Why do equitable partnerships in transnational education matter?

With the increased engagement in transnational education, UK universities have become more conscious about developing equitable strategic partnerships that embeds into their international partnership frameworks. Similarly, countries around the world are keen to build mutually beneficial partnerships that support their HE ecosystems. However, the guidance to aid universities in developing equitable TNE partnerships is currently very limited.   

The topic of equity remains real and relevant in the Global North – Global South discourse - in particular Global North relations with the African continent; insofar as there’s an imbalance in the distribution of resources and the impact of historical events like slavery and colonisation is tangible in North – South relationships. In the international research collaboration field, the shortcomings of Global North – South research collaborations such as power imbalances and inequitable funding structures has sparked research into how universities and organisation can collaborate with Global South partners equitably. This has led several organisations to develop toolkits aimed at fostering better international research collaboration partnerships.

More research and guidance are needed to support universities’ quest to build equitable TNE partnerships. 

Why are countries in Africa interested in TNE and what does this mean for UK HE?

The number of countries seeking TNE partnerships to support their countries’ education objectives has vastly increased in Africa. Today, more than 60% of the continent’s population is under the age of 25, and are expected to make up 42% of the global youth population by 2030. However, this brings challenges for different countries on the continent, as the demand for higher education and global degrees outweighs capacity and supply. For example, Nigeria has only 700,000 university spaces for the 1.4 million Nigerian students seeking higher education admission yearly. This demand has led Nigeria to consider TNE as an avenue to support their national HE objectives.

This also offers opportunities for UK universities that want to build more strategic partnerships with countries in Africa. TNE numbers in Africa have steadily increased in the last few years. In 2021-2022, as our International Facts and Figures 2023 reports illustrates, the total number of UK HE TNE students in Africa was 58,620. Likewise, UK HE TNE activities increased in Africa by 3.8% with Egypt making up almost half of that number.

The value of UK TNE to different countries and their education systems is evident. Research by the British Council shows that UK universities are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the UN, by providing a large number of students with access to quality education. Over 90% of survey respondents from the Value of UK HE TNE report rated an improved quality of higher education as an essential or very important factor associated with TNE. UK HE TNE has provided opportunities for students who would have otherwise had limited access to receive higher education. Sixty-eight per cent of survey respondents agreed that TNE widens access for students from underrepresented socioeconomic groups.

Why does equity in TNE matter? 

Whilst the impact of TNE is clear, there are fewer examples of how TNE partnerships can deliver this impact in an equitable way. The development of TNE partnerships around the globe has raised several important questions. Is TNE a form of neo-colonialism? Which lenses do students on TNE programmes learn from if the global knowledge production is dominated by the Global North? How much does the current TNE structure consider local knowledge and language of host countries since most courses are designed and imported from the home country of the TNE provider? Furthermore, does TNE support capacity building and address challenges highlighted by host countries? 

UK universities are increasingly seeking best practises and approaches for developing equitable TNE partnerships. For example, the SOAS University of London announced their partnership with Wits University, South Africa which pilots a new equitable model of TNE that focuses on the co-development, co-delivery and co-accreditation of degree programmes that bring knowledge systems together to tackle global challenges particularly affecting the Global South. It is also the first programme at SOAS that features a single fee structure for both domestic and international students. 

What next?

UUKi are currently working on a report that focuses on enhancing the sector’s understanding of equity in TNE partnerships and what this can look like in practice using case studies of UK-Africa TNE partnerships and to propose recommendations for members to develop scalable and sustainable TNE partnerships. If your university has developed or is in the process of developing an equitable partnership, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with [email protected].   

We will be discussing equity in transnational education at our Transnational education conference, held in London. Find out more and secure your spot here.