The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education. Horizon Scanning: What will higher education look like in 2020? 2013. Pages: 76.

Commissioned by the UK Higher Education International Unit and the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, this study deals with current and upcoming developments in the field of higher education. The authors of the study examine international trends in higher education and their potential impact such as the increasing importance of massive open online courses (MOOCs), transnational education and university funding. Although the authors’ analysis agrees with the general assumption of significant changes in the higher education landscape, it concludes that institutions will drive changes. As such the potential MOOCs impact will probably not revolutionise the higher education sector but will develop into an integrated, revenue-driven business model. With regard to the internationalisation of higher education, transnational education will be most likely favoured as a long-term strategy. Branch campuses will develop further East towards East and Southeast Asia with China and Malaysia as upcoming higher education exporters. Other trends affect a further liberalisation of higher education and decrease of state funding for universities, although this trend is most likely not taking place in continental Europe. Further prognoses on these fields and other aspects such as higher education management and governance, research partnerships or rankings impact can be found here.