March 2024
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This conference discussed priorities and next steps for UK transnational education.
It took place amidst significant growth in the scale of UK TNE, with Office for Students figures showing that 16% of all students registered at English universities now live abroad.
The conference was an opportunity to consider the OfS’s future approach following it taking over regulatory responsibilities from the Quality Assurance Agency.
Sector stakeholders, policymakers and regulators assessed the way forward for TNE regulation and monitoring, alongside how intervention should be approached when challenges develop, with the OfS warning that poor quality courses taught by universities abroad are ‘bad for business’. Further sessions considered priorities for maintaining the integrity of qualifications awarded by UK HEIs through TNE.
Delegates considered key issues for the quality of provision and for how UK TNE provision is perceived internationally, looking at the experiences of students studying for UK HEI degrees at international campuses.
We expected discussion on tackling access issues for UK providers in priority markets, with the Government’s International Education Strategy: 2023 progress update highlighting its work with organisations such as the British Council.
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with: Dr Janet Ilieva, Founder and Director, Education Insight; and Eduardo Ramos, Director of International and Professional Services, Quality Assurance Agency.
Overall, sessions looked at:
- monitoring the quality of UK TNE provision: maintaining overall standards - approaches to regulation and intervention
- partnership-building: how best to implement a rigorous selection process for overseas partner institutions - priorities for robust management of partnerships
- online provision: improving the delivery of online, distanced and blended learning in TNE settings
- the position of UK TNE in the international market: building confidence in UK TNE - progressing UK competitiveness - exploring growth opportunities and overcoming barriers in key markets
- examining trends in the UK TNE market: including growth in student uptake and the number of institutions awarding qualifications abroad
- the student experience:
- learning from the experiences of students studying at international campuses in comparison to that of students studying within the UK
- priorities moving forward for enabling the voices of students to be heard and taken account of, informing future provision
- tackling issues relating to consumer rights for students living overseas, and ensuring overall value for money
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from DfE; DBT; FCDO; and the Welsh Government.
