The first Prime Minister’s Initiative focused on increasing the number of international students studying in the UK. This was achieved through the development of the Education UK brand and marketing campaigns in key countries. A key aim of the second PMI is to achieve significant growth in the number of partnerships between the UK and other countries. Transnational delivery is highlighted as a key area for development. This will include stretching the Education UK brand and extending the current marketing campaign.

To achieve this, we need to have a far greater understanding of the perceptions of students taking transnational programmes and their decision making processes.

What is transnational education?
Transnational education (TNE) refers to education provision from one country offered in another. It does not include the traditional international student recruitment market where students travel to another country for their studies. TNE includes a wide variety of delivery modes, including: distance and e-learning; validation and franchising arrangements; twinning and other collaborative provision.

The market
There are an estimated 200,000 international students following UK higher education programmes delivered overseas (around 60 per cent of enrolments are at postgraduate level and 40 per cent for undergraduate programmes). Demand for transnational higher education is predicted to increase significantly. By 2010, it is likely that demand for transnational education will be greater than for international students seeking an overseas campus-based experience.

The research task
The key research objectives were:

• to provide a more detailed profile of the target audience: age; employment; income; funding; previous experience and expectations;
• to understand why students choose transnational education (as opposed to studying for a local qualification or studying abroad);
• to understand perceptions and importance of the country the qualification is from (in relation to TNE programmes);
• to identify the key decision-making factors used in the selection of TNE programmes;
• to understand the importance of terminology in the promotion of TNE programmes;
• to identify the main ways students find information about TNE programmes.

Countries
The countries studied were Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and India. Qualitative research was undertaken in these markets across all target groups.

For the quantitative stage, the distribution of the questionnaire was extended to a far wider number of students in Hong Kong, Malaysia, China and Singapore (no qualitative study was conducted in India).

Reports
China
Quantitative research report (440KB) - published January 2006

Hong Kong
Qualitative research report (383KB) - published January 2005
Quantitative research report (414KB) - published March 2006

India
Qualitative research report (499KB) - published July 2005

Malaysia
Qualitative research report (408KB) - published January 2005
Quantitative research report (456KB) - published January 2006

Singapore
Qualitative research report (464KB) - published January 2005
Quantitative research report (440KB) - published December 2005