Supporting UK transnational education (TNE) through partnership
UK TNE is experiencing unprecedented growth. In 2023–24 there were over 650,000 students studying for UK degrees internationally – an increase of 7.8 per cent over the previous year, and up almost ten per cent annually over the past five years.
There are now more UK providers than ever before opening TNE courses, with innovative models and more strategic approaches to partnership-building.
Given the increasing importance of TNE as a means of delivering UK education, the British Council’s role in supporting UK TNE continues to grow.
Our Transnational Education Strategy 2025–27 sets out a bold vision: to position the UK as a partner of choice for TNE globally, delivering mutual benefit, contributing to sustainable development, and fostering intercultural understanding.
We will do this by supporting further growth and diversification in UK TNE, enhancing the UK tertiary education sector’s reputation for quality, enabling the development of strategic long-term partnerships, and responding to the needs, hopes and ambitions of TNE students and graduates.
Five principles
The strategy is grounded in five principles that define the future of the British Council's work on TNE.
- High quality – ensuring academic excellence and locally relevant outcomes.
- Strategic – aligning with long-term goals of institutions and countries.
- Partnership-led – co-developing programmes that deliver mutual benefit.
- Student-centric – placing student voice and experience at the heart of TNE.
- Inclusive – expanding access and supporting underrepresented groups.
Three levels of impact
These principles guide our work across three levels of impact.
- Countries – supporting system-level alignment and enabling environments through collaboration with ministries and regulators in the UK and overseas.
- Institutions – facilitating strategic partnerships, sharing market insights, and supporting programme development.
- Students and alumni – providing insights into the experience, outcomes, and lifelong engagement of students through our global Alumni UK network.
Four key actions
The strategy is driven by four key actions.
- Improve data and insight – delivering market intelligence, student-focused research, and interactive dashboards to guide investment and innovation.
- Promote UK TNE’s reputation for quality – through global convening, alumni advocacy, and thought leadership.
- Inform policy and support growth – enabling regulatory reform, system-level agreements, and new partnerships in collaboration with the UK International Education Champion and government departments.
- Showcase TNE’s transformative power – demonstrating its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.
