Transnational Higher Education Programmes Research Articles

What matters more? An investigation of factors influencing student satisfaction in transnational higher education

ABSTRACT Given the growth and evolution in transnational higher education models, the present study investigates students’ perceptions of service quality in dual-degree programmes. It also compares how different programme components and student demographic characteristics influence their overall satisfaction with their programmes. A survey was administered to 117 recent graduates from dual-degree programmes in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Jordan. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics, a principal components analysis, and a linear regression model. The findings indicate that students perceived their learning experiences and available resources to be of quality and were satisfied with their programmes. Regression results showed that higher ratings for local partner university professors, perceived learning and development, technology and resources, and plans to be internationally mobile upon graduation significantly predicted student satisfaction. These findings have implications for the study of transnational higher education and the importance of considering programme models and for universities with transnational higher education programmes.

TRANSNATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION AND E-LEARNING: A SPECTRUM OF OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE IN THE POST-PANDEMIC REALM

Higher education providers across the globe are confronting overwhelming disruptive patterns due to the COVID-19 epidemic. which has dramatically reshaped the face of global higher education. Transnational higher education (TNHE) is gaining traction as a method of bringing globally renowned learning to students' doorsteps. With competition heating up again following the disruption to foreign student flows caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, demand for global study opportunities closer to home is expected to surge, opening new opportunities for transnational education projects around the world. To deliver the same student experience as before the COVID-19 pandemic's temporary switch from the typical teaching practices setting to remote online learning, however, has been challenging for all parties. However, TNHE can assist in the rebuilding of the post-COVID-19 international education system. The difficulties that TNHE programs are currently encountering are examined in this essay along with prospective consequences on teaching, learning, and student assistance as the post-COVID-19 educational landscape evolves. This research is supported by both a detailed analysis of the literature and unofficial data from many parties. It also examines the best way to build a strong transnational education environment over the next ten years in order to improve the standard and sustainability of international higher education.

Challenges and success factors of transnational higher education: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This paper provides an analysis of the literature on transnational education to identify the key challenges and success factors for the sustainable operation of transnational higher education (TNE) programmes as perceived by key stakeholders. Probing the stakeholders’ perspectives and applying a systematic approach, this study analyses 227 English-written articles retrieved from the Web of Science database published from 2000 to 2021. Key challenges identified include difficulties in managing the TNE programmes, ensuring quality assurance, adapting the curricula to the local contexts, accommodating offshore students’ learning styles, creating studying environments for TNE students equivalent to those in the home institutions, ensuring preparedness of the academic staff, and facilitating the knowledge transfer in the host countries. The analysis also highlights six factors for the sustainable development of TNE programmes, including the effectiveness of the operations, the internationalization of the curricula, the transnational experience of the students, the development of the transnational staff, the existence of a proper regulatory framework in the host countries, and the development of a global systematic data collection for quality assurance. In addition, the evidence collected suggests that while the transition from domestic into a foreign programme can be rewarding, it demands appropriate planning and implementation.

The Student Experiences of Teaching and Learning in Transnational Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Study from a British-Qatari Partnership

Transnational higher education (TNHE) of UK universities has been noticeably expanding during the last two decades in the Arab Gulf region, but few studies investigated qualitatively the different ways in which students in that region experience both teaching and learning. The aim of this study is to understand the ways that students conceptualise their learning and educational experiences at a British TNHE in Qatar. Employing a phenomenographic approach, we interviewed forty students in a TNHE UK programme within a Qatari higher education institution (HEI). The outcomes of our interviews generated three hierarchically related categories as follows: developing academic skills, acquiring self-learning skills, and acquiring employability skills. Our findings also suggest themes of interdependence in learning and transferability of skills developed by students. This study offers HEIs a better understanding and insight into the design of TNHE programmes that would respond to the students’ learning experiences and educational development.

Understanding International Joint and Dual Degree Programs

This empirical article examines the policies, perspectives, and practices of building and developing cross-border and transnational higher education (TNHE) programs, with special attention given to the international joint and dual degree programs in North America and Asia. Specifically, this paper reviews the historical, political, and social dimensions of two international collaborative academic degree programs between the United States and Mainland China using Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Sun Yat-set University (SYSU) as the case study. Findings suggest that IUPUI’s most cited challenge with SYSU concerns alignment with general education requirements. On the other hand, SYSU’s biggest challenge with IUPUI concerns language and cultural differences. This article offers five recommendations for teacher-scholars, policymakers, and advanced practitioners interested in developing, designing, and implementing dual degree programs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for future research on and applications and practices for TNHE programs are discussed.

Crossing the ‘bridges’ and navigating the ‘learning gaps’: Chinese students learning across two systems in a transnational higher education programme

ABSTRACT Chinese universities are actively pursuing cross-border collaborations in the form of transnational higher education programmes. Our study captures the experiences of Chinese students to illuminate how they navigate their learning journeys in a China-Australia articulation programme. To communicate the complexity of learning in modern transnational higher education programmes, we employed activity theory as the theoretical framework to explore cross-cultural contradictions shaping students’ experiences of learning. Assessment, programme rules, teaching strategies, and class and campus settings created contradictions that students had to negotiate as in-between learning spaces. We argue that cross-system contradictions play important roles in transnational higher education programmes. Therefore, instead of seeking to eliminate these contradictions or smooth cross-educational differences, these contradictions should be leveraged as learning opportunities to enrich transnational higher education programmes.

Factors affecting the quality of transnational higher education in China: a qualitative content analysis on Chinese host universities’ self-appraisal reports

ABSTRACTIn response to the increasing literature on transnational higher education in host countries, this paper aims to identify prominent factors affecting the quality of transnational higher education in China, as perceived and reported by Chinese host universities. A qualitative data analysis was conducted on 122 self-appraisal reports on transnational higher education programmes submitted to China’s Ministry of Education in 2017 by 112 Chinese host universities. The analysis identified and examined relationships between four interrelated factors: low foreign language proficiency among students, shortage of a sustainable supply of highly qualified teachers, low quality of curriculum design and implementation and deficiencies in institutional regulations. The findings are discussed in the context of the literature, revealing two issues in transnational higher education in China: using local Chinese teachers to teach the imported foreign courses and outsourcing foreign language teaching. The paper concludes with some limitations of the study and implications for future research.

International and transnational education for whose interests? A study on the career development of Chinese students

AbstractA significant increase in internationally mobile students has been observed in the past decades. With the strong intention of enhancing their competitiveness in the global labour market, a growing number of students have embarked on their learning journeys through studying abroad or enrolling in transnational Higher Education programmes. These students expect the international learning experience will enhance their future job prospects and career advancement. However, whether or not this learning experience enables students to secure promising positions in the global labour market and make their investments in Higher Education worthwhile remains debatable. Drawing on both student surveys and in‐depth interviews, this study explores how international or transnational Higher Education affects job prospects and career development, with particular reference to the perspective of employable skills and contextual influences. The respondents of the present research rate their learning experiences highly for hard knowledge, soft skills and cross‐cultural understanding. The majority of respondents suggest that the international and transnational learning experience will positively contribute to their career development. Such findings are supported by similar studies related to the job prospects of returning Chinese students after studying overseas. This article contributes to a better understanding of how students assess their studying abroad affected their personal development, job prospects and career development.

Cultural influences on the design and management of transnational higher education programs in China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of cultural differences on the design and management of two franchise programs and one joint degree program run by a Chinese university in partnership with a British university and a French university. The cross-cultural challenges and the differences in the strategies taken by the managers in both types of program to deal with such challenges are analyzed. The frameworks for such strategies are also proposed.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach was used for the analysis. Participatory observation and interview were adopted to collect information in combination with the written reports on the programs. The interviewees included managers, faculty members, and students. Thematic analysis was conducted to find out the common themes from the coded data.FindingsFor franchise programs, the British university takes a “collaborating” strategy focusing on globalization, which is combined with the “compromising” strategy of the Chinese partner university focusing on localization. Both parties keep their different styles of management and combine them into one new management mode. By contrast, in the joint degree program, the French management mode can be described as a “collaborating” strategy toward the management of the Chinese students and curriculum, while the Chinese managers are seeking to progressively “accommodate” the needs of the French students.Originality/valueFew studies in the current literature are targeted at the cultural influences on the design and management of transnational higher education (TNHE) programs as well as the proper management strategies to deal with such cultural differences. The result of this study will provide useful advice for researchers and practitioners in cross-cultural management of TNHE programs.

The rise of transnational higher education and changing educational governance in China

Purpose– Although the existing literature indicates the strategy of decentralization adopted by the Chinese government has permitted the introduction of transnational higher education (TNHE) into mainland China at its very beginning in the 1980s, relatively little research has been conducted to explore the effects of the ensuing-released policies on the development of TNHE after then, especially at institutional level. The purpose of this paper is to fill this research gap by presenting data/information about recent development of TNHE in China and analyzing teachers’/students’ perceptions of autonomy enjoyed by the newly emerging cooperation type, Sino-foreign cooperation universities.Design/methodology/approach– Based upon the purposive sampling method, we chose University A and B as case studies in this research to ensure the representativeness, since they cooperate separately with the major exporters of TNHE in China. In addition, key informants and snowball sampling were adopted to select our respondents. In total 5 administrative staff and 12 students were interviewed to evaluate their working/ learning experience there. The detailed information about the interviewees are listed as Appendix.Findings– The fieldwork conducted in 2014 and 2015 reveals the governance model toward Sino-foreign cooperation universities could be categorized as predominantly decentralized. Specifically, the authors listed the most obvious aspects showing the different level of autonomy enjoyed by different cooperation types below: the internal administrative structure, the enrollment capacity, the criteria of admission and the quality assurance method.Originality/value– This paper critically explores how local education bureaus regulate these TNHE programs in general and monitor the operation of the overseas university campuses being founded in China in particular. In addition, this paper also reports the field interviews with faculty members and students, particularly their evaluation of working/learning experiences in the field of TNHE. Most important of all, this paper critically reflects upon the changing educational governance and explores what regulatory regime could better conceptualize the changing state-TNHE relations in China.

Impact of U.K. and Australian Transnational Higher Education in Malaysia

This study investigated outcomes of the provision, by one Australian and two U.K. universities, of bridging programs that allow registered Malaysian nurses to upgrade their diploma qualifications to degree level. The study was informed by current literature on Transnational Higher Education (TNHE) programs. Not sufficiently explored in the literature are nurses’ lived experiences of such programs and how far they apply TNHE theory in clinical practice. Using hermeneutic phenomenology, interviews were conducted with 18 Malaysian nurses who completed these TNHE programs. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings were that personal and professional development did occur but it cannot be attributed entirely to the quality of the TNHE provision, which all nurses found to be problematic. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors mediated how far nurses applied the taught theory in their clinical practice. Longitudinal research is needed to identify the long-term impacts of TNHE programs on clinical practice.

Learning and teaching on transnational higher education programmes in Hong Kong

Transnational higher education is the term that is most commonly used to describe programmes that allow students to obtain a degree from an overseas university in their local context. Such programmes are often marketed on their similarity with those offered at home by the overseas university. Perhaps as a consequence, the related literature focuses on 'problems' that are encountered in the 'other' environment, particularly when academic staff travel to the host country to deliver the teaching. Transnational programmes, however, offer rich opportunities for developing cultural capability in students and academics through a sensitively internationalised curriculum. This article uses an autoethnographic approach to discuss teaching and learning in transnational programmes that are delivered in a postcolonial context (Hong Kong) by a university that is in the former colonising country (U.K.). Its aim is to illustrate how, by embracing the complexities, transnational higher education programmes can enrich learning and teaching in both the host and the home context.

Examining the discourses of cross-cultural communication in transnational higher education: from imposition to transformation

The expansion of transnational higher education programmes over the last decade has foregrounded the themes of internationalisation, cross-cultural learning and cooperation in international research, whilst also raising questions about the appropriateness of educational programmes originally tailored for very different contexts, about the nature of the teaching and learning experience and regarding the assurance of standards and quality across geographically, culturally and educationally remote contexts. This theoretical article addresses some of the most salient issues raised in recent transnational education scholarship, with a particular focus on cultural imperialism and the dynamics between the global and local, the ‘powerful’ and the ‘powerless’. Building on the socio-linguistic work of Fairclough, and linking this to Bourdieu’s social theory, the article suggests a way of conceptually re-examining the various power relationships between actors in the transnational higher education field, suggesting a way of reconciling the apparent oppositions and polarities and enabling a more dynamic analysis of the field.

English as the Lingua Franca in Transnational Higher Education

Although there seems to be a wide held assumption that transnational higher education programs have to be taught in English to be legitimate “international” programs, there are a few examples globally of international branch campuses that teach in languages other than English. Using seven institutional case studies from around the world, the research seeks to identify the motives of universities for establishing campuses abroad that deliver degree programs in languages other than English. The problems and issues experienced by these institutions are examined and their future prospects are considered. The main motives of the seven featured institutions for establishing campuses abroad were found to be altruistic rather than financial, but teaching in languages other than English presents advantages and disadvantages to institutions. In 2012, none of the seven institutions had more than 800 students although two institutions had been in existence for more than 16 years, indicating success at some level.

Purposes of transnational higher education programs: lessons from two Indonesian universities

While intended to facilitate knowledge transfer from international universities and develop Indonesian universities' capacity, transnational higher education programs (TEPs) in Indonesia have been criticised for operating merely as an international trade in education – implying discrepancy between the rhetoric and reality surrounding the key purposes for establishing TEPs among Indonesian universities. This case study seeks to ascertain what actually drives Indonesian universities to operate the TEPs. Interview and document data from two private Indonesian universities were thematically analysed to identify the key purposes for establishing TEPs in light of the conflicting global–national–local agendas and unequal power relations between TEP partners. The findings suggest the Indonesian universities actively advanced their particular institutional purposes within the Indonesian national agenda and negotiate mutually beneficial outcomes with their global partners. This study informs other universities to devise clear purposes and expectations in managing TEPs to avoid functioning merely as student recruitment pathways for international partners.

Trading on the West’s Strength: The Dilemmas of Transnational Higher Education in East Asia

Responding to the impacts of globalization and the knowledge economy, the increasing demand for higher education in East Asia is not only met by domestic higher education, but also by importing transnational higher education (TNHE). Importing TNHE becomes an export strategy to attract international students to contribute to capacity building for the importing countries. While trading on the strength of west-dominated TNHE in East Asia is well received, its underlying dilemmas are under-represented. The paper aims to offer an alternative analysis to identify possible hurtful aspects that might be treated as ‘the Trojan Horse’ hidden in the import–export model that might aggravate rather than minimize student mobility and brain drain and deepen rather than alleviate the influence of western culture on East Asian countries. Hence, the overwhelming discourse of capacity building in importing TNHE should be critically re-visited by paying attention to foreign providers’ motives, the nature and characteristics of TNHE programmes, and the reality of the partnership process and arrangement.

Transnational Higher Education and Challenges for University Governance in China

Higher education in China is currently undergoing a process of re-orientation. This paper focuses specifically on the development of transnational higher education (TNHE) in China over the last decade, as well as its implications for university governance. Major features of TNHE programmes in China will be explored, and a corresponding typology will be presented. We argue that in the face of the fast expanding activities of TNHE, the common irregularities in programme operation, and the less effective and efficient mechanism of quality assurance, may well be the major challenges for university governance in China. Structural reform in university governance is desirable, particularly in terms of empowering the non-public sector in Chinese higher education and of separating the role of the Party from academic administration.

Managing transnational education: does national culture really matter?

This article reports on an exploratory study that examined the effect of national culture upon the management of Australia's provision of transnational higher education in Thailand. In particular, using Hofstede's national cultural value dimensions as an analytical tool, interviews with managers responsible for Australia's provision of transnational higher education in Thailand were examined with the aim of exploring how they understood national culture to affect their work and working environment. The findings suggest that, in the case of transnational education partnerships between Australian and Thai universities, managers believe national culture affects both the academic and operational management of their transnational higher education programs. The findings also have possible implications for both transnational education managers involved with other countries and for researchers of transnational education.