There is a need for better public information about UK TNE students to raise their profile and ensure the quality of the education they receive, a report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) sets out.
The report, written by the University of Reading’s professor of transnational education David Carter, urges for more publicly available data on and an increase in independent surveys of TNE students.
The report, released today and sponsored by the University of Reading, makes three key recommendations for improving the information around UK TNE provision:
Consulting via the Office for Students (OfS) on the best way to provide information on TNE to the public and reassurance around the quality of programs on offer. “One possibility is an exercise like the Teaching Excellence Framework, but on a smaller scale and a different cycle,” HEPI said.
Better engagement with the Quality Enhancement of Transnational Education (QE-TNE) scheme from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which “as an ideal” should be expanded to include all UK TNE providers, with all reports free to access.
More effective use of student surveys by TNE providers to improve data about students’ experiences around the world.
The UK TNE sector is an area of major growth in international education, helping to make a UK education more accessible and affordable to students around the world.
Some half a million students around the world in higher education study for UK degrees and other qualifications in countries outside of the the UK – with the total number of these students increasing every ear for the past four years. However, not much is known about these students, according to the report.
“TNE is one of the most important ways in which UK higher education providers can do good in the world,” said Carter. “If we can unlock some of the learning held in the sector, there could be huge gains for accountability, the continuous improvement of academic provision and the global reputation of UK higher education.”
If we can unlock some of the learning held in the sector, there could be huge gains for accountability, the continuous improvement of academic provision and the global reputation of UK higher education
David Carter, University of Reading
Other stakeholders pointed out the importance of improving the data around TNE provision – which in turn could help providers strengthen their offering.
“It is vitally important both for the students and for our wider reputation that qualifications delivered overseas are of a similar quality to those delivered here in the UK, with robust feedback loops and trustworthy regulation,” commented HEPI director Nick Hillman.
Meanwhile, QAA chief executive Vicki Stott welcomed the report’s recommendation for better sectoral engagement with the QE-TNE scheme.
“TNE is an important and growing area of UK higher education so it is only right that steps are taken to enhance its quality, build public trust and ensure the student experience of TNE students is equivalent to the experience for students studying in the UK,” she said.
Andy Howells, chief marketing officer at NCUK, an in-country and TNE pathway provider, told The PIE News: “This timely report from HEPI underscores the critical importance of student-centric approaches in TNE. As an in-country pathways provider, at NCUK we see daily how TNE opens doors for students who might otherwise be unable to access high-quality international education.”
“We particularly welcome the focus on understanding the lived experiences of TNE students and the potential for broader cultural and economic impact,” he added.
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