Transnational Education (TNE) Conference 2026
The Transnational Education (TNE) Conference 2026 will examine how universities can respond to the new national ambition for overseas education while building partnerships that are high-quality, locally relevant and commercially sustainable.
The conference will move from strategy to delivery. Delegates will explore where demand is changing, how to choose the right markets and models, what the new UK TNE Quality Scheme means in practice, and how institutions can strengthen governance, digital delivery, student experience and long-term partner value.
The Conference will explore practical strategies for:
- Responding to the International Education Strategy and the renewed focus on delivering UK education overseas
- Selecting markets, partners and delivery models using stronger evidence and clearer institutional criteria
- Scaling provision while protecting academic standards, student outcomes and institutional reputation
- Building the people, systems, data and digital infrastructure required for effective TNE delivery
- Creating equitable partnerships that deliver employability, local value and long-term mutual benefit
Context
Why Now?
The UK International Education Strategy 2026 makes overseas delivery and global partnerships central to the ambition of growing UK education exports to £40 billion annually by 2030.
Introduced by QAA in August 2026, the refreshed scheme focuses on sustainable partnerships, country contexts, student experience and sector-led quality enhancement.
Institutions are using a broader mix of collaborative provision, in-person delivery, branch campuses and flexible models, increasing the need to match scale with the right delivery approach for each market.
Pressure on UK recruitment is increasing interest in TNE, but rapid expansion can expose weaknesses in governance, capacity, market concentration and commercial planning.
What to Expect
Why attend the conference?
Understand the core priorities shaping TNE, including sustainable growth, market selection, partnership quality, local relevance and student outcomes
Benchmark practical approaches to market selection, partnership governance, quality assurance, digital equity, student experience and portfolio control
Build a clearer plan for sustainable growth that connects international ambition with institutional capacity, local needs and measurable student outcomes
Policy and Market Context
The Next Phase of UK TNE
Partnerships sit at the centre of the 2026 strategy
The UK aims to become the global partner of choice while growing education exports to £40 billion a year. TNE is expected to make a major contribution.
Quality assurance is becoming more visible
QAA’s UK TNE Quality Scheme supports providers to navigate country contexts, enhance the student experience and demonstrate a sustained commitment to high-quality provision.
Collaborative and in-person delivery are leading growth
Collaborative provision accounts for 42.8% of UK TNE students. Overseas partner registration and in-person delivery have expanded rapidly.
Growth is shifting between markets
China remains the largest host country, while Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the UAE have recorded the strongest five-year growth among major TNE markets.
UK recruitment policy is changing the business case
Tighter sponsor requirements, a shorter Graduate Route from 2027 and the planned international student levy are increasing pressure to diversify international activity.
Host-country rules require local intelligence
Programme approval, ownership, staffing, data, qualification recognition and campus requirements continue to vary. Successful models cannot simply be transferred unchanged between markets.
Build a stronger TNE strategy
Make better market choices, build stronger partnerships and deliver high-quality provision.
Programme
Agenda
Chair’s Welcome Address
Matching the Ambition: Delivering the International Education Strategy
- What the £40 billion education-export ambition means for UK universities and TNE
- How government and sector bodies will support market access, policy dialogue and international partnership-building
- Priority opportunities across established and emerging markets
- Balancing export growth with quality, mutual benefit and the UK’s long-term international standing
The New UK TNE Quality Scheme: Scaling While Protecting Standards
- How the new Scheme responds to rapid growth and emerging risk across UK TNE
- Lessons from country-level evaluation on governance, partnership working and student experience
- Maintaining comparable academic standards while adapting delivery to local context
- Practical ways to use peer learning, country intelligence and evidence to drive improvement
Break and Networking
Where Will TNE Grow Next? Markets, Models and Institutional Fit
- Reading demand across China, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and emerging European markets
- Choosing between collaborative delivery, joint institutes, branch campuses and flexible learning
- Testing local demand, regulatory feasibility and competitive position before committing resources
- Recognising when an attractive opportunity does not fit institutional mission or risk appetite
Portfolio Governance: Moving from Individual Deals to Institutional Strategy
- Defining the strategic purpose and intended value of every partnership
- Building decision gates that bring academic, commercial, legal, quality and geopolitical risk into one process
- Using portfolio-level data to identify concentration, underperformance and hidden institutional exposure
- Making timely decisions about what to grow, redesign, consolidate or exit
Lunch Break
From Approval to Delivery: Building and Embedding a University Presence in India
- Turning institutional ambition into a deliverable campus and academic proposition
- Navigating regulatory approval, operating structures, curriculum design, staffing and implementation
- Building local demand and partnerships while protecting academic standards and institutional identity
- Early lessons on cost, pace, governance and the transition into business-as-usual delivery
Break and Networking
The TNE Operating Model: People, Data and Control Across Borders
- Clarifying ownership across faculties, international teams, quality, registry, finance and professional services
- Building sufficient academic and specialist capacity before student numbers grow
- Creating one reliable view of recruitment, progression, attainment, complaints and emerging risk
- Equipping link tutors and partnership leaders to intervene early and sustain improvement
Digital Equity and AI: Delivering a Comparable TNE Student Experience
- Addressing variation in connectivity, platforms, learning resources and digital capability
- Designing curriculum, assessment and student support for different cultural and technological contexts
- Using AI to improve access and personalisation without weakening academic integrity
- Measuring whether students across locations can participate, progress and succeed on equitable terms
Beyond the UK Degree: Employability, Local Value and Long-Term Partnership Trust
- Designing programmes around local skills priorities and credible graduate opportunities
- Embedding employers, professional bodies and applied learning into the student journey
- Moving from transactional validation towards co-created teaching, research and knowledge exchange
- Using student and graduate evidence to demonstrate impact to partners, communities and governments
Chair’s Final Thoughts and Conference Close
Strengthen your TNE strategy
Build a practical plan for sustainable growth, quality and partnership value.
Who Should Attend?
Audience
This Conference is designed for higher education leaders and professional teams responsible for international strategy, transnational education, global partnerships, quality, academic delivery and institutional assurance. Those in attendance will include:
- Pro Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Vice-Presidents responsible for international and global engagement
- Directors and Heads of Transnational Education, Global Partnerships and International Development
- Directors and Heads of Academic Partnerships, Collaborative Provision and Programme Development
- Directors and Heads of Quality Assurance, Academic Standards and Enhancement
- Academic Registrars, University Secretaries and Governance Leaders
- Directors and Heads of Risk, Compliance, Legal Services and Institutional Assurance
- Directors and Heads of Planning, Data, Insight and Partnership Performance
- Deans, Associate Deans, Link Tutors and Academic Partnership Leads
- Directors of Student Experience, Student Success, Careers and Employability
- International Operations, Business Development, Commercial and Regional Market Leaders
Registration
Secure Your Ticket
HE and Public Sector
£195 + VAT
- Full-day live conference access
- Latest TNE policy and market insight
- Practical institutional case studies
- Quality and delivery guidance
- Live chat and networking
- Access to event resources
Private Sector
£395 + VAT
- Full-day live conference access
- Latest TNE policy and market insight
- Practical institutional case studies
- Quality and delivery guidance
- Live chat and networking
- Access to event resources
HE Team of 3
£526.50 + VAT
- Full-day live access for three delegates
- Latest TNE policy and market insight
- Practical institutional case studies
- Quality and delivery guidance
- Live chat and networking
- Access to event resources
For group discounts and enquiries about your registration please contact us on enquiries@heprofessional.co.uk