The fifth Deep Dialogues event took place in Cairo, Egypt from 20-22 January 2026, with attendees including tertiary education providers, sector experts and government representatives.
The theme of the January 2026 Deep Dialogues event was 'The role of transnational education in advancing higher education strategies in the Middle East and North Africa'. It aimed to create a space to discuss the diverse transnational education models within the Middle East and North Africa – from franchises and dual degrees to collaborative provision, including digitally-enabled partnerships, and branch campuses – and to reflect on how successfully these models are responding to the priorities of national governments, institutions and students. There was a particular focus on effective strategies to leverage the benefits of transnational education (TNE) collaboration, how TNE interacts with and supports wider institutional priorities, and the outcomes that are delivered for students. The dialogue considered both regional and UK perspectives and facilitated the sharing of practical experience among TNE practitioners and policy makers.