Transnational education: pros and cons

“Globalization” is the best description for our era. This process exerts influence on many spheres of public life and education isn’t an exception.

The purpose of my presentation is to reveal how globalization and computerization affect the changes in educational services. In this connection, I’ll focus on discovering the essence of transnational education, denominate its positive and negative aspects and review alternative to transnational ways of education.

We all know that information is one of the most powerful engines of globalization, especially, in the educational sphere. Mass communication is able to solve time and space problems, what simplifies the spreading of national educational systems outwards the country. What is TNE? According to Code of good practice in the provision of transnational education definition provided be the UNESCO/Council of Europe Transnational education includes "all types of higher education study programmes, or sets of courses of study, or educational services (including those of distance education) in which the learners are located in a country different from the one where the awarding institution is based".

COMMON FORMS OF TNE: franchising, programme articulations, branch campus, off-shore institution, international institutions, large corporations, distance learning.

Statistics shows that about 75% of TNE is implemented by franchising and distance learning, so that is why I’ll pay more attention to these forms.

Franchising: the process whereby a higher education institution (franchiser) from a certain country grants another institution (franchisee) in another country the right to provide the franchiser's programmes/qualifications in the franchisee's host country, irrespective of the students' provenance. (provinance)

A big plus of this form is that a little-known institution has an opportunity to start a successful business in the educational services. For example, USA, Australia, New Zealand have already filled in TNE niche.

It’s necessary to notice that the most perspective form of TNE is distance learning. Distance Learning arrangements and virtual universities, where the learner is provided with course material via post or web-based solutions, and self administers the learning process at home.

The preference which is given to distance learning is connected to

minimization of costs, which can occur with creation of branch office, especially, in the establishment of an independent legal entity.

Export of educational services hasn’t got any legal hurdle, whereas franchising, for example, has.

The benefits of TNE are obvious:

1. You have an opportunity to study at the most prestigious universities of the world while «being home»

2. The growth of the educational services explains the reduction in the cost of distance education

3. Export of educational services produce a profit to the country.

The volume of the global educational services is about 40-50 bln dollars. USA exports more than 45%. First-string exporters are: UK, Germany, France. The participation of Russia is about 0.5 to 3.8%. The demand for high education increases on 6% each year. Scientists expect that the number of people, who want to get an education abroad will reach 7.2-7.3 million by 2025.

TNE also has many disadvantages:

There is an opinion, that commercial interest will prevail in TNE

Extension of TNE may cause reduction of national education, unfair contractors and as a result reduction of the quality of education in general

There is a number of countries which don’t accept TNE diplomas.

Thus, the reaction on TNE is very unclear: to exclude from the international practice or to bring the rules under the national control.

The alternative way for TNE - is internationalization of high education. It means international exchange of teachers and students, international academic communications and etc.

The most important principle of the internationalization of high education is to improve and strengthen national educational systems, which are responsible for human recourses development. The most well-known example - Bologna process which untied all European countries

The purpose of the Bologna process is to control foreign countries participating in it by establishing criteria of the quality of transnational education.

In conclusion, it should be noted that it’s not necessary to stop the process of export and import of educational services. The main thing is to use the advantages of transnational education and overcome its negative influence.

Alexandra Rysina