UK TNE on the rise – but not in Australia and NZ

Transnational education in UK institutions continued to grow across all regions of the globe last year, apart from Australasia, according to a new report.

The figures, compiled by Universities UK International (UUKi), show that 162 UK higher education providers reported 558,215 students learning via transnational education (TNE) in 2021-22.

The data, which mirrors Times Higher Education analysis from earlier this year, shows a 9 per cent rise in the number of UK TNE students in 2020-21.

The report – an aggregation of data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s Aggregate Offshore Record – shows that TNE numbers have been rising for the past five years (when Oxford Brookes University, a bulk TNE recruiter that changed its reporting process, is excluded).

Student numbers increased the most in Asia, which now makes up over half of the total.

Overall, UK TNE increased across all world regions between 2020-21 and 2021-22, with the exception of Australasia, which saw a decrease of 145 students.

The level of TNE in the region has remained low for the past five years, with no major increases or decreases.

UUKi said this presented an opportunity for the UK to utilise its close relationships, with Australia and New Zealand in particular, to boost TNE partnerships and collaboration.

Australia saw a year-on-year fall of 5 per cent, while student numbers dropped by 7 per cent in New Zealand.

Across Australasia, 99 per cent of TNE students study via distance, flexible or distributed learning. This is compared with 28 per cent who study via these methods across the global figures.

Joana Westphal, head of TNE at UUKi, said it was encouraging that only Australasia bucked the trend of growth and particularly that two of the priority countries in the UK government’s International Education Strategy – Vietnam and India – both saw significant increases.

“We can celebrate this success while acknowledging there is more to be done to build on this and ensure TNE partnerships are strategic, sustainable and secure, delivering impact for the UK as well as the host partner,” she added.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com