Fragmented mass ornaments: academic image, aesthetics, and brand cohesion of commercially-partnered international branch campuses

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores neo-liberal marketisation aspects of commercially-partnered international branch campuses (IBCs), focusing on perceptions of university brand image, aesthetics, and cohesion. Commercially-partnered campuses refer to transnational (TNE) universities that are entered into private equity or for-profit partnerships in a branch’s host country. The present study is focused on Anglo-Western universities with for-profit IBC partnerships located in the economic free zones in the United Arab Emirates. Often, publicly available information on these partnerships is obscured to emphasise the home campus brand. Thus, the research aims to provide insight into how IBC academics and student service workers perceive IBC branding and its relationship to academic image and, to a certain degree, academic practice. Data collection instruments include semi-structured interviews and participant reflective responses to social media platforms, which are examined theoretically using a critical realism approach. Through a critical thematic analysis of qualitative accounts, the findings suggest two significant emergent themes which influence participant experience on IBCs: (1) institutional fragmentation, (2) limited authenticity. The study identifies a need for more genuine branding to increase the perceptions of the academic legitimacy of IBCs.