinning
8%
Validation/Franchise
10%
International
branch campuses
10%
Joint/Dual
degrees
26%
Online education
39%
n=176
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Future Quality Challenges
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Which of the following is the biggest
challenge in assuring quality of TNE?
Processes of quality
assurance agencies
31%
Bureaucracy of
government regulations
24%
Growth ambitions of
institutional growth
17%
Emergence of third-
party providers
12%
Other (Please
Specify)
9%
Pace of technological
change
7%
n=176
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Q&A
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