TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION

Context & Challenges

The number of Transnational Education (TNE) programme is projected to grow quickly in China. By the end of 2020, there are 121 Joint Institutes and 2,211 Joint programmes operating in China. Over 70% of the 121 joint institutions were approved after 2012 - in 2020, Chinese Ministry of Education approved 24 new joint institutions, a sharp increase from previous years.

Yet opportunities often come with risks and challenges. While there is much enthusiasm for TNE places, market growth is largely affected by institutional capacity to manage the process and deliver quality provision at scale. Partnership negotiation tends to be slow, sometimes unfruitful. Some typical barriers:

• Chinese government priorities may determine when and where such growth can be expected.

• Profound cultural and system differences add tremendous communication costs and administrative burdens to programme set-up.

• Student English skills and organization of teaching resources directly impact on course quality and delivery. 

• Institutions may struggle to achieve positive financial results as delivery costs tend to stay high.

To succeed in TNE partnership in China therefore requires a clear understanding of China’s development and education priorities, commitment to invest in teaching and operational capacities for long term engagement, and right partnership models that build on mutual benefit and financial sustainability. 

iBay Services

For education institutions seeking to develop TNE partnership in China, iBay bespoken services are designed to support you address those operational barriers to maximize success rate. We can: