Evolving University Partnerships for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Transnational education (TNE) is evolving. It has moved from a necessity-driven model to a more balanced collaboration between host nation and sending institution. As a result of this shift, the issue of sustainability looms large. As the sector has matured, the primary drive is no longer economic and as a result, integration and relevance to context are promoted and cultivated. Universities are looking for long-term engagement and, therefore, must choose partners wisely.

Sustainability for the long-term success of an institution in a host nation is often measured by the extent to which a higher education institution (HEI) can integrate and demonstrate value. This is perhaps most often demonstrated now by employability. In the face of shifting expectations, student debt, and graduate mobility, attention must be paid to relevance of learning and inherent value of degree. We still understand relatively little about the impact and legacy of TNE, or the role it can play in the employability agenda and this is at the heart of the sustainability debate in international higher education (HE).

The issue of access, while not solved for all, has perhaps been replaced in literature with impact, or indeed, legacy (McNamara & Knight, 2014). What is the value of international HE, and to whom? As institutions look to further their global reach, both as a response to shifting recruitment patterns and visa concerns and in order to pursue new funding opportunities and industry partners, a closer examination of university partnerships, both with other institutions and further afield, is required. New models provide new opportunities but are they simply more efficient and less costly ways of achieving the goal of student recruitment? The questions that should be asked are fundamentally why are universities engaging in international activity and who ultimately benefits?

This chapter will highlight key examples of sustainable partnership models. These cases will serve as a valuable resource for policy makers, universities, and HE practitioners. The chapter will explore examples from different countries and contexts, in order to identify core elements of a university partnership that promote, enhance, and support sustainability and do not rely on traditional models of fixed campus presence.

Citation

Hill, C. and Nweiran, R.B. (2020), "Evolving University Partnerships for Sustainable Development", Sengupta, E., Blessinger, P. and Yamin, T.S. (Ed.) University Partnerships for Sustainable Development (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 20), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 133-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120200000020013