As existing definitions of transnational education (TNE) specify that an institution or educational program has to cross national borders, some providers commonly perceived to operate in the TNE field are excluded. Country-branded universities (CBUs) do not cross borders, but they borrow or transfer elements of their affiliated country’s higher education system, including that country’s culture and values. We offer a broader, more encompassing definition of TNE that includes more diverse forms of provider.

Most of the existing definitions of transnational education (TNE) involve higher education institutions and/or programs crossing national borders. For example, UNESCO and the Council of Europe define TNE as “all types of higher education study programs, or sets of courses of study, or educational services in which the learners are located in a country different from the one where the awarding institution is based.” It has become universally accepted that TNE includes distance and virtual education, franchised programs or programs offered in partnership with another institution, joint or double-degree programs, and international branch campuses.

Country-Branded Universities

Country-branded universities (CBUs) are a common form of higher education institution, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. The names of CBUs include a country, such as the American University of Beirut and Vietnamese-German University. In these examples, the affiliated (foreign) countries are the United States and Germany, while the institutions’ campuses are located in Lebanon and Vietnam respectively. There are likely over 120 CBUs globally, and at least 80 of these institutions are United States–branded. CBUs are also affiliated with a range of other countries that include Canada, China, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom (referred to as British universities).

CBUs are usually established as independent, private institutions that receive academic and organizational support from one or more foreign universities or organizations. The programs of CBUs may be accredited in the host country and/or the affiliated country. These institutions are locally owned, typically by the government, a wealthy individual, or an organization in the host country. CBUs may help increase higher education capacity and improve educational quality in the host countries, and they may be for-profit or not-for-profit.

The foreign partner institutions of CBUs may assume a variety of responsibilities including developing curricula and assisting in the acquisition of resources and selection of academic staff, as well as quality assurance. However, the ultimate responsibility for strategic, financial, and operational decisions usually rests with the founder(s). Often, partnerships and support weaken over time. Some CBUs may receive a lot of foreign support, while others may operate independently with minimal foreign support.

The Need to Redefine TNE

Most of the existing research on CBUs has focused on United States–affiliated institutions. Authors sometimes state or imply that these institutions operate in the TNE field, even though CBUs do not fit within the existing definitions of TNE. These definitions specify that an institution or educational program has crossed national borders, but in the case of CBUs, this has not occurred. Even though CBUs have not crossed national borders, they do borrow or transfer elements of the higher education system of the affiliated country. Therefore, while an institution and its programs have not crossed national borders, other things may have done, such as curriculum models, pedagogy, academic staff, students, and national cultures and values.

As CBUs adopt aspects of their affiliated country’s higher education system and national culture, the overall educational experience of students at international branch campuses and CBUs may be quite similar. Therefore, students, parents, and employers in host countries may not distinguish CBUs from international branch campuses; in their eyes, both are “foreign” institutions offering a foreign education.

If key stakeholders regard CBUs as TNE institutions, we suggest that it is logical to revisit the definition of “transnational education” to create a broader, more encompassing definition that includes more diverse forms of provider. The key point we make is that a focus solely on programs or institutions that cross borders limits an appropriate understanding of TNE.

A Revised Definition of Transnational Education

In view of the discussion above, we offer the following definition: “Transnational education is a form of education that borrows or transfers elements of one country’s higher education system, as well as that country’s culture and values, to another country.”

Types of TNE Providers That Are Included in the New Definition

• International branch campus (IBC): a campus that is owned, at least in part, by a specific foreign higher education institution.

• International franchise campus (IFC): a campus that operates under the name of a foreign higher education institution, but the foreign institution has no ownership.

• International study center: a small IBC/IFC, or a campus that caters mainly to study abroad students.

• Franchise provider: a private college or institute that delivers programs of foreign universities.

• Country-branded university (CBU): a private, locally owned institution that has a foreign country in its name and which borrows or transfers elements of the affiliated country’s higher education system, as well as that country’s culture and values.

• Foreign-backed university: a CBU that receives funding and/or strong support from foreign partner(s).

• Country-affiliated university: a CBU that operates without any substantial foreign backing or patrons.

• International joint (or joint venture) university: an institution that is co-founded by higher education institutions, organizations, or governments from both the local and foreign country. These institutions are also referred to as binational universities.

• Regional university: a higher education institution founded, funded, and governed by a group of countries in the same region.

• Sino-foreign university (SFU): a form of Sino-foreign cooperative education, which results in the creation of an institution that has independent legal entity status. SFUs are often regarded as IBCs by researchers.

• Sino-foreign institute (SFI): a form of Sino-foreign cooperative education, which typically specializes in a specific discipline or several disciplines and which resides within a Chinese university.

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Professor Stephen Wilkins is a teaching fellow at the International Centre for Higher Education Management (ICHEM), University of Bath, United Kingdom. E-mail: [email protected]

Jeroen Huisman is professor of higher education at the Centre for Higher Education Governance Ghent (CHEGG), Ghent University, Belgium. E-mail: [email protected].

This article is based on a paper that was presented at the SRHE International Conference 2024, held in Nottingham, United Kingdom, on 4-6 December 2024.