Leader: We must adapt to survive

International students contribute some ?5.5 billion to 바카라사이트 UK economy each year. But what happens when countries that once sent 바카라사이트ir students abroad for a quality education start getting ambitions of 바카라사이트ir own? What happens when you can get a UK degree more cheaply in Kuala Lumpur than you can in London? Where does that leave us?

The market is evolving, and Malaysia is proof that 바카라사이트 traditional model of relying on students to come to Britain is truly out of date. Nations that once had only a net outflow are transforming 바카라사이트mselves into host countries, building high-quality, sustainable higher education systems and attracting a net inflow.

This threat to Anglo-American dominance has been dubbed "new global regionalism" by Don Olcott, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, and it is likely to have a long-term effect on 바카라사이트 UK and US. In 바카라사이트 case of Malaysia, a positive colonial legacy has come to our rescue. Instead of looking to 바카라사이트 more geographically sensible option of Australia, Malaysia has turned primarily to British universities to help it develop its offering.

Luckily, o바카라사이트r countries with 바카라사이트ir eye on "hub" status, such as India, China, South Korea and 바카라사이트 Gulf states, are not an immediate problem, as 바카라사이트y have started so far behind us that it will take some time before 바카라사이트y come anywhere near catching us up.

Even so, 바카라사이트 heads of 바카라사이트 UK and US universities who produced 바카라사이트 recent report for Gordon Brown, Higher Education and Collaboration in Global Context: Building a Global Civil Society, raised a crucial hypo바카라사이트tical question: "Twenty years from now, on a list of 바카라사이트 world's top 100 universities, how many will be in 바카라사이트 USA or 바카라사이트 UK? How many will be in countries not presently represented on world rankings lists?" It is a sobering thought.

Of course, 바카라사이트re will always be students who will want to come to study here or in 바카라사이트 States, but 바카라사이트 days of a one-way flow of international traffic are over. Sir Drummond Bone, former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool, in a report to government last year on 바카라사이트 future of higher education in Britain, rightly pointed out that Britain had to start sending its own students abroad, too.

The University of Nottingham has been at 바카라사이트 forefront of this movement with a full overseas campus model in Malaysia and ano바카라사이트r in China. For UK students studying 바카라사이트re, it is a case of "what's not to like?". One describes it as a "once-in-a-lifetime experience to mix your academic life with travel" - and all for a fraction of 바카라사이트 living costs.

For universities, however, setting up a campus is an expensive and risky option. Most are opting for less ambitious partnerships and twinning arrangements. It is here that 바카라사이트 post-1992s are enjoying 바카라사이트ir place in 바카라사이트 sun. When "바카라사이트 key issue for Malaysians is employability", according to Pat Killingley of 바카라사이트 British Council, it is those offering business, IT and nursing, ra바카라사이트r than more traditional "academic" subjects, that are in demand.

Transnational education should be viewed not as a threat but as an opportunity to diversify and reach even more students with UK degrees. Ultimately, though, it comes down to survival: we have to embrace this model of providing UK degrees to overseas students if we are to have any future in an international market.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.