International branch campuses in India: An alternative to studying abroad!

Abstract

International branch campuses are an important form of transnational education. Although there exists a substantial literature on the rationale and the motivation to study in International Branch Campuses, research on the customer value offered by the international branch campuses has been overlooked. In order to fill this research gap, this study focuses on the perceptions of Indian students about the value that the IBCs bring to them as an alternative to studying abroad. Mixed method research was used. Qualitative research methods included semi-structured interviews of 13 students who were either enrolled or intended to study abroad. Purposive sampling method was used to identify the respondents. The quantitative method included a questionnaire was then, distributed through the online and offline mode among students who were either enrolled in a foreign university or intended to study abroad. A total of 235 questionnaires were found to be complete and useable for further analysis. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine factors that the students perceive to be crucial for the IBCs based in India so as to become an alternative to studying abroad. The three factors revealed are as follows: employment opportunities that offer a monetary value that is at par with studying abroad, symbolic value that is at par with studying abroad, and a friendlier sacrifice value compared to study abroad. This study will lend market intelligence to the government policymakers, marketers, and international higher education experts as it proposes an understanding of the perceptions of Indian students about the values that the IBCs to be based in India will bring to them as an alternative to studying abroad.

Keywords:

• ‘International Branch Campus’
• ‘customer Value’
• ‘outcome based benefits’
• ‘Experiential based benefits’
• ‘Social-Personal based benefits’
• ‘Costs Sacrifices based benefits’

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The Scholar Dr Sanjay Pawar is the awardee of the ICSSR Research Project (Minor Research Project File no. 02/29-2021-22/ICSSR/RP/MN dated 7th March 2022). This study is largely an outcome of ICSSR Minor Research project and was sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research.