QAA’s approach to transnational

education (TNE)

Dr. Fabrizio Trifiro’, Deputy Head International, QAA

Workshop on Quality Assurance for

UK-China Transnational Education

18 March 2016, Beijing

• The UK quality assurance system and the

role of QAA

• QAA’s approach to transnational education

• The 2012 review of UK TNE in China

• Inter-agency cooperation: Cooperation in Cross-Border Higher Education – A Toolkit

for QAAs

Structure of presentation

There is no general higher education law in the UK• HE policy is devolved to each of the four nations of the UK

UK degrees must be awarded by legally approved degree-awarding bodies (~160 Recognised Bodies)

Degree-warding bodies are independent and self-governing:• They are self-accrediting• They retain the ultimate responsibility for quality and

standards

UK quality assurance system

The Higher Education Funding Councils of the four nations have the statutory responsibility for the quality of public funded HE

The Funding Councils contract this responsibility to QAA, an independent organisation.

Co-regulation: HE providers and Funding Councils work together to assure the quality of UK HE through the QAA

UK quality assurance system

We develop reference points setting out expectations for UK

HE providers (The UK Quality Code for Higher Education)

We undertake institutional peer-reviews to check HE providers

meet those expectations

Note:

QAA does not assess the quality of research

QAA does not accredit programmes

QAA's review activity extends beyond publicly funded

provision, including TNE

QAA’s mission and remit

Mission: to safeguard standards and improve the

quality of UK HE wherever it is delivered

Over 80% of UK universities are involved in

some form of TNE, delivered all over the world

TNE is the main area of growth

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Total students in the UK International students in the UK

Off-shore students

Top 5 UK TNE host countries

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Malaysia China

Singapore Pakistan

Hong Kong (SAR of China)

Institutional review processes in the UK are comprehensive

A dedicated TNE review process supplements UK reviews

A country-based approachIndia (09), Malaysia (10), Singapore (11), China (12), UAE (13),

Caribbean (14), Greece/Cyprus (15)…16/17 Hong Kong & Ireland?

A partnership approach Liaise with counterpart agencies to facilitate the review of TNE, e.g.

information sharing and coordination of QA activities

The quality assurance of UK TNE

TNE review process

Stage 1

• Data analysis

• Aimed at obtaining understanding of the extent and variety of UK TNE in the destination country, with a view to selecting TNE provision to be reviewed

Stage 2

• Desk-based analysis

• Aimed at obtaining a preliminary understanding of how a provider fulfil their responsibility for the quality and standards of the TNE provision under review

Stage 3

• Review visit

• Aimed at testing information provided for desk-based analysis, following up on issues identified through desk-based analysis, and the student experience

Stage 4

• Publication of outcomes

• individual reports and case studies on reviewed provision

• an update on the provision covered in previous country review (if applicable)

• a country overview report

• Reviewed 13 links, not only in Beijing and

Shanghai, but also Kunming, Dalian, Ningbo,

and Suzhou

• Liaised with CDGDC and local authorities

from the beginning Signing an MoU with CDGDC

Briefing CDGDC, the MoE, and the municipal education

commissions in Beijing and Shanghai

Inviting CDGDC to observe our review visits

TNE China 2012

Review visit schedule

• Stay abreast of changes in local regulation

• Double degrees / partnerships of equals

• Specific UK requirements: external examining

and moderation of marking

• Teaching and learning in the English language

• Multiplicity of models: a learning ground

TNE China: recurrent themes

Developing a Strategic and Coordinated Approach to the External

Quality Assurance and Enhancement of UK Transnational

Education (QAA 2015)

• Strengthen links between TNE review and domestic

institutional reviews

• Strengthen cooperation with counterpart agencies in key

UK TNE host countries

Consultation on strengthening the

quality assurance of TNE – final report

• Funded by the European Commission

• Undertaken by a project consortium led by ENQA:

ANECA (Spain), GAC (Germany), HCERES

(France), QAA (UK), TEQSA (Australia)

APQN and ANQAHE

• Main aim: Enhance international practice in the

QA of TNE / CBHE

• Main output: A Toolkit for QAAs to enhance inter-

agency cooperation in the QA of TNE / CBHE

The QACHE project (2013-15)

• Diversity of approaches and regulatory

frameworks for CBHE (in/out-bound)

• Lack of information and knowledge of

other agencies’ frameworks/approaches

• A ‘trust gap’ between home and host

countries about the quality of CBHE

• Lack of cooperation in the QA of CBHE

Key findings

Lack of trust

Lack of cooperation

Lack of information

The QACHE vicious circle

Inefficient QA

of CBHE

Trust

Cooperation

Information

The QACHE virtuous circle

Efficient QA of

CBHE

Networks

Offers practical guidance on:

(1) Information sharing: how QAAs

can improve the sharing of information

on CBHE

(2) Cooperation in quality assurance:

how QAAs can enhance cooperation

in its quality assurance

(3) Networks of agencies: how

networks of QAAs can facilitate

information sharing and cooperation

The Toolkit

• It acknowledges that QAAs don’t operate in isolation

• It recognise and respects the diversity of QAAs

The scope of the Toolkit

It is directed exclusively at QAAs (and networks)

It does not issue guidelines for the QA of CBHE

It is not prescriptive

Trust building is critical, but takes times & resources

• Adopt a strategic approach and long term commitment to

partnership building

Engage with all key stakeholders to facilitate the

implementation of the QACHE Toolkit

• with governments to enable policy/legislative change

• with institutions to identify areas of synergy and cooperation

• with students to understand their expectations for TNE

INQAAHE / QAA project on the

challenges to inter-agency cooperation

qaa.ac.uk

enquiries@qaa.ac.uk

+44 (0) 1452 557000

© The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2014

Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786

Thank you

f.trifiro@qaa.ac.uk