China is one of the top host countries of transnational education worldwide, with joint programmes and institutes playing an important role in the internationalisation of the country’s higher education sector. Cooperation between China and the UK has been particularly strong, accounting for more than one fifth of all the country’s joint programmes and institutes at the bachelor’s degree level and above, as well as more than one in five students studying on these programmes, making the UK China’s leading partner country in these terms. The rapid growth of these China-foreign joint programmes and institutes has played an important role in the internationalisation of China’s higher education sector as well as supporting the development of both host universities and the UK partners.

In order to better understand the operation of these TNE partnerships, the British Council has worked with the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) to conduct research on UK-China joint programmes and institutes. The scope of the project included programmes and institutes at the bachelor’s degree level and above that involved teaching delivered in China by the UK partner, but excluded institutes with their own independent legal entity and degree-awarding powers. The research was based on a number of information sources, including interviews and surveys of both UK and Chinese TNE administrators and a quantitative survey of students currently following UK TNE programmes in China, as well as taking into account information from the annual reports of joint programmes and institutes and previous research on the subject.

The research analyses the administrative structure, management mechanisms and decision-making processes of joint institutes and joint programmes, based on interviews and surveys covering TNE administrators from both UK and Chinese partners. It focuses particularly on challenges experienced in the management of these TNE programmes and institutes, and includes four case studies. The research also included a quantitative survey of students currently enrolled on these programmes, looking at the factors that influence student satisfaction. The report concludes by offering suggestions aimed supporting the development of both existing TNE partnerships and institutions considering setting up a joint programme or institute.

The full report is available for download as attached. For any queries, please contact siem.china@britishcouncil.org.cn.