QAA. (2021) The Quality Evaluation and Enhancement of UK Transnational Higher Education Provision 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Transnational education (TNE) is education delivered in a country other than the country in which the awarding institution is based. It can be delivered through distance learning, local partnerships with another organisation or through a UK institution’s own campus in another country. TNE offers students the chance to access UK degrees closer to where they are based.

TNE is an important component of UK degree-awarding providers’ global engagement. In 2019-20, 156 UK providers had students on TNE programmes, accounting for 453,390 students studying for UK awards through transnational provision, including through open and distance learning. A report from the Department for Education (DfE) in December 2020 stated that ‘UK revenue from education-related exports and TNE activity increased to £23.3 billion in 2018, an increase of 8.9% since 2017 and 46.7% since 2010', and that 'higher education accounts for 69% of the total revenue of education related exports and TNE activity'.

This publication introduces a new method for the enhancement of the quality of UK transnational education.

Link to the publication