opportunities and impediments: an international perspective dr christopher ziguras
TRANSCRIPT
Opportunities and Impediments: An International
Perspective
Dr Christopher Ziguras
Themes
• Globalisation and transnational education
• The difference between emerging and mature markets
• Lessons about competing modes of ‘delivery’
• Financial lessons• Increasing
involvement of exporting governments
• Improving cooperation between small and new providers
Globalisation and transnational education
• Integration into the global economy drives demand for international education in developing and newly industrialised countries
• This is happening most rapidly in emerging ‘global cities’, which form regional hubs for international trade, transport, finance, communications and cultural exchange
• Local education providers are unable to meet demand, both in terms of number of places and types of programs (globally relevant, in English)
• Trade in education allows institutions with excess capacity (or the potential to extend capacity) to respond to this unmet demand on a commercial basis
The difference between emerging and mature markets• Offshore education began in Singapore and Hong
Kong, mostly by British and Australian universities – new unis and distance ed providers
• In emerging markets early entrants vie for most prestigious local partners
• Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong are now mature markets, with a wide range of overseas programs and local providers
• Now more specialisation, competition through teaching quality, facilities and student experience
Lessons about competing modes of ‘delivery’
• Fully-online delivery is proving unpopular except in small niche programs – the ambitious consortia are facing dificulties (eg. Western Governors University, Open Uni UK in US, Global Universities Alliance, Universitas 21) while some specialist online providers are succeeding (University of Southern Queensland)
• Joint delivery with local partners is thriving, but requires ongoing commitment to building quality partnerships
• Branch campuses are small and very expensive (Monash in Malaysia and South Africa, RMIT in Vietnam)
Offshore Students by Partner
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade
Wuhan University of Science & Technology
Civil Aviation University of China
Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Nanhai Normal School
Hong Kong Management Association
Hong Kong Arts Centre
Hong Kong Baptist University
Superguide Consultants
International Education Programs (IEP)
Japanese Chiropractic Association
Hanseo University
Malaysian Institute of Management
Metropolitan College
RIIAM/KLSE
Limkokw ing Institute of Creative Technology
Auckland City Art Gallery
Singapore Institute of Management
Informatics
LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts
IMC Technologies
Alberton Management Centre
Technikon SA
China Airlines
RIUV
China Hong Kong Indonesia JapanKorea Malaysia New Zealand SingaporeSouth Africa Taiwan Vietnam
Financial lessons• Offshore development is expensive and risk
management needs to be a priority• Fully-online education is costly to do properly,
there is little demand, and students are not prepared to pay high fees
• Campuses are very expensive and expose the provider to considerable financial risk (eg Monash South Africa)
Monash South Africa projected cumulative surplus/deficit (A$million)
Financial lessons (continued)• Joint venture campuses involve less risk but the
university risks losing control• Many offshore programs were initiated with
approval at the faculty level without detailed business plans
• Now the large offshore providers have stringent requirements for internal approvals
• Most successful proposals have been initiated and driven from the faculty level, while campuses and consortia have been driven by the centre (eg RMIT GUA, Penang campus, Vietnam campus)
Improving cooperation between small and new
providersSharing:• Offshore partners, overseas offices, resident
directorsJoint development of:• Internationally viable projects• Internal approvals processes• Standard contracts (umbrella agreement and
annexes)• Offshore quality assurance processes and agreed
standards
Increasing involvement of exporting governments
• Quality assurance – UKQAA, US regional accreditation agencies, AUQA
• Marketing – British Council, US offices, AEI in Australia (also IDP, which is a QANGO)
• Trade facilitation – GATS negotiation, bilateral free trade agreements, mediating between offshore providers and governments, maintaining relationships with education ministers