Global Trends in Transnational Higher Education

Abstract

Less than 25 years ago, transnational education (TNE) was new and considered somewhat rare. The early relationships in TNE were often 'twinning' programs where two universities worked in partnership across international borders. Soon, TNE was also seen as facilitating and supporting local institutions in the developing world with a range of curriculum options to meet unmet demand. Today TNE fueled by technology sees no barriers to its unprecedented growth across almost all regions of the world whether it crosses borders into the developing or indeed the developed world. While TNE has continued to grow, competition has impacted some TNE providers. <br/> Despite the considerable growth in TNE and much research being undertaken on this phenomenon, what is currently lacking is: (a) more knowledge about whether students from TNE programs received the same student experience as students that actually went abroad to a university's main campus; (b) a comprehensive understanding of the many forms of TNE from a provider and receiving country's perspective (because these can be different) and (c) comprehensive data on TNE enrolments in the different forms of TNE based on the varied perspectives referred to in (b). This research project sought to gain a better understanding of these issues from the standpoint of why institutions engage in TNE and why students consider TNE; how employers view qualifications earned through TNE, the limitations of TNE and how the TNE student experience differs from the student who went abroad to study. <br/> The study initially set out to survey universities, TNE students, employers, international education organizations and government departments. (Refer the project's website at www.transnationalstudy.com). When the study got underway, it became clear that there was sensitivity amongst universities and governments about discussing openly their views about TNE from the standpoint of student outcomes. There was concern expressed by some that the research would reveal that TNE offered a different 'form of education' and that such information may be detrimental to all the good work universities were undertaking in TNE. It also became clear that without the support of universities that offered TNE programs, it would be impossible to reach TNE students and therefore, gather sufficient data (surveys) from students to draw conclusions. A further complication was that employers contacted for feedback and for completion of surveys did not quite understand qualifications from TNE providers; most believed students completed a major component of study at the university's main campus abroad. With limited survey returns from universities, governments/international education organizations and students and none from employers, this study relied heavily on secondary sources including an extensive reliance on visual aids (usually snapshots of web pages) which showed the rapid evolution of TNE. <br/> Some of the conclusions drawn from the research study were that: (a) TNE is an extremely important aspect of the overall work done by many governments, international education organizations and universities to educate the world; (b) while the student experience of TNE students was different to the students that travelled abroad to study, this did not diminish the value of TNE; (c) universities now service a global student audience and the survival of the higher education sector would depend on the sector's ability to service students wherever they might be, because of dwindling government funding, fewer domestic students and a diminishing flow of international students to the west; (d) while there is work underway to establish standard guidelines to define the many forms of TNE and gather data on TNE students, this work is far from complete; and (e) it is highly likely that in the future, some of the international branch campuses of today will evolve into independent institutions (breaking ties with their parent institution).