Cross-border Higher Education Research Articles

국경을 넘는 고등교육 질 보장을 위한 인증 동향 탐색

This study aims to compare and analyze accreditation standards based on the 「Guideline for Quality Provision in Cross-border Higher Education」proposed by UNESCO and OECD and suggest improvement measures. For this purpose, we examined the definition of university quality through literature analysis. We compared and analyzed the accreditation areas and detailed criteria of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in the United States. As a result of the systematic review and analysis, the current accreditation standards of university institutional assessment certification lacked measurement factors for effectiveness in measuring university quality. Therefore, this study recommends that future accreditation criteria evaluate improvements in institutional effectiveness and student learning outcome assessment. Governments and universities can utilize the results of this study in the design of accreditation standards that can enhance international applicability and induce university quality improvement.

Revisiting quality assurance and qualification recognition of cross-border higher education during pandemic – does physical mobility matter from an Asian perspective

PurposeThe 2020 pandemic disrupted traditional student mobility and forced a larger majority of transnational programmes to switch to a virtual or hybrid mode, including joint and double degree programmes. Therefore, this study aims to perceive the linkage between quality assurance (QA) and delivery modes of cross-border higher education (CBHE) in Asia before and during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThrough an online survey and semi-structured interviews, the process by which top 200 ranked universities in the 2022 QS global ranking responded to QA and qualification issues of joint/dual degree programs in conjunction with delivery modes was explored.FindingsThe study has discovered that most respondents from universities, to some extent, tended to be positive about the effectiveness of hybrid delivery of the joint/dual degree programs, even if they still preferred the physical mode to alternatives. Either “divergence” or “responsiveness” QA modes were not applied appropriately in most joint/dual degree programs of the selected universities during the pandemic. Moreover, a fair, transparent and convergent quality and qualification system should be established to facilitate agility and responsiveness of CBHE.Originality/valueThe findings are of value for policymakers, QA agencies and universities to advocate the new QA model for CBHE as a systematic approach in response to changing higher education landscape in the post-pandemic era.

Bibliometric Insights: Understanding the Factors Affecting Service Quality in Cross-Border Higher Education

The trend of cross-border higher education (CBHE) is rising due to the globalisation of higher education. Higher education institutions (HEIs) need to evaluate the service quality provided based on feedback from international students. This paper aims to identify the factors that affect service quality in CBHE through a comprehensive literature review and bibliometric analysis. The review is based on forty Scopus articles, and VOSviewer and Scimago Graphica are used as bibliometric analysis tools in this study. This study identifies six influencing factors of service in CBHE: academic competence, location and transportation, student engagement, institutional image, physical environment, and socio-cultural adaptation.

Cross-Border Higher Education and Quality Assurance. Results from a Systematic Literature Review

Internationalisation has gained prominence in debates on higher education and can be analysed from different perspectives, including cross-border higher education. Cross-border higher education entails relevant challenges, namely regarding its quality. This paper intends to discuss, based on a literature review, the link between cross-border higher education and quality assurance, namely the role quality assurance may have in contributing to a quality cross-border educational offer. 79 documents (indexed in Scopus or Web of Science) published between 1998 and 2019 were content analysed. The results show that both internal and external quality assurance are relevant topics when discussing cross-border higher education and a means to stimulate the overall quality of this educational offer. Moreover, to be effective, quality assurance must rely on cooperation and mutual trust between importing and exporting countries, including their quality assurance agencies.

Cross-Border Higher Education: The Expansion of International Branch Campuses

The international expansion of higher education has intensified in recent decades with a rapidly growing number of international branch campuses appearing on the scene. This study investigates the economic, cultural and institutional, and educational determinants of transnational higher education on both the extensive margin (number of international branch campuses), and the intensive margin (the total number of educational programmes offered). Using the gravity equation, we applied fixed-effect empirical methods to a panel dataset that combined and extended the raw data from campuses and master’s programmes in 33 source countries and 76 host countries in the period from 1948 to 2016. Estimates reveal that although cultural, economic and institutional ties foster cross-border educational relationships, their effect differs significantly from one margin to another. The study highlights the relevance of globalisation, research activities, and aggregate demand in international higher education.

An Analysis of Research Trends in Cross-border Higher Education in China using Network Analysis

[목적] 본 연구는 1998년부터 2020년까지 중국에서 발간된 학술지 분석을 통해 중국 국경을 초월한 고등교육(cross border higher education) 분야의 연구 동향을 조사하는데 목적을 두었다. [방법] 이 목적 달성을 위해, 연구 주제어를 이용한 의미적 네트워크 분석뿐만 아니라 발행 연도, 연구 방법, 연구 주제, 연구 목적 등을 포함한 분석 기준의 빈도 분석을 수행하였다. [결과] 시간이 지남에 따라 연구 동향과 연구 주제의 변화뿐만 아니라 역사적 발전 과정도 확인되었다. 이 연구 분야의 두 가지 개발 단계인 출현 단계(1998-2007)와 급속 발전 단계(2008-2020)가 밝혀졌다. 이 연구 분야의 핫스팟의 변화는 주로 국가 정책에 의해 촉진된 것으로 드러났다. 또한 개요와 경향을 다루는 연구가 전체 문헌에서 가장 큰 비중을 차지하였다. 그러나, 연구 중심으로서의 학생과 교사 같은 미시적 분석은 현재 문헌에서는 연구가 미흡한 것으로 나타났다. 연구방법과 관련해서는, 문헌 분석 및 사례 연구 방법이 연구자들에 의해 널리 사용되고 있었는데, 이는 지금까지의 연구가 대부분 이론적 검토 및 현상 확인 수준에서 수행되어 왔다는 것을 의미한다. 따라서, 이는 국경을 초월한 교육에 대한 개발 또는 응용 연구와 같은 경험적 연구가 촉진될 필요가 있다. [결론] 빈도분석과 의미네트워크 분석 결과를 토대로, 본 연구는 중국의 국경을 초월한 고등교육분야에서의 학술적 연구가 그간 많은 양적, 질적 성장을 거듭해온 것을 확인하였으며, 더불어, 이를 토대로 향후 연구를 위한 보다 발전적인 개선 방향이 도출되었다.

INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN CONDITIONS GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Problem setting. Modern global challenges have significantly changed the landscape of higher education and intensified the process of its internationalization, the consideration of which has become one of the most discussed scientific problems in the field of higher education. Socio-philosophical understanding of the internationalization of higher education allows us to present it not only as an effective tool for improving the competitiveness of universities, but also as a basis for their social responsibility, a significant factor in improving the quality of higher education. This is extremely relevant to the study of the process of internationalization of higher education in a globalized world.
 Recent research and publications analysis. The study of the problems of internationalization of higher education belongs to the sphere of scientific interests of both Ukrainian and foreign scientists. Among modern domestic researchers who deal with theoretical and methodological issues of internationalization of higher education and analysis of the peculiarities of internationalization of higher education in Ukraine in the context of global challenges should be noted such scientists as Boychenko M., Verbytska A., Voronkova V., Gorbunova L., Debych M. , Zinchenko V., Kiykov A., Krasovska O., Kurbatov S., Mishchenko M., Nitenko O., Sbrueva A., Sikorska I., Stepanenko I., Terepyshchy S., Shipko O. and others. Significant contribution to the theoretical development of ideas for the internationalization of higher education in the context of globalization has also made foreign scientists ‑ Altbach F., Bergmann H., Branderburg W., Brooks R., Wang M., H. de Wit., Geissler M., Knight J. , Robertson S., Scott P., Hudzik J., Hundt S. et al. Despite the fact that the scientific literature has widely reflected the understanding of various problems of internationalization of higher education, still remain debatable a number of issues that need to be constantly considered.
 Paper objective. The aim of the article is to study the essence of the concept of internationalization of higher education in modern socio-philosophical discourse; consideration of methodological approaches to the analysis of internationalization of higher education; identifying the prerequisites for the development of internationalization of education in a globalized world; disclosure of the national strategy for the internationalization of higher education in Ukraine.
 Paper main body. The development of modern higher education takes place in the context of global challenges, among which the most important, as stated in the founding document of UNESCO "Higher Education in a Globalized Society", are: the growing importance of the knowledge society / knowledge economy; development of new trade agreements, which include, inter alia, trade in educational services; innovations in the field of information and communication technologies; the growing role of the market and market economy. To date, according to many scholars, the most comprehensive and scientifically sound of the existing definitions of the internationalization of higher education is the definition given by H. de Wit and F. Hunter. According to them, the internationalization of higher education is a deliberate process of integrating the international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions and methods of higher education in order to improve the quality of education and research for all students and staff and make a significant contribution to society. Experience shows that in the field of internationalization of higher education there are two institutional models: traditional and complex. The first model includes components such as academic mobility; internationalization of the curriculum; international cooperation in the field of scientific research; partnerships with foreign higher education institutions. The comprehensive model of internationalization of higher education includes academic mobility; internationalization of the curriculum; international cooperation in the field of scientific research; partnerships with foreign higher education institutions; international educational programs of joint / double / multilateral diplomas; branches abroad; online / electronic training courses. Currently, the main ideas of the strategy of internationalization of the market of educational services in Ukraine are: 1. strengthening international competitiveness in higher education and research; 2. active participation of Ukraine in the development of European higher education; 3. expanding the opportunities of Ukrainian higher education institutions to enter the European educational market; 4. positioning Ukraine as a leader in the international market of educational services; 5. expanding opportunities for improving the system of higher education and research infrastructure of universities; 6. development of cross-border higher education.
 Conclusions of the research. For leading Ukrainian universities seeking to become competitive members of the global education market, internationalization has already become an imperative and has become one of the most important tools for innovative development of higher education in Ukraine, its successful integration into the European and global educational space.

Conflict in Cross Border Higher Education: Franchised Cross Border Ethiopian Universities in Somaliland Higher Education

This study deals with the conflict of franchised cross-border higher education. The constitution of Somaliland on article 15 No.4 loosen the gate of education for foreign institutions, but bilateral relation between Ethiopian universities and Somaliland higher education is experiencing conflicts. The conflicts are between franchisor and franchisee and among franchisee shareholders. The reasons for the problem are unknown since the existence of cross-border foreign universities in Somaliland. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the reasons behind the conflicts and the effect of the conflicts on the learning-teaching. Case study design was applied. The research approach was qualitative, and both primary and secondary sources of data were employed. Interview, document analysis, focus group discussion (FGD), and observation were drawn for data instruments. The results show that the franchising mode of contract/agreement is not respected by the shareholders, absence of trust is existed in franchised relationship, the involvement of the Somaliland National Commission for Higher Education (SNCHE) is late on the contract and conflicts, the higher education is running without higher education policy, interruption of the learning-teaching, student transfer, and stakeholders suspicion towards cross border universities. The country has joined the world map after Somalia’s destructive civil war and focused on development in many aspects. Likewise, the researcher planned to contribute tangible asset for the recently emerged Somaliland National Commission for Higher Education. So that it initiates local or international researchers in this area for further researches.

Analysis of the Current Situation of Cross-Border Higher Education in the Background of Internationalization

The internationalization of higher education has become the mainstream trend of the development of the world education system. Since entering the period of knowledge education, cross-border higher education has gradually become one of the research topics of the teachers of higher education. The policy system for the internationalization of China’s higher education is constantly improving, and the number of international students is increasing, and great progress has been made in many aspects. This paper takes knowledge education as the background of the subject research, and elaborates the development status of cross-border higher education work based on practical problems. It is expected to help the teachers in the industry to better improve the actual teaching standards, and thus promote the development of China’s higher education internationalization.

Inter-agency cooperation in the quality assurance of transnational education: challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACTThis paper presents the findings of a study undertaken by the United Kingdom Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), with support from the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), aimed at investigating the challenges and limits to cross-border cooperation in the quality assurance of transnational education. The study builds on the outcomes of the recently concluded Erasmus Mundus project Quality Assurance of Cross-Border Higher Education (QACHE) and in particular the QACHE Toolkit developed as part of the project to foster cooperation between quality assurance agencies in quality assuring transnational education. Based on the responses to a survey sent to QAA’s partner agencies in key sending and receiving countries of transnational education, the study extract recommendations to agencies to help them developing viable strategies for inter-agency cooperation, identifying concrete ways in which they might or might not cooperate across borders.

Achieving Legitimacy in Cross-Border Higher Education: Institutional Influences on Chinese International Branch Campuses in South East Asia

All universities must achieve legitimacy, as this is essential to attract students, staff, and resources, including funding. To achieve legitimacy in transnational higher education, universities must conform to the rules and belief systems in the host countries. Adopting a case study approach, this research aims to investigate the different institutional influences on three Chinese international branch campuses (IBCs) that operate in South East Asia. The institutional factors behind the strategies taken in establishing and operating such branch campuses are discussed, as well as the different legitimacy building strategies adopted to counteract the liability of foreignness in the host countries. It was found that legitimacy is established through three modes: legitimacy conformity, selective legitimacy conformity/nonconformity, and legitimacy creation, which are adopted according to the IBC’s dependence on local resources and the strength of the institutional forces in the host country.

Armenia: Cross-Border Higher Education

After independence in 1991, the higher education sector in Armenia started to reshapeautonomously. Many private and transnational educational institutions started to appear on theArmenian educational market and cross-border education gained a tangible popularity. Thisarticle surveys existing cross-border educational institutions in the country and their impact onthe educational landscape.

Armenia: Cross-Border Higher Education

After independence in 1991, the higher education sector in Armenia started to reshapeautonomously. Many private and transnational educational institutions started to appear on theArmenian educational market and cross-border education gained a tangible popularity. Thisarticle surveys existing cross-border educational institutions in the country and their impact onthe educational landscape.

Dennis C. Roberts & Susan R. Komives (Eds.) (2016). Enhancing Student Learning and Development in Cross-Border Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Enhancing Student Learning and Development in Cross-Border Higher Education, edited by Dennis C. Roberts and Susan R. Komives, is a book that resulted from a short-term study-abroad experience between the Universities of Maryland and San Diego with the Qatar Foundation’s Education City in Doha in 2010. This partnership challenged the way in which higher education internalisation was viewed – in such a way that the visit was replicated in 2012 and this book was authored.

The Place of Russian Students in Cross-Border Higher Education

На примере опыта международного сотрудничества ФГБОУ ВО «Ижевский государственный технический университет имени М. Т. Калашникова» анализируется процесс интернационализации высшего образования и вхождения российских вузов в европейское образовательное пространство. Рассмотрены перспективы, открывающиеся перед мобильными студентами в современном мире, а также основные трудности, с которыми приходится сталкиваться российским студентам в международной образовательной среде.

Retraction Note to: “Global Assessment in the World Bank Education Strategy 2020”

This article published in Volume 2, Issue 1, pages 29-41 (DOI 10.5195/ehe.2011.41) has been retracted at the request of the editors. The editors became aware of the issue on 21 March 2016 and quickly began investigating the situation. Several locations in the article contain plagiarized texts from various authors, either with inadequate or no attribution. Specifically, these include: excerpts from Marilee J. Bresciani’s 2006 book Outcomes-Based Academic and Co-Curricular Program Review: A Compilation of Institutional Practices appearing on page 30; excerpts from Tom Schuller and Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin’s chapter in the 2009 book International Organizations and Higher Education Policy: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally? appearing on page 31; excerpts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) website “UNESCO, OECD guidelines for quality provision in cross-border higher education” appearing on page 31; excerpts from David H. Kamens and Connie L. McNeely’s 2010 article, “Globalization and the Growth of International Education Testing and National Assessment” published in the Comparative Education Review appearing on page 31, and; excerpts from E. J. K. McKellar’s conference paper “Change our assessment practices? Why should we? The theory behind assessment practices” appearing on pages 32-33. The author apologizes to the journal and to its readers for the errors noted above.

Cross-Border Higher Education in China: How the Field of Research Has Developed

The aim of the research was to investigate how the field of cross-border Chinese higher education has developed from 1990 to 2015. Ninety-five articles in international journals and 470 articles in national journals were collected and analyzed in terms of authorship pattern, thematic clusters, and research methods. Results show that cross-border Chinese higher education has become an important topic in both the international and national academic community. In general, researchers from Mainland China and Hong Kong have dominated the field. Articles covering overviews, trends, and policy issues constituted the largest proportion of the total literature. However, students’ experiences as a research focus is underrepresented in the current literature. The methods of document analysis and case study are used widely by the researchers. To see growth in the field, more collaboration between national researchers and international scholars is needed; so too are more empirical studies at the microlevel, particularly the experiences of students and teachers; and finally, more diversified and intensive research methods, for example longitudinal or ethnographic study, are suggested.

Translation of the UNESCO/OECD guidelines for quality provision in cross-border higher education into local policy contexts: a comparative study of Finland and Russia

This article analyses the localisation of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education (2005) at the national and university levels in Finland and Russia. The article engages theoretically with research on the translation of management ideas that aim to account for the dissemination of international standards. Using qualitative content analysis, it examines the references to the guidelines in national- and university-level policy documents. The findings demonstrate different types of reception (albeit limited compliance with the UNESCO/OECD guidelines) in Finland and Russia in national legislation and local practices. However, given the increasing global competition in higher education and the related pressure to introduce international standards, it is anticipated that administrative changes concerning the quality assurance of cross-border education will continue in both countries in future years.

Zeal, Agility and Benefaction in Cross Border Delivery: An African Perspective

Internationalization and cross border higher education have received much attention in recent scholarship on the subject but the perspectives are largely those of the developed world. Internationalization and cross border delivery have distinct meanings for and are experienced differently by African scholars and administrators in African universities. The most important of these differences will be addressed in the article through an examination, in particular, of the impetus behind the rapid increase in cross border delivery on the African continent, a brief indication of how various institutions are faring, and the potential impact of cross-border delivery on higher education on the continent. The focus however, will be on Internationalization and social justice for it is these latter concepts that are most cogently expressed in South African and African higher education debates at the present time. The University of South Africa is used as a reference point with the focus on the particularities of a university that has taken as its starting point a zealous commitment to service and development in its internationalization and cross border education efforts on the African continent.

Shifting Institutional Boundaries Through Cross-Border Higher Education

Cross-border higher education (CBHE) has been changing the organizational boundaries of higher education institutions (HEIs). This study aims to analyze the shifting boundaries of Portuguese HEIs through the lens of the identity concept in organization theories, considering three contexts with different levels of regulation: African Portuguese-speaking countries, Brazil, and Europe. These different regulation contexts allow to analyze how the level of national regulation influences CBHE, how this relates to the shifting boundaries of HEIs, and how the public or private character of the institutions plays a role in influencing boundary shifts. This research indicates that shifting boundaries through CBHE are influenced by institutional identities shaped by different rationales and conditioned by local policy contexts. Public universities have refrained from creating campuses abroad or from franchising activities, and their international activities seem driven by academic and cultural rationales. Public polytechnics, more recent than universities, seem more open to embarking on CBHE, suggesting the existence of a malleable identity. Contrary to the public sector, private institutions have created campuses abroad, mainly in African Portuguese-speaking countries, apparently following an economic rationale to guide their CBHE activities.