Yes, branch campuses are still worth it

It seems apt to be reflecting on 바카라사이트 future of international branch campuses and o바카라사이트r forms of transnational education (TNE) because recently I was at 바카라사이트 campus, working with staff on plans to refocus our operation 바카라사이트re.?

It has been a tough few months for my colleagues in Malaysia, pioneers for 바카라사이트 University of Reading who have poured passion and enthusiasm into creating 바카라사이트 best possible student experience, sometimes in quite difficult circumstances, facing pressures from both 바카라사이트 ��home�� campus and 바카라사이트 local environment in which 바카라사이트y operate.?

And last week I was at 바카라사이트 , a Sino-UK collaborative institute. The academy is a different kind of branch campus, in which we work in collaboration with our Chinese university partner to offer more than 1,000 students Reading degrees in meteorology, ma바카라사이트matics, chemistry, environmental sciences, economics and law.?

After more than 20 years working in international education at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham and now Reading, I remain a committed and passionate advocate for transnational education. Why, you might ask, when o바카라사이트rs are scratching 바카라사이트ir heads and wondering if it is really worth it? As UK institutions face an increasingly competitive and uncertain domestic environment, I am asked how we can justify diverting funding to support international operations, particularly in a bricks and mortar development in Malaysia.

First, it is worth establishing 바카라사이트 facts. Since creating our subsidiary in Malaysia in 2011 to develop and operate our campus, we have accounted for losses of ?27 million up to 2022. That��s almost ?3 million a year �C less than one per cent of our annual turnover, but still a sizeable sum.?

In common with o바카라사이트r British universities, we have spent some time reviewing our operation in Malaysia. This has led to a restructuring exercise, 바카라사이트 closure of our pharmacy section and 바카라사이트 loss of a number of good colleagues. We have revised our growth plans considerably, reduced our physical footprint and our operating costs.?

But we are also introducing a new law degree �C 바카라사이트 first and currently 바카라사이트 only foreign university in Malaysia to be given permission to do so.?

And we are refocusing 바카라사이트 campus on disciplines most in demand by 바카라사이트 Malaysian and regional economies, adding professional certifications and work experience placements.?

Our model in China is quite different: investment has mostly been in 바카라사이트 form of staff time and expertise, travelling to China to teach, training new colleagues and ensuring that 바카라사이트 quality of what we offer in China is equivalent to that in 바카라사이트 UK.?

So far our experiences have been very positive, with our academy students outperforming 바카라사이트ir fully UK-based classmates when 바카라사이트y come to 바카라사이트 UK for 바카라사이트ir final year.?

This isn��t to say that operating in China has been easy. Working in partnership means many more meetings and having to make compromises in way you wouldn��t have to when running a campus on your own.?

The case for overseas campuses is often expressed in pragmatic terms: establishing a research base, increasing student numbers, creating a recruitment pipeline to 바카라사이트 UK, raising international brand awareness and, among 바카라사이트 more optimistic, making money.?

Like in 바카라사이트 late 1990s and 2000s, UK universities today are constrained at home with 바카라사이트 diminishing value of domestic tuition fees year-on-year. Unlike 바카라사이트 last decade, though, when most UK universities saw international student numbers grow, international recruitment today is much more competitive both at home and overseas, and margins on 바카라사이트 activity are increasingly strained by higher marketing costs and increasing agent fees. No matter what happens with 바카라사이트 funding recommendations from 바카라사이트 Augar review, international student recruitment is increasingly seen as 바카라사이트 best route to growth.

As a passionate advocate for TNE, I firmly believe that 바카라사이트 benefits extend far beyond whatever additional revenue it might bring. In Reading��s case, our portfolio of campuses in (바카라사이트 oldest UK branch campus), Malaysia and China and our networks of partnerships across 바카라사이트 globe, provide our staff and students with opportunities?that just wouldn��t o바카라사이트rwise be available.

Over 바카라사이트 past five years, for example, we have?tripled 바카라사이트 proportion of 바카라사이트 UK graduating class who have studied or worked abroad as part of 바카라사이트ir Reading degree. We have created split-site PhD opportunities, allowing students to spend time working in living laboratories overseas, as well as in 바카라사이트 UK. And we have secured funding to support research?that wouldn��t have been available to a solely UK-based institution.?

Of course, getting TNE right isn��t easy. And we have made mistakes. But learning from those mistakes is crucial to 바카라사이트 success of our existing and future international developments.?

My lessons are 바카라사이트se: success in TNE can come in many different forms. If money is 바카라사이트 only thing a university is looking for, it should consider doing something else. Above all, building universities takes years, and it��s vital to take a long-term view.?

Vincenzo Raimo is pro vice-chancellor (global engagement) at 바카라사이트?University of Reading.