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UK universities are world leaders in transnational education. In 2019-20 alone 156 UK providers reported 453,390 students based in 225 countries and territories worldwide. Underpinning this success is the reputation of UK higher education. In the eyes of overseas students and their families, accessing a UK education is a means to a successful career and a better life.
Despite its scale and its reputation for quality, to date there has been little evidence of the impact TNE has on students. Do graduates progress to meaningful employment with better economic prospects? What are the perceptions of students about their experience? Does TNE contribute to creating meaningful links with the UK? Measuring the impact of TNE is crucial to gain a better understanding of the contribution of UK universities to tackling local challenges with a global impact.
This study represents a modest first attempt to close this gap by examining the outcomes of UK TNE graduates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Through questionnaires and interviews with undergraduate and postgraduate UK TNE degree-holders, it identifies common experiences of graduates in their transition from education to employment and their application of specialist skills and knowledge to the spaces where they work and live. Some of the key findings are:
- 84% of graduates expressed high or very high satisfaction with their teaching and learning experience
- 83% of respondents stated that their enthusiasm for further learning had increased as a result of their degree programme
- 84% of respondents felt that their programmes equipped them with both employment-specific knowledge and broad, transferrable skills
- 86% felt they were able to engage with diverse students and staff through their course and that they learned to collaborate in culturally diverse groups
- More than 80% reported that they made use of most of their skills, knowledge, and competencies in their jobs and over half felt they improved their career prospects with employers in the UAE and abroad
- 65% of respondents felt that they were doing well financially, although 67% believed that their career prospects had worsened to some degree as a result of the pandemic
- One quarter of respondents expressed the intention to work or study in the UK in the next five years, 39% were likely to develop professional links with UK organisations, and 67% were likely to visit the UK for holiday or leisure
We would like to thank University College London Institute of Education for producing the report.