Dr Sathees Kunjuthamby, Senior Lecturer & International Partnerships Link Tutor, University of Greenwich, shares his experience on bridging UK quality expectations with host-country realties.  

The current transnational higher education landscape 

Transnational higher education (TNE) is where recognised UK degree-awarding bodies deliver higher education-level awards in a country, or to students other than the awarding provider’s country of operation. TNE includes several forms of delivery such as distance, online, face-to-face and hybrid (QAA 2026). TNE plays a significant role in UK higher education. According to a recent report from QAA (2026), the 2024-25 data recorded that 184 UK providers engage in TNE provision in 233 countries and territories and the trend is not expected to decline, on the contrary, it is expected that that education exports to £40 billion per year by 2030 as stated by the UK Government’s International Education Strategy report (DfE, DBT and FCDO 2026). 

The growing strategic importance of UK transnational education 

As a result of this, many UK universities, both with extensive experience in TNE delivery and those newer to the TNE landscape, are investing their time and effort in identifying and developing meaningful and sustainable international partnerships and TNE provision. Countries such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Egypt are emerging as the five leading host countries (QAA 2026).  

Experience as an External Advisor in TNE 

I’ve acted as an external advisor for UK universities and contributed to on-site advisory reviews, franchise approvals, course and institutional validation events in India, the UAE, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Spain (remotely). These processes involve evaluating a range of academic and quality assurance documentation to assess whether the TNE partner can deliver the franchised programmes responsibly and effectively without compromising on student experience and quality of the higher education provision. 

The tension: standardisation vs context 

The central argument of this article is that successful TNE requires moving beyond standardised or export-driven models towards more context-sensitive, collaborative approaches that recognise both the strengths and constraints of partner institutions. 

Regulatory environments 

UK universities seeking to develop TNE partnerships must navigate host-country regulatory environments. For example, in Hong Kong the HKCAAVQ (Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications) plays a key role in monitoring and ensuring that the local as well as the non-local higher education provider maintain and sustain the quality of the delivered programmes. Changes in government policy and requirements can also affect the TNE delivery and contribute to limited host-country collaboration, ultimately leading to discontinuation with the proposed programmes. 

Pedagogical traditions 

Pedagogical traditions vary across each country, and their traditions are strongly influenced by the local context. Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia, for example, are historically examination oriented with emphasis on strong teacher-led instruction, while Singapore promotes active learning, problem-solving and industry engagement. I have also seen significant variations in student-teacher relationships, learning expectations (self-directed learning vs guided learning), feedback expectations, academic support, classroom participation and the overall curriculum orientation (theoretical knowledge vs applied and employability focused learning).  

Digital readiness 

This often refers to the institutional digital infrastructure, student and staff digital literacy, learning management systems (LMS) and the reliability of internet access. Across all countries, both students and staff demonstrate a high level of digital literacy, and hold a well-established infrastructure, which indicates strong readiness to support TNE delivery and provides UK higher education institutions with confidence in the partner’s ability to deliver programmes effectively.  

Institutional capacity 

A benefit of these events is the opportunity to experience the institution in person, rather than through reading documentation and virtual meetings. Visits are valuable and important, as they help build trust, demonstrate mutual commitment, strengthen relationships and ensure everyone involved in the process feels valued. On site visits also offer the panel deeper levels of scrutiny because of their significant implications for investment, sustainability and reputation.  

Direct engagement with academic leaders, staff and students often provide valuable context, improving the understanding of the submitted documentation. We gain more insights into the academic leadership, student support services and matters relating to social, recreational and welfare facilities. We can assess learning spaces, digital infrastructure and operational arrangements and can quickly escalate and address emerging issues in a constructive and collaborative manner. For example, institutions in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia are investing in high-tech learning spaces supporting a better student experience and providing strong support for blended and online learning. 

The challenge: aligning standards  

The evidence I have encountered across the countries I have visited suggests that one of the most significant challenges in TNE is the tension between maintaining UK academic standards and accommodating the realities of local delivery contexts. We must acknowledge the local context, collaborate with the partners and adapt our delivery appropriately, whilst maintaining UK academic standards through the partnership.  

UK universities should not enforce the UK model as a default and expect their international partners to replicate the model in its entirety (over-standardisation). While it is important for UK universities to seek assurance that academic quality, integrity and student outcomes remain comparable with other UK HE institutions, they must acknowledge that TNE partners operate in a different environment, where local realities are shaped by a different regulatory environment, educational traditions and resource environments. This may limit the scope of uniformity; however, it moves away from a ‘tick-box’ approach and prioritises and increases attention on teaching and learning, student success and support.  

What have I learned? 

TNE with UK HE institutions does not require replicating the UK model. Instead, sustainable partnerships are built on local relevance, joint problem-solving and mutual learning. In other words, moving away from the traditional ‘export model’ to ‘co-creation’, whilst still maintaining and reassuring UK academic standards.