UK transnational education (TNE) is set to grow in the coming years in response to an increasing demand for quality international education from students unable or unwilling to travel to the UK, and the need of UK higher education (HE) providers to diversify their internationalisation strategies. At the same time TNE has been identified as a key area of growth in the UK Government International Education Strategy. It appears highly in the international engagement agenda of the International Education Champion Sir. Steve Smith, and the Department for Business and Trade is working with the HE sectors and internationally to identify opportunities for growth and resolve regulatory barriers.
Consequently, we can expect increased international attention and scrutiny on how the quality and standards of UK TNE provision are safeguarded.
The UK regulatory and quality assurance landscape for TNE has changed significantly over the past few years. To fully understand the current state of play it is helpful to take an historical perspective, which can help us reflect on likely future directions and developments.
