Category: Transnational education

  • Where will growth come from in the UK’s international education strategy?

    Where will growth come from in the UK’s international education strategy?

    The long-awaited strategy, released today (January 20), outlines the UK government’s target to reach an annual education export target of £40bn by the end of the decade – up from £32.3bn in 2022. 

    Notably, it removes international student recruitment targets, signalling a break from the 2019 strategy, which targeted the 30% growth of international levels by 2030. 

    “Success will mean hitting the target while operating sustainable levels of international student recruitment,” the document states, doubling down on the government’s overall aim of reducing net migration, as laid out in last year’s immigration white paper. 

    In an exclusive interview with The PIE News, Sir Steve said a focus on transnational education (TNE) was the “biggest change” in the sector in recent years, welcoming the “commitment across government for that pivot to TNE” and the importance of other areas including skills, early years, schools, edtech and special educational needs.

    “The first strategy was a child of that world. Now, it’s much more about moving towards bringing the strength of the UK’s education system across the board to the international market,” said Sir Steve.

    The strategy states the £40bn aim will be achieved across the “full breadth of the sector”, including TNE, English language training (ELT), and edtech, while broadly referencing existing trade missions, soft power networks and boosting financial support mechanisms.  

    It highlights the success of existing TNE initiatives, with exports across all sectors reaching £3bn in 2022. But it doesn’t set out the financials of how much TNE will contribute to the overall growth plan.  

    It recognises the “strong potential” of further overseas expansion and hails the “significant achievement” of Southampton University establishing the UK’s first India campus last year – though the financial impact of the expansion is yet to be realised.  

    The UK’s international education champion Sir Steve is spearheading many of the IES’ objectives, with the government prioritising partnerships in India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, and recognising the “strategic importance” of China and Hong Kong.

    Sir Steve said the cost of travelling to study abroad in the UK was only accessible to a small percentage of students, and that the demand for TNE was coming from international governments.

    “What these governments want is UK quality, but at a price point that is more inclusive for their society, and what we do is work with the government of each of the countries where TNE is growing to make sure that fulfils the needs,” he told The PIE.

    Now, it’s much more about moving towards bringing the strength of the UK’s education system across the board to the international market

    Sir Steve Smith, UK international education champion

    Beyond higher education and TNE, the strategy spotlights the “dynamic” ELT sector, which generated £560m in 2022. It praises the quality of the UK’s English language teaching, assessment and teacher training, though doesn’t explicitly state how growth will be boosted. 

    Meanwhile, edtech and other educational services added £3.89bn to the UK economy in 2022, the strategy states, identifying online learning as another opportunity for growth.  

    While making clear that growth will not come from increased international recruitment targets, the strategy sets out measures to promote the UK as a study and research destination, including through the Study UK campaign partly funded by the British Council. 

    It makes much of leveraging the British Council’s existing diplomatic network “to build bridges across cultures and sectors, deepen global ties, and support strategic collaboration”, vowing to expand such partnerships across global trade, study abroad and skills.  

    The strategy highlights the value of previously announced policies, including the launch of the British Council’s new TNE strategy last year, the UK’s rejoining of Erasmus+, and existing scholarships including the renowned Chevening program. 

    “The UK is taking a new diplomacy-led approach,” states the strategy, which is co-owned by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Department for Education and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). 

    As such, soft power is central to the strategy’s growth objectives, which looks ahead to the upcoming of the Soft Power Strategy that it says will support the IES, though it gives no details of the publication timeline.  

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  • What’s next for Latin American international education in 2026?

    What’s next for Latin American international education in 2026?

    Outbound mobility 

    Intra-regional and outbound mobility from Latin America are set to grow over the next five years, according to QS Student Flows data, though tighter visa restrictions in major destinations and shifting student priorities are transforming study decisions. 

    “Outbound flows are being reshaped by affordability pressures and visa tightening in traditional destinations, pushing students toward Europe, especially Spain,” said Studyportals researcher Karl Baldacchino.  

    “Sector analyses highlight affordability, employability and flexibility as the dominant decision drives for Latin American students,” he said, highlighting that post-study rights and labour-market relevance increasingly matter more than institutional brand. 

    What’s more, international student caps in Canada and Australia, as well as stricter English requirements and dependents restrictions in the UK, and political volatility in the US, are accelerating a shift toward continental Europe, stakeholders noted.  

    They highlighted Spain as the most popular European destination, which is supported by favourable policies and linguistic proximity, with Studyportals data confirming this rise in interest across Latin America.  

    What’s more, Baldacchino said Erasmus+ 2026 – which is open to partnerships beyond the EU – was a way for Latin American institutions to strengthen European ties through student and faculty exchange, joint programs and capacity building.  

    The importance of career outcomes and immigration pathways were trends also noted by EdCo LATAM Consulting founder Simon Terrington, who predicted students from Brazil, Mexico and Colombia would continue to dominate outbound flows.  

    According to a recent EdCo LATAM partner enrolment survey, Canada received a greater proportion of undergraduate Latin American students compared to the UK and Europe, which were predominantly seen as postgraduate destinations. This region was popular among master’s students from Mexico – the largest sender of this cohort – closely followed by Colombia and Brazil.

    Alongside educational opportunities, Terrington said the impact of political volatility and security concerns in some Latin American countries were notable drivers for students wanting to study in different environments. 

    Meanwhile, QS senior consultant Gabriela Geron said Trump’s policies in the US – traditionally the primary study destination for Latin America – would be “critical to monitor as they may influence visa regulations, international student flows and partnerships affecting the region”.  

    Amid recent escalations in US-Venezuela relations, students from the South American country are increasingly turning away from the US, with interest from across the region “somewhat softening”, experts have said, amid reports of noticeable declines in visa approval rates for Latin American students.  

    Inbound mobility  

    When it comes to inbound mobility: “Latin America is taking modest but important steps toward becoming a host region thanks to growing scholarship schemes and targeted English taught expansion”, said Baldacchino. 

    “The region’s biggest missed opportunities remain limited English-taught capacity, underdeveloped TNE partnerships, and the absence of a structured pre-tertiary mobility pipeline,” he continued, identifying the former as the primary constraining factor.  

    While the TNE gap between Latin America compared with Asia and the Middle East has become more visible, Baldacchino said awareness of the issue could also create momentum for new partnership models.  

    Geron agreed that limited program expansion, insufficient English-taught courses, language barriers and infrastructure challenges were reducing the region’s competitiveness compared to emerging hubs in Europe and Asia.

    The biggest structural constraint remains underdeveloped English-taught capacity

    Karl Baldacchino, Studyportals

    She identified three key opportunities for the region: “Strengthening engagement with neighbouring countries, leveraging growing demand from Europe and investing in flexible delivery models – including digital solutions and TNE – to remain competitive”. 

    Baldacchino highlighted some progress by institutions in Chile and Ecuador entering the QS Latin America & Caribbean 2026 rankings, driven by increased international collaboration and incremental expansion of English-taught courses.  

    What’s more, scholarship schemes in Brazil and Mexico continue to attract interest from the Global South, “signalling a gradual move toward Latin America becoming a genuine host rather than only a sending region”, he said.  

    Meanwhile, Geron predicted that Argentina would maintain its position as the leading host destination in Latin America, supported by its long-standing offer of accessible public higher education driving significant intra-regional mobility. 

    However, though there are yet to be any formal policy changes, ongoing political debate about charging tuition fees to non-resident international students has introduced a degree of uncertainty for prospective students, Geron noted.  

    Elsewhere, Brazil’s introduction of post-study residence and work authorisation for international graduates “represents a positive step toward linking higher education with labour market retention”, with the policy set to improve the country’s retention outcomes this year, she said.  

    With elections scheduled this year across Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Nicaragua, Geron saw several opportunities for Latin America’s development as a study destination.  

    She highlighted positive policy adjustments in countries such as Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Ecuador, which, while representing progress towards internationalisation, are unlikely to significantly alter the region’s standing in higher education in 2026. 

    “The improved rankings, expanded scholarship schemes, and targeted English-taught provision across Latin America suggest a slow but meaningful pivot toward diversity,” said Badacchino, advising institutions in the region and beyond to articulate clear, employment-led value.  

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  • South Asia’s biggest international education stories

    South Asia’s biggest international education stories

    1. India set to become the world’s largest higher education system by 2047

    Delegates at The PIE Live India 2025 heard how India’s projected eightfold growth into a $30 trillion economy presents vast opportunities for higher education, with Niti Aayog’s Shashank Shah asking attendees, “If not India, then where?”. Speakers also highlighted that India is on track to become the world’s largest higher education system by 2035, with over 90 million students — positioning transnational education as a key growth driver.

    2. Outbound Indian university enrolments fall after three-year rise

    For the first time in three years, Indian students pursuing higher education saw a drop of around 5.7%, with over 1.25 million studying at international universities and tertiary institutions, compared to 1.33 million in 2024. This comes amid a range of policy changes in major destinations and the rise of cheaper, nearer options for students.

    The decline is also reflected in growing financial uncertainty around studying abroad in India, with remittances for overseas education falling to their lowest level in eight years when comparing April – August 2025 figures.

    3. More Australian and UK universities set sights on campuses in India

    In July 2025, four universities from the UK and Australia — La Trobe University, Victoria University, Western Sydney University, and the University of Bristol — received Letters of Intent (LoIs) to establish branch campuses in India, just a month after the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued LOIs to five other universities from the UK, US, Australia, and Italy. Currently, nine UK and seven Australian universities have either opened campuses or are in the process of doing so, with not only GIFT City but other economic hubs such as Noida, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurugram, and Chennai also hosting campuses.

    Despite this growth, The PIE has explored the rising debate around the “rush” to enter India’s higher education space at a time when international universities are cutting back on jobs and research, particularly in the UK, where four in ten English universities are believed to be in financial deficit, according to the Office for Students (OfS).

    4. Southampton opens India operations, attracts applications from Middle East and South Asia

    The University of Southampton, the UK’s first branch campus in India, told The PIE at The PIE Live India 2025 in January that the process of establishing its Delhi campus had been “fast, frenetic [and] exciting” from start to finish.

    The India campus, which began operations in August 2025, has since gained strong traction, receiving over 800 applications, with around 200 students joining the first cohort, and applications also coming from the UAE, Nepal, and Myanmar.

    5. Sri Lanka set to welcome first ever UK university campus

    The South Asian island nation, which is the second-largest host of UK TNE students, saw its first-ever UK university branch campus this year, with the University of West London launching a dedicated facility in the capital, Colombo, for local students.

    Meanwhile, Charles Sturt University is set to become the third Australian university to establish a campus in Sri Lanka. The country’s skills gaps and its Vision 2048 development agenda are driving Sri Lanka to pursue such opportunities, as it continues to face limited capacity across its 20 public universities, despite around 160,000 students seeking tertiary education each year.

    6. Trump and Modi pledge stronger India–US higher education ties

    While US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appear at odds on trade, with Trump doubling tariffs on India to as much as 50%, both leaders are advocating closer ties in higher education. Their focus includes scientific research, dual degrees, joint centres of excellence, and offshore campuses, with Illinois Tech becoming the first US institution to receive approval for a campus in India.

    7. Cities within cities to host international university campuses

    Major Indian cities are planning dedicated education hubs on the outskirts of newly developing urban areas. While “Third Mumbai”, a purpose-built education city, is set to host five international universities near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) is developing the Knowledge City in Tiruvallur.

    The Tamil Nadu Knowledge City aims to create a first-of-its-kind education and research hub in southern India, attracting both international and domestic universities, along with academic institutions and research organisations.

    8. Bangladeshi government opens doors to international campuses and dual programs

    Bangladesh’s University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced its plans to develop “clear and stringent” guidelines for formulating a policy around international university branches in the country. While there has been interest from countries like the UK and Malaysia, the policy’s review and national interest assessments are currently underway.

    The establishment of branch campuses would be seen as key, as Bangladeshi students have faced increasing visa denials and allegations of misusing study visa status to enter the labour market, with universities in the UK and countries like Denmark imposing restrictions on them.

    9. F‑1 visa declines hit India and China hardest

    Though India has retained its position as the US’s largest sending country, accounting for 31% of all international students according to 2024/25 data, it — along with China — has borne the brunt of declining US study visa issuances. The number of Indian students receiving US study visas fell by over 41% in the year to May 2025, amid a range of policies targeting international students, including heightened social media vetting, proposed visa time limits, and increased deportations and SEVIS status terminations over political views and other minor misdemeanours.

    These developments have made international students, particularly Indians, more cautious about studying in what is widely considered the world’s top study destination.

    10. India to unveil new scheme for Indian-origin researchers overseas

    India’s Ministry of Education, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) are working to “bring back” Indian-origin researchers and scientists with strong academic credentials, targeting 12–14 priority STEM areas deemed strategically important for national capacity building.

    11. UGC launches dedicated portal for study-abroad returnees in India

    In April 2025, the UGC launched a standardised framework for recognising international degrees in India. Indian students who have studied abroad and wish to return for further education or employment can now apply for an equivalence certificate through the higher education body’s portal by paying the prescribed fee.

    12. B2B international education platform Crizac debuts on Indian stock market

    Kolkata-headquartered Crizac, which plans to expand beyond student recruitment into areas such as student loans, housing, and other services, and is targeting new geographies and growth markets within India, raised £74 million in its Initial Public Offering (IPO).

    The company listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), becoming one of the few education platforms to enter the IPO space. Major edtech players like PhysicsWallah followed later, aiming for a USD$3.6 billion valuation through a USD$393 million IPO.

    13. Cost drives Pakistan’s TNE growth as student mobility barriers rise

    International universities and education providers are pivoting to TNE in Pakistan due to the country’s price-sensitive environment which is creating challenges for students going abroad for education. While Pakistan faces weak investment in research and development, its strategic growth vision is driving rising demand for international qualifications among students, delegates heard at The PIE Live Europe 2025.

    This shift is particularly significant as several institutions, especially from the UK, have halted recruitment in certain cities and increased deposit requirements from 50% to the full tuition fee.

    14. International universities tap into Nepal’s mobile student population

    With a student mobility ratio of 19% — ten times that of its giant neighbours, India and China — Nepal has attracted visits from over 16 universities under the Nepal Rising initiative. The country is already planning 30 or more franchise TNE campuses, with 30,000 students approved by the Ministry of Education.

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  • Who’s helping UK unis open their Indian campuses?

    Who’s helping UK unis open their Indian campuses?

    India is becoming the next transnational education (TNE) hotspot, with nine top UK universities having announced plans to open overseas branch campuses out there. Earlier this year, the University of Southampton became the first of this new tranche of campuses to open its doors, with several others close behind.

    As the TNE boom continues, several universities have revealed the independent providers that are helping them set up their campuses in India. Meanwhile, other providers have expressed an interest in this space.

    Here’s our list of who’s working with who.

    Who’s opening a campus in India?

    Nine UK universities have confirmed they are joining the TNE scramble in India. They are:

    1. The University of Southampton
    2. The University of Liverpool
    3. The University of York
    4. The University of Aberdeen
    5. The University of Bristol
    6. Coventry University
    7. The University of Surrey
    8. Lancaster University
    9. Queen’s University Belfast

    Who are they working with?

    Oxford International Education Group (OIEG) – Southampton has confirmed it worked with OIEG in setting up its campus in Gurugram, which opened earlier this year. OIEG provided the financial backing and the professional services needed to set up the campus

    India Business Group – Another provider assisting Southampton on the ground, India Business Group is providing the university with strategic support.

    Emeritus and Daskalos – The University of York has confirmed it is working with the edtech platform Emeritus to set up its Mumbai campus. Working alongside Emeritius is Daskalos – a new venture from Atul Khosla, the founder and vice-chancellor of Shoolini University, as confirmed by Khosla in a LinkedIn post. Khosla has said Emeritus and Daskalos’s partners include “three Russell Group Universities, one of the oldest universities of the world, a top tier US university and a leading Australian university”.

    Khosla has also confirmed on LinkedIn that Daskalos and Emeritus are working with the University of Liverpool on its Bengaluru campus, as well as the University of Bristol on its Mumbai campus. Meanwhile, it appears that the University of Aberdeen may be another institution working with the duo, with a job posting advertising an Emeritus job at the university.

    Study World – The education infrastructure company Study World is working with Coventry on its GIFT City campus, according to local news reports. The company’s group chief operating officer Kate Gerrard is quoted as saying: “Study World has over two decades of experience in delivering a wide range of educational services in partnership with leading international universities around the world. This association with Coventry University in India will be highly beneficial for students in India and the wider region.”

    GUS Global Services – The University of Surrey has confirmed it it is working with GUS Global Services, with GUS leading on strategic support services such as Indian student enrolment support, advice on the local market and campus and operational management.

    For their part, Lancaster University and Queens University Belfast have remained tight lipped on which providers – if any – they are working with as they explore setting up campuses in India.

    Which other providers could be eyeing up opportunities?

    GEDU Global Education – the UK-headquartered company has already invested in several campuses in GIFT City, making it a prime provider to step in and help institutions set up overseas branches in India.

    UniQuad – an arm of ECA, which has previously partnered with UK universities to run overseas campuses and other TNE projects, UniQuad is a new division with a specific goal of introducing university partners to India’s evolving educational landscape, meaning it’s well placed to help in this area.

    Amity – the private Indian provider is already working with major British institutions – such as Queen Mary University of London – on program articulation arrangements in India, as well as having MoUs with others on things like joint research and dual degrees. Could it be looking to expand into new ventures?

    British Council – while the British Council isn’t a private provider, it is a key strategic enabler for institutions looking to set up in India. It can help with policy dialogue and advocacy, support through the UK Universities in India Alliance, as well as providing market intelligence, helping institutions decide which partners are right for them.

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  • Is North America’s scramble for TNE over?

    Is North America’s scramble for TNE over?

    Jason E. Lane is one of the founders of the Cross-Border Education Research Team, which has been monitoring the transnational education (TNE) sector since 2010. According to its data, the United States is the top player – it has 97 overseas campuses. In comparison, Canada fields just eight.

    Opening a satellite location is not for the faint of heart. TNE often requires significant financial investments, which can evaporate if the school fails to attract students or runs into political trouble in the host country.

    “There are a range of challenges,” Lane said. “These include maintaining the quality of teaching and offering the types of educational experiences that are available on the main campus.”

    Some top American schools, including Harvard and Princeton, have declined to pursue the TNE model, instead relying on partnerships to build their international profiles.

    While America remains the leader, Australia, with a population of just 27 million people, punches far above its weight, with 24 satellite campuses.

    “Australia has a long history of being internationally engaged,” Lane said. “They looked at their own slowly growing population base and decided to expand overseas. It’s part of a longer term strategy of internationalisation.”

    There are a range of challenges… These include maintaining the quality of teaching and offering the types of educational experiences that are available on the main campus
    Jason E. Lane, Cross-Border Research Team

    Recently, some universities have backtracked on their commitment to foreign campuses. Last year, Texas A&M University announced that it was closing its 20-year-old campus in Qatar to focus on its core work in the United States. Board chair Bill Mahomes said the school “did not necessarily need a campus infrastructure 8,000 miles away to support education and research collaboration”.

    In August, the University of Calgary shuttered its Qatar site after providing training to local learners there for many years. It provided no reason for the decision and did not respond to a request for more information.

    For David Robinson, the executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the answer is clear: “In the end, as Calgary’s experience shows, I think branch campuses have largely turned out to be a failed business model.”

    Robinson said the association had “for many years” raised concerns about institutions setting up campuses in parts of the world where academic freedom might not be upheld or respected in the same way as it would in Canada.

    Academic freedom worries are also prevalent in the US, Lane told The PIE News. “A lot of US campuses have gotten into establishing foreign campuses while wanting guarantees of academic freedom. But those countries may have different definitions of academic freedom.”

    Overseas campuses serve a wide range of students. In some cases, especially in the Middle East, satellites enrol only local or regional learners.

    Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, has had a site at a castle in England for 30 years; many of the students attending are on a semester or year abroad from the Canadian campus.

    Others leverage their overseas satellites to attract attendees from across the globe. Webster University, based in St. Louis, Missouri, has operations in several locations, including Geneva.

    It offers a seamless transition between taking courses there and at the US campus. The Swiss school draws students from many countries; diverse classes prepare students to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

    New campuses are now reflecting shifts in the global geopolitical alignment, Lane says. After Hungary tilted to the right and fell into the Russia-China orbit, Fudan University of Shanghai opened a satellite in that country.

    With its growing population and improving economic development, Africa is increasingly viewed as a potential market. Currently, universities from the United States, United Kingdom, France and Netherlands have satellites on the African continent.

    The post Is North America’s scramble for TNE over? appeared first on The PIE News.

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  • Third Australian university to open in Sri Lanka amid rising demand

    Third Australian university to open in Sri Lanka amid rising demand

    The campus, set to be established in the capital of Colombo with its first intake by mid-2026, will initially offer courses in business and early childhood education, with programs in IT, psychology, engineering, and health “earmarked” for future expansion.

    “We are excited to bring Charles Sturt’s world-class courses to students in Sri Lanka. It will also facilitate new and valuable academic and research connections and build greater awareness of Charles Sturt University and our regional communities internationally,” stated Charles Sturt vice-chancellor, Renée Leon.

    Despite over 160,000 Sri Lankan students seeking tertiary education each year, roughly three-quarters miss out due to limited spaces across just 20 public universities.

    But with a private education market worth over USD$1.1 billion and more than 60,000 Sri Lankan students pursuing transnational education (TNE) each year, Charles Sturt University aims to make its programs more accessible while generating revenue that can be reinvested into its regional education mission.

    “The benefits of this venture are not limited to the students in Sri Lanka and the skills and knowledge they will bring to their nation’s workforce,” Leon said. 

    “This vital and underfunded regional mission remains at the heart of Charles Sturt. It is why we are here and why we are important.” 

    It (Sri Lanka campus) will also facilitate new and valuable academic and research connections and build greater awareness of Charles Sturt University and our regional communities internationally

    Renée Leon, Charles Sturt

    The university will lean on Prospects Education for its TNE delivery in Sri Lanka, similar to its longstanding China Joint Cooperation program, another key TNE venture.

    According to Mike Ferguson, pro vice-chancellor (international) at Charles Sturt, the new Sri Lanka campus “will create high-quality university places in areas of skills priority, aligning closely with the Australian government’s priorities”, he said in a post on LinkedIn.

    Sri Lanka already hosts two Australian institutions: Edith Cowan University, launched in August 2023, and Curtin University in December 2024. Australia’s TNE enrolments in Sri Lanka reached 3,145 in 2022.

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  • a different vision of TNE

    a different vision of TNE

    Across the UK, universities are scrambling to expand their transnational education (TNE) footprints. In the wake of declining international student enrolments at home and a domestic funding model under acute strain, offshore delivery has re-emerged as a strategic hedge.

    New projects are announced almost weekly, typically centred on business, computing, and other classroom-based disciplines with low capital requirements and modest regulatory complexity. Much of this expansion is pragmatic, responsive, and seen as necessary by its proponents.

    But the speed and shape of this growth obscures an uncomfortable truth: the UK has mainly defaulted to a narrow model of TNE, one optimised for rapid expansion rather than academic depth, high stakes provision or long-term national capacity building. As a result, the sector’s diversification strategies increasingly look alike – thinly spread, opportunistic, and largely confined to low-risk subject areas.

    A recent visit to Bahrain has reminded me that international higher education can look very different. Just over an hour’s flight from London, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has developed a form of TNE that stands in almost complete contrast to the dominant UK: high investment, clinically intensive, deeply embedded in national systems, and aligned to strategic workforce needs.

    RCSI Bahrain opened in 2004 and is now a fully-fledged medical university with purpose-built clinical and educational facilities, deep partnerships across Bahrain’s health system, and a student and graduate community that plays a meaningful role in the country’s healthcare workforce. This is not a flying-faculty project, not a joint diploma model, and not an exercise in offshore classroom leasing. It is an institution.

    A global footprint with real depth

    What struck me is how long RCSI has been doing this, and how quietly. While most UK universities are only now building or acquiring capacity for offshore growth, RCSI has been operating overseas for nearly three decades. Its Malaysia campus, originally Penang Medical College, dates back to 1996. Postgraduate leadership and healthcare management education has been delivered in Dubai since 2005.

    More recently, new activity has emerged in Saudi Arabia. These ventures are not opportunistic or defensive responses to market turbulence; they form part of a long-term strategy grounded in health-system needs and in a clear institutional mission.

    Importantly, all of this activity sits within the high-stakes world of medical and clinical education, probably the most heavily regulated and risk-sensitive domain in the entire global HE landscape. Where many institutions are pursuing TNE in the subjects that are cheapest to deliver and fastest to scale, RCSI operates in the areas that are most demanding to deliver offshore. That difference matters.

    An unexpectedly diverse and high-calibre student body

    But the real revelation in Bahrain was the students. The academic calibre is extremely high, and the student body is more diverse than I had assumed. The majority come from Bahrain and the wider Gulf region, with many drawn by the RCSI brand, its teaching hospitals, and its international pathways. What surprised me is that almost 10% of the cohort is North American.

    For students from the United States and Canada, choosing to study medicine in Bahrain is a bold step. Yet the rationale is compelling: a prestigious medical qualification that is portable, internationally recognised, and delivered to global standards but without the enormous financial and time of the traditional US route into medicine.

    The real revelation in Bahrain was the students. The academic calibre is extremely high, and the student body is more diverse than I had assumed

    In North America, students must complete a four-year bachelor’s degree before being eligible to enter medical school. This adds both significant direct cost and four additional years of living expenses and lost earning potential. Only then do they begin a four-year MD program, with total medical-school tuition routinely exceeding US $300,000 – and that’s before accommodation, insurance or clinical fees.

    RCSI Bahrain, by contrast, follows the Irish and British model of direct entry from high school, enabling students to start medical training immediately and progress through a continuous five- or six-year program. This eliminates the cost of a prior undergraduate degree and reduces opportunity cost by allowing students to enter clinical practice years earlier.

    The result is a stark difference in the total cost of becoming a doctor. RCSI Bahrain offers a rigorous medical program with strong clinical exposure, international accreditation pathways and a clear route back into North American licensing systems at a significantly lower overall cost. For many families, it represents a rational and high-value alternative to the US model, not a compromise.

    The TNE contrast: scale vs substance

    Set against this, the current UK TNE boom looks very different. Offshore campuses and partnerships are proliferating rapidly, but they overwhelmingly target business and management programs – disciplines with low regulatory barriers, minimal specialised infrastructure needs, and high domestic and international demand.

    There is nothing inherently wrong with this; diversification is essential, and partnering overseas can strengthen institutional resilience and relevance. But it does highlight a structural truth: most TNE models are designed for scale, not depth. They minimise risk by limiting investment, and they expand access by lowering the cost base.

    By contrast, RCSI Bahrain shows what international engagement can look like when it is mission-driven, academically demanding, and built over decades. It demonstrates that global footprints do not need to be thin, transactional, or opportunistic. They can be embedded, trusted, and strategically aligned with national health-workforce needs.

    A reminder for the sector

    RCSI Bahrain is not a model that every university can or should replicate. Offshore medical education requires capital, regulatory alignment, institutional patience and mission clarity. But it is a powerful counterexample at a moment when the UK is thinking urgently, and sometimes narrowly, about what TNE is for.

    The sector conversation about TNE often focuses on volume, compliance, and partnership mechanics

    If our offshore activity is driven primarily by income diversification and speed to market, we risk building global footprints that are wide but shallow. The sector conversation about TNE often focuses on volume, compliance, and partnership mechanics. What is missing is a discussion about purpose, discipline mix, national contribution, and the kinds of international engagement that strengthen institutional identity rather than dilute it.

    RCSI Bahrain shows that TNE can be academically demanding, strategically aligned and socially impactful. It demonstrates that an overseas campus can contribute to national capacity building, not just institutional revenue; that clinical programs can be delivered to global standards offshore; and that international students, including those from North America, will travel for quality and value.

    As the UK sector rethinks its international strategies, we would do well to look beyond the models that are easiest to scale, and towards those, like RCSI’s, that are deepest, most durable, and most aligned to mission.

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  • Liverpool University’s India campus to open in major Bangalore township

    Liverpool University’s India campus to open in major Bangalore township

    While more details are expected at the University of Liverpool India’s launch event in Bangalore on December 15, the campus in the integrated township — which includes residential, commercial, and institutional facilities — will feature “flexible spaces”, according to the university.

    The campus will have smart classrooms, research and collaborative spaces, specialised labs, and comprehensive co-working hubs for faculty, students, and entrepreneurs, offering a “state-of-the-art, 360-degree learning environment” for its inaugural cohort, set to begin in August 2026.

    “We are looking forward to welcoming our inaugural cohort of talented students in 2026 and providing them with an exceptional learning experience that strengthens their skills and employability,” said Lucy Everest, chief operating officer, University of Liverpool.

    She visited Bangalore and Mumbai this week to meet educators, potential applicants, and alumni as the university plans to grow the campus to 5,000 students in five years and 10,000 in 10.

    “Alembic City is the perfect place to realise this vision and our new campus will provide our students with the very best facilities to support their learning journey with us.”

    By the time we open next summer, we’ll have developed relationships with a wide range of businesses and social enterprises in Bangalore, which will be really important for students
    Tim Jones, University of Liverpool

    The university has also opened admissions for 2026, offering postgraduate programs in accounting and finance and computer science, alongside undergraduate courses in business management, biomedical sciences, computer science, accounting and finance, and a game design program — “which combines the university’s music and computer science departments, something not many other UK campuses are offering in India”, according to vice-chancellor, Tim Jones.

    “What we will ensure is that there’s a ‘Liverpool feel’ to the campus. Students who come to the University of Liverpool, Bangalore, should experience the distinctive elements of Liverpool,” Jones told The PIE News.

    “There will be unique features in the design that I hope students will really appreciate.”

    For Jones — who was part of the 126-member UK delegation to India led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which included entrepreneurs, cultural figures and university leaders following the landmark trade deal between the two countries — Bangalore was a natural choice for the new campus for a range of reasons.

    The city, a major IT hub with leading Indian and multinational tech and biotech firms, is familiar ground for the red-brick Russell Group university, which has a long-standing, research partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and ongoing collaborations with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore. Both institutions also happen to have two of the world’s oldest and most prominent biochemistry departments.

    Moreover, one of the University of Liverpool’s biggest corporate partners is Unilever, which has an R&D centre in Bangalore, with pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca and IT firms like Wipro also expected to play a role in research, innovation and industry collaboration through the India campus.

    “We did explore other cities, but it was quite easy for us to pick Bangalore because we had already begun building strong relationships in the city and the wider Karnataka region,” stated Jones, who praised the city’s tech-entrepreneurial culture and the opportunities it offers for a university to “engage, collaborate and grow”.

    “By the time we open next summer, we’ll have developed relationships with a wide range of businesses and social enterprises in Bangalore, which will be really important for students. This is a big focus for us this year — we have already started, and we’ll be doing much more.”

    In the lead-up to the campus opening next year, the University of Liverpool will focus on faculty exchanges between the Liverpool and Bangalore campuses, attracting international students, and expanding scholarship opportunities for its India-based cohort, according to Jones.

    But the university — which views global engagement and partnerships as central to its Liverpool 2031 strategy — is not the only UK institution advancing its India campus plans.

    Nine UK universities now have approval to establish campuses in the South Asian country, with the University of Southampton leading the pack, already welcoming around 150 students in the first cohort at its Gurugram campus in August this year.

    In this landscape, the University of Liverpool aims to distinguish itself from other UK institutions by offering distinctive programs and embedding research from “day one”, drawing on lessons from its only other international branch campus — the Xi’an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (XJTLU) in Suzhou, China — as it shapes its approach in India.

    “We have experience from our successful campus in China, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has nearly 30,000 students. That experience gives us confidence that we can succeed in India as well,” stated Jones.

    “The funding model was also different 20 years ago. But the exchange of staff and students is embedded in what we do in China. I see the same happening with India as the campus develops.”

    However, despite the China campus’s success, recent reports suggest it may require stronger oversight amid concerns about teaching methods, class sizes, and students’ English proficiency.

    While the rapid push to establish branch campuses in India has also sparked debate about the trend among major UK universities, Jones says he is focused on making Liverpool’s India launch a “big success”.

    “It took us 20 years to go from China to India. There will likely be other ventures in the future, but right now, I’m very focused on making this a big success — for the students, for the university, and for India,” stated Jones.

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  • India embraces UK unis, says Southampton VC after Starmer-Modi meet

    India embraces UK unis, says Southampton VC after Starmer-Modi meet

    He was part of a 126-member UK delegation to India led by UK Prime Minister Starmer, which included entrepreneurs, cultural leaders, and university VCs, to celebrate the landmark trade deal between the two countries.

    “The presence of all nine UK universities with a Letter of Intent (LoI) or Letter of Acceptance (LoA) is a major achievement for the UK HE sector, surpassing approvals from all other countries,” said Atherton, in a chat with The PIE News.

    “UK universities have embraced the new regulations and India has embraced UK universities. All nine universities met with Prime Minsters Modi and Starmer during their joint press [conference], which celebrated the campuses and highlighted their contribution to the growth and development of higher education in India.”

    Though Starmer has insisted that visa routes for Indian workers and students are not part of the broader trade deal, expanding overseas offerings for students to study in India was a key aim of the trip.

    Major UK universities, including Coventry, Queen’s University Belfast, Surrey, Bristol, York, Aberdeen, Lancaster, and Liverpool, are set to launch campuses by 2026 across GIFT City, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Southampton is the only functional campus so far, opening in August with 120 students in its inaugural cohort.

    The presence of all nine UK universities with a LoI or LoA is a major achievement for the UK HE sector, surpassing approvals from all other countries
    Andrew Atherton, University of Southampton

    India’s growing demand for higher education, projected at 70 million places by 2035, presents opportunities for UK institutions, particularly as cautious immigration policies shape study abroad choices among Indian students.

    Both countries are also set to deepen education ties through the Vision 2035 framework, with an annual ministerial dialogue to review qualification recognition and promote knowledge-sharing via platforms like the UK’s Education World Forum and India’s National Education Policy (NEP).

    The University Grants Commission (UGC), India’s higher education regulator, introduced relaxed rules in 2023 for foreign universities to open branch campuses in India. While initial interest was slow, many institutions are now actively exploring opportunities, according to Atherton.

    “When the NEP first talked about international campuses in India there was some debate and activism about whether international universities would apply,” said Atherton.

    “With nine from the UK and three from Australia and one from the US, the policy has proven its ability to engorge international universities to set up campuses in India.”

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  • India embraces UK unis, says Southampton VP after Starmer-Modi meet

    India embraces UK unis, says Southampton VP after Starmer-Modi meet

    He was part of a 126-member UK delegation to India led by UK Prime Minister Starmer, which included entrepreneurs, cultural leaders, and university VCs, to celebrate the landmark trade deal between the two countries.

    “The presence of all nine UK universities with a Letter of Intent (LoI) or Letter of Acceptance (LoA) is a major achievement for the UK HE sector, surpassing approvals from all other countries,” said Atherton, in a chat with The PIE News.

    “UK universities have embraced the new regulations and India has embraced UK universities. All nine universities met with Prime Minsters Modi and Starmer during their joint press [conference], which celebrated the campuses and highlighted their contribution to the growth and development of higher education in India.”

    Though Starmer has insisted that visa routes for Indian workers and students are not part of the broader trade deal, expanding overseas offerings for students to study in India was a key aim of the trip.

    Major UK universities, including Coventry, Queen’s University Belfast, Surrey, Bristol, York, Aberdeen, Lancaster, and Liverpool, are set to launch campuses by 2026 across GIFT City, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Southampton is the only functional campus so far, opening in August with 120 students in its inaugural cohort.

    The presence of all nine UK universities with a LoI or LoA is a major achievement for the UK HE sector, surpassing approvals from all other countries
    Andrew Atherton, University of Southampton

    India’s growing demand for higher education, projected at 70 million places by 2035, presents opportunities for UK institutions, particularly as cautious immigration policies shape study abroad choices among Indian students.

    Both countries are also set to deepen education ties through the Vision 2035 framework, with an annual ministerial dialogue to review qualification recognition and promote knowledge-sharing via platforms like the UK’s Education World Forum and India’s National Education Policy (NEP).

    The University Grants Commission (UGC), India’s higher education regulator, introduced relaxed rules in 2023 for foreign universities to open branch campuses in India. While initial interest was slow, many institutions are now actively exploring opportunities, according to Atherton.

    “When the NEP first talked about international campuses in India there was some debate and activism about whether international universities would apply,” said Atherton.

    “With nine from the UK and three from Australia and one from the US, the policy has proven its ability to engorge international universities to set up campuses in India.”

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