Transnational education (TNE) or cross-border education has been a growth area over the last decade. Existing typologies classify TNE either by the nature of the activity (eg, distance learning, franchise, and validation) or the part of the activity which is moving across borders (eg, programme mobility, institutional mobility). By analysing a large number of transnational partnerships around the world, this presentation illustrates the way that transnational partnerships are becoming increasingly multidimensional, blurring the boundaries between one type and another. It proposes new approaches to classifying types of transnational partnership.

1. The changing face of transnational
education: new forms of transnational
partnership
Professor Nigel Healey
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(International)
7 May 2014

2. Overview
• What is transnational education
(TNE)?
• What are the main ‘types’ of TNE?
• Why classify TNE?
• How is TNE changing?
• Alternative ways of classifying TNE
2

3. What is TNE?
• “Any teaching or learning activity in which the students are in a
different country to that in which the institutional providing the
education is based” (Global Alliance for Transnational Education,
1997)
• “All types of higher education study programmes, sets of study
courses, 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” (Council of
Europe, 2002)
3

4. Types of TNE (1): by activity
1. Distance-learning
2. International branch campus
3. Franchise/twinning
4. Validation
4

5. Types of TNE (2): by mode of delivery (GATS)
5
GATS terminology Transnational education variant
Mode 1 — Cross border
supply
Programme mobility: distance or on-
line education
Mode 2 — Consumption
abroad
Student mobility: export education
Mode 3 — Commercial
presence
Institutional mobility:
• International branch campus
• franchise
• validated partner
Mode 4 — Presence of
natural persons
Staff mobility: fly-in/fly-out
programmes

6. How big is TNE (a UK perspective)?
2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
Overseas campus 7,120 9,885 11,410 12,305 15,140 17,525
Distance learning 100,345 112,345 114,985 113,065 116,520 123,635
Other students
registered at HEI 59,895 68,595 74,360 86,630 96,060 103,795
Overseas partner
organisation 29,240 197,185 207,790 291,575 342,910 353,375
Other
70 35 50 125 345 600
Total
196,670 388,045 408,595 503,700 570,925 598,930
Source: HESA

7. Why classify TNE?
• Choice of market entry (international business)
• Risk (quality assurance)
• Control (host government)
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8. Choice of market entry (international
business: stages approach)
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Distance
learning
Franchise
Validation
International
Branch
Campus

9. Risk (quality assurance)
9

10. Control (host government)
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11. How is TNE changing?
• Analysis of 30 TNE case studies gathered from around the
world through www.linkedin.com
• Analysis of 40 QAA reports of TNE partnerships:
– China (2012)
– Singapore (2011)
– Malaysia (2010)
– India (2009)
– First three are the three largest TNE markets, India is the market
with the most potential
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13. 08 May 2014 13

14. 08 May 2014 14

15. 15

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18. Limits of existing typologies
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…and some TNE partnerships off the radar

19. Classify TNE according to the source of the risk
19

20. Classify according to the motivation for the
TNE partnership
• Spectrum 1: Regional access vs stand-alone outposts
• Spectrum 2: Subject specialism vs multidisciplinary
partnerships
• Spectrum 3: Research-led vs teaching-led partnerships
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21. Conclusions
• TNE partnerships are becoming increasingly complex,
multidimensional and innovative
• Existing typologies are increasingly unable to keep up with
developments (microcosm of challenges of globalisation
generally – eg, for tax law, environmental control)
• Alternative typologies can be based on:
– Risk
– Purpose of TNE partnership
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22. Further reading on TNE typologies
• Healey, N. (2014), Towards a risk-based typology for
transnational education, Higher Education, (DOI)
10.1007/s10734-014-9757-6
• Healey, N. and Michael, L. (2014), Towards a new
framework for analysing transnational education, Higher
Education Policy (in press)