New developments in transnational education and the challenges for higher education professional staff

Abstract

Transnational education (TNE) is a fast moving area. The growth of TNE provision across the higher education (HE) sector has meant professional staff have developed considerable experience and knowledge in this field. However, the development of online and distance learning provision combined with the changing TNE landscape has given rise to new and innovative partnership types and models, creating new market opportunities, and inevitably more competition. New market entrants offer customised content, routes to qualifications, learning and tuition solutions, which present new partnership opportunities for universities. However, organisational practices for due diligence, stakeholder management, quality assurance, financial investment, decision-making and commercial and legal support can require significant adaptation and management. Professional staff must consider new ways to evaluate potential opportunities and risks in TNE where these involve multiple agencies and third parties. This article provides an insight into how these changes in the TNE environment impact professional staff in HE.

KEYWORDS:

• Collaboration
• transnational education
• partnerships
• quality

Acknowledgements

Table 1 ‘Description of main TNE delivery modes’ gratefully reproduced with the permission of The British Council.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Michelle Henderson (MA, MBA) has strategic and operational responsibility for the administration of a leading law school. Prior to this, she developed extensive experience in the development and management of international commercial licensing and collaborative teaching partnerships in over twenty countries with The Open University. Partnerships included a range of TNE models in areas such as the Russian Federation, Middle East and South Africa. She is a mentor for the AUAs Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.

Rebecca Barnett (MA, MPA) has a decade of experience in developing and managing international partnerships at The Open University and Kingston University. Rebecca has worked with institutions across a range of TNE models in South and East Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and the Americas. Prior to her roles in Higher Education, she worked in both the public and private sectors, securing EU funding, and managing a range of EU and government-funded initiatives.

Heather Barrett (MBA, MSc, Doctoral Researcher) has over 10 years’ experience providing frameworks and support to those setting up, developing and ending collaborative partnerships in the United Kingdom and internationally. Most recently, she has taken on the new role of Centre Manager for the Centre for Policing Research and Learning, a growing consortium collaboration between police forces and other policing agencies based around the world.