Join us on Wednesday, 16th September at 8:00pm (BST) with our guest contributors, Alyson Lewis (@alysonklewis.bsky.social‬) and Heather Pennington (@heatherpennington.bsky.social) for a thought-provoking BlueSky chat entitled ‘Entering into Transnational Education (TNE) partnerships potentially means new ways of thinking, being and doing… or does it?’ We will explore what effective TNE partnership working looks like in practice, whose knowledge shapes the curriculum, the challenges colleagues face, and how professional learning, recognition and reflective practice can support more equitable and responsive approaches.

Why this conversation?

Transnational Education (TNE) is an increasingly prominent feature of the higher education landscape, often framed in terms of growth, internationalisation and, inevitably, income generation. Yet beyond these drivers sits a complex and often under-examined set of pedagogical, relational and ethical considerations. Here, we invite colleagues, whether new to TNE or experienced in developing and delivering it, to pause and reflect on what it really means to work across contexts. In particular, we ask: Does entering into TNE partnerships genuinely involve new ways of thinking, being and doing, or do we sometimes reproduce familiar practices in unfamiliar settings?

What is Transnational Education (TNE) and why does it matter?

TNE is typically defined as ‘the delivery of an educational programme in a country other than that in which the awarding body is based’ (Universities UK, 2025a). ‘Host country’ or ‘Receiver’ are terms used to describe where the student is studying and ‘home country’ or ‘Provider’– are used to describe the main institutional campus which is in a different geographical location to where the student is studying (Eldridge and Cranston, 2009; Holubek, 2025). TNE can encompass a wide range of models including flying faculty, branch campuses, joint or dual awards, validation arrangements and distance learning provision to name but a few (Dai and Garcia, 2019; Smith, 2014). Regardless of the type of partnership and delivery model, they all share the following: “the movement of people, knowledge, programmes, providers, policies, ideas, curricula, projects, research and services across national or regional jurisdictional borders” (Knight, 2007, p.2). 

Here are some of the reasons as to why TNE matters. Arguably, it matters to different people for different reasons:

• transformative professional learning opportunities of living and working abroad (Smith, 2014); 
• career promotion/progression and increasing institutional visibility (Smith, 2014);
• opportunities to collaborate on research and develop intercultural learning (Liu et al. 2023);  
• economic growth to the UK – the 2026 international education strategy expects education exports to grow to £40 billion per year by 2030 (UK Government, 2026); 
• important source of financial security to universities;
• boosts a university’s branding and reputation internationally;
• positive impacts on a host country’s higher education system and skills market (Universities UK, 2025b).

The global demand for UK TNE is burgeoning “with over 650,000 students now studying UK programmes abroad – a 70% increase in the last decade” (Universities UK, 2025c). As TNE grows, so do the potential risks to quality hence the QAA’s revised UK TNE Quality Scheme.  The scheme is designed to support institutions in enhancing the quality of their TNE provision, aimed to reassure partners about the UK’s approach to quality and provides practical support in achieving high-quality TNE (QAA, 2026).

The demand for UK TNE has led to an introduction of a new TNE network launched in June 2026, hosted by Universities UK International (UUKi), aiming to be a valuable source of support for the sector. Information about joining the network can be found via the following UUKi website link. 

Experiencing TNE in practice

Flying faculty/short-term sojourners is a very common TNE delivery model and involves staff from the home country flying to the host country to deliver short, intensive teaching blocks (e.g. between 2 to 4 weeks) (Solwa et al. 2025). Alyson brings experience as a former fly-in lecturer on a TNE programme in China, where the work was, at times, “more extreme, intense and disorientating” (Smith, 2017, p.8), yet also deeply rewarding. In her current role, alongside Heather, she supports colleagues navigating TNE delivery and partnership development. Across these experiences, a consistent theme emerges: TNE can be both a significant source of professional learning and a space of uncertainty and challenge. On the one hand, it offers valuable opportunities for development, prompting educators to reflect on their pedagogic approaches, assumptions and values (Smith, 2014). On the other hand, challenges arise around communication, decision-making, curriculum design and differing expectations across contexts. Also, Smith (2014) reminds us that too often the impact on the physical body for fly-in lecturers is not recognised by institutions.

Fast-paced, intense teaching blocks can lead to students feeling overwhelmed, experiencing cognitive overload and language barriers, and having limited time to build rapport with their fly-in lecturers, thereby hindering the learning experience (Solwa et al. 2025). Despite these challenges, students value the subject expertise of the fly-in staff, the diverse student-centred approaches and are highly satisfied.  

One way of ensuring high-quality TNE provision is to prioritise the professional development of TNE staff because it involves “the negotiation of different cultural norms and pedagogical values and practices” (Tran et al. 2021, p.530). The work of Tran et al. (2021) highlight a shortage of effective formal support systems to help staff work across contexts and recommend “building teachers’ resilience in terms of emotional wellbeing to assist them in navigating transnational experiences” (ibid, p.531). Smith (2017) recommends that “it can be extremely beneficial to talk through how your transnational teaching has gone” (ibid, 2017, p.23). Evidence consistently shows that TNE staff received little preparation before, during and after their intense teaching block (Jais et al. 2015). 

A space for critical reflection

In our roles, and in collaboration with HR staff, we have facilitated pre-departure briefing sessions focusing on living and working in Central Asia and negotiating cultural norms and pedagogical practices with staff – ensuring we don’t overlook how our approaches are shaped by the specific legal, cultural and institutional contexts in which they have developed.  

In terms of post professional learning Tran et al. (2021) report that support after a TNE experience is virtually non-existent, ignored and overlooked – fly-in staff and the wider university are missing out on building upon the rich learning experiences that TNE offers. In practice, we have found that compared with the pre-departure sessions which were seen as more desirable to run we’ve not experienced the same level of commitment and support (at senior strategic levels) in running post events such as a TNE round table reflection event – which aimed to bring staff together who have contributed to the design, development and delivery of TNE to reflect, share, evaluate and contribute to future preparation and support. 

In short, professional development for TNE points to the importance of developing a more critically reflective stance; one that makes explicit the “why” behind our approaches. In doing so, we may be better positioned to adapt our practices thoughtfully, in dialogue with local contexts, rather than reproducing them unchanged.

We have found it helpful to frame this work through reflective questioning:

• What assumptions underpin my approach to teaching and inclusion?
• Which aspects of my practice are shaped by specific policy or cultural contexts?
• How might these be interpreted differently elsewhere?
• What conversations do I need to have with local colleagues and students to better understand these dynamics?

Such questions also open up broader considerations around power and knowledge:

• Whose perspectives are embedded within curricula?
• What forms of participation are privileged?
• How can we avoid positioning our own approaches as the norm?
• Why has there been a pushback to organising a round table reflection event for all staff involved with TNE?
• Why are some colleagues/departments of an institution side lined in TNE work? 

Beyond solutions: learning through dialogue

There are, of course, no simple answers to these questions. Supporting colleagues working in TNE contexts requires moving beyond prescriptive guidance towards ongoing, dialogue and collaborative forms of professional learning. It also involves recognising uncertainty, not as a necessary part of practice- something to be resolved, but as an integral part of working meaningfully across contexts.

Entering into partnerships, whether TNE or otherwise, often surfaces deeper questions about our values and practices and those of the institution we work. In this sense, TNE is not just about delivering programmes elsewhere, it is also an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, our assumptions and our ways of working. 

Join the conversation

This LTHEChat provides a space to share experiences, raise questions and learn from one another. Whether you are new to TNE or bring extensive experience, we invite you to contribute your perspectives: 

What would it mean to approach TNE work as a genuinely collaborative and evolving process?

References

Dai, K. and Garcia, J. (2019) Intercultural Learning in Transnational Articulation Programs: The Hidden Agenda of Chinese Students’ Experiences.  Journal of International Students, 9(2), 362-383. 

Eldridge, K., and Cranston, N. (2009) Managing transnational education: Does national culture really matter? Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 31(1), 67–79. 

Holubek, V. (2025). Rethinking the “Provider–Receiver” Dichotomy in Transnational Higher Education. European Education, 1–16. 

Jais, J., Smyrnios, K. X., & Hoare, L. A. (2015) Up in the air: An examination of the work–life balance of fly-in–fly-out academics. Higher Education Research & Development, 34(6), 1123–1137. 

Knight, J. (2007), ‘Crossborder Tertiary Education: An Introduction’, in Crossborder Tertiary Education: A Way Towards Capacity Development, pp. 21-46, Paris: OECD, World Bank and NUFFIC.

Liu, D., Wimpenny, K., DeWinter, A. and Harrison, P. (2023) Students’ perceptions and experiences of teaching and learning in transnational higher education in China: implications of the intercultural dialogue framework, Teaching in Higher Education, 28:7.

QAA. (2026) The UK TNE Quality Scheme [accessed 30 June 2026].

Smith, K. (2014) Exploring flying faculty teaching experiences: Motivations, challenges and opportunities. Studies in Higher Education, 39(1), 117–134.

Smith, K. (2017) Transnational education toolkit. York: Higher Education Academy. Transnational education toolkit | Advance HE (advance-he.ac.uk) [accessed 26 June 2026]. 

Solwa, B., Ayoubi, M. T., Massoud, H., Wimpenny, K., & Ayoubi, R. (2025) Benefits and drawbacks of the fly-in-faculty model in transnational education: a student-centric analysis of teaching pace, communication and faculty engagement. Cogent Education, 12(1).

Tran, L. T., Le, T. T. T., Phan, H. L. T., & Pham, A. (2021) “Induction and off you go”: professional development for teachers in transnational education. Oxford Review of Education, 47(4), 529–547.

UK Government. (2026) The UK’s international education strategy [accessed 30 June 2026].

Universities UK. (2025a). International facts and figures 2023 [accessed 30 June 2026].

Universities UK. (2025b) Developing equitable TNE partnerships: where to begin [accessed on 30.6.26].

Universities UK. (2025c). New analysis shows UK universities lead the world in delivering higher education overseas [accessed 30 June 2026].

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This LTHE chat is designed for colleagues who are both new to TNE and those with experience of developing and operationalising partnerships. Each question begins with a broader topic in bold and is an inclusive invitation to draw upon your own experiences, knowledge and perspectives – whether directly linked to TNE or from related contexts, making your contribution valid and useful to the conversation.

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