Shaping the future of UK TNE

The last five years have seen significant growth in UK transnational education (TNE). Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, the number of students engaged in UK TNE grew by 43% from 433,000 to 621,000. By 2024, a total of 183 UK institutions had developed transnational provision across a total of 236 countries. This was through both modes of remote digital delivery that have become more commonplace since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the development of in-country campus sites – sites which are now attracting their own cohorts of international students, offering major economic and cultural rewards to their host nations.

Why TNE matters – for the UK, globally and locally 

The advantages and merits of TNE are well documented. For the UK, TNE activity promotes British soft power across the planet. It flies the flag of the UK higher education (HE) sector overseas, reinforcing its world-class reputation, and provides a fruitful export market in boosting economic growth. In the current climate, TNE growth can pose a safer bet than banking on international student growth given the volatility of immigration rules and geopolitical developments impacting flows of students.

It also delivers economic and social benefits, contributing to workforce development, job creation, and the internationalisation of national education systems. 

Maintaining quality and reputation 

With the growth in UK TNE comes a need to ensure that UK providers are approaching their TNE operations responsibly, ethically, and with quality at the forefront. UK HE’s world-class reputation shouldn’t be taken for granted, and UK TNE plays a key role in sustaining that well-earned reputation. Like so many areas of provision in HE, the UK sector – united as four nations – needs to demonstrate it is taking proactive steps to ensure the quality and reputation of UK TNE to prevent pockets of poor practice undermining the rest.

The QE-TNE Scheme 

This is why in 2021 we at QAA established our scheme for the Quality Evaluation and Enhancement of UK Transnational Higher Education – which we call the QE-TNE Scheme. Commissioned by Universities UK and GuildHE for an initial five-year period, the scheme works with UK providers, their international partners, and overseas governments, agencies and regulators, to maintain and enhance the quality of UK TNE across the world.

It is also why – given the global environment for TNE has changed greatly since we designed this scheme at the start of the decade – we are now in the process of engaging with stakeholders from across the HE sector on plans for the new iteration of the scheme, set to launch next year. Our workshop at UUKi’s TNE Conference on 9 October will give providers a chance to feed into that process, shaping the future of the scheme to ensure it provides the most value for its members.

At the end of last year, a report published by HEPI and authored by Reading's Professor David Carter recommended that ’as an ideal, the scheme should be expanded to include all UK transnational education providers’ – and we at QAA are determined to design and manage a scheme that encompasses the aspirations and needs of all such institutions.

The growth of UK TNE has attracted increased scrutiny from governments and regulators, both at home and overseas. Persistent financial pressures on institutions pose a significant risk to maintaining quality, with institutions having to do more with less. 

What the new iteration of the scheme will deliver

The new iteration of the scheme aims to meet these needs, building upon our enhancement-focused approach to demonstrate the active work the UK sector undertakes to ensure the quality of its TNE provision, providing reassurance for key stakeholders. This includes governments, providers, partners, employers, the public and of course the students themselves. 

It will do so by continuing to cut across any confusions or misperceptions caused by the divergence of regulatory mechanisms across the four nations of the United Kingdom. The scheme will offer a clear and consistent approach to the enhancement of such provision, and promote a proactive community of TNE practice which shares tangible insights into effective approaches and responses to emerging opportunities and challenges. 

As well as this, the scheme will issue practical guidance and solutions so that individual providers don’t have to reinvent the wheel. This ensures their investment in the scheme's resources will support improvements in operational efficiencies and effectiveness.

The sector must come together 

Transnational education is clearly an essential aspect of our sector’s current and future operations. It is likely to play a significant role in the forthcoming International Education Strategy, and will continue to be a priority sector for exports and growth.

We hope that you'll take the opportunity to share your thoughts and feedback on the new draft iteration of the QE-TNE scheme at UUKi’s TNE conference, by attending our breakout session on Shaping the future of UK TNE: a first look at QAA’s next QE-TNE Scheme.