UK Transnational Education Conference

Morning, Wednesday, 18th March 2026. Online.

Confirmed speakers so far:

Shannon Stowers, Director of International Policy and Engagement, Quality Assurance Agency

Eduardo Ramos, Head, Higher Education Systems and Internationalisation, British Council

Elizabeth Newall, Senior Sector Specialist, Digital Transformation, Jisc

and

Dr David Carter, Dean, Teaching and Learning, University of Reading

Jennifer Sloan, Consultant, SUMS Consulting

This conference will focus on next steps for UK transnational education, looking at priorities for policy, regulation and quality assurance, and market growth. Delegates will discuss approaches for developing partnerships, and building capacity in ways that support both UK providers and their overseas partners, alongside policy ambitions for the UK’s positioning in international higher education and cultural exchange.

It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to consider the Government’s renewed emphasis on TNE as a central pillar of the recently published UK’s International Education Strategy, including ambitions to grow education exports to £40bn by 2030 and expand UK provision overseas.

Delegates will assess the potential impact of removing targets on international student numbers in the UK, and with initiatives such as UK-India Vision 2035, sessions will assess how TNE can best be coordinated with wider developments in industrial and trade policy, and higher education regulation.

Evolving demand, political pressures & international alignment

Delegates will consider options for expanding TNE in ways that balance ambitions for market growth with support for skills pipelines in host countries, and for leveraging TNE to contribute to wider UK aims relating to global research, trade and diplomatic engagement. Strategies for meeting rising global demand for high-quality education will be assessed, including options for widening the UK TNE offer in new and expanding markets, including technical and digital education. Long-term strategies for adaptable TNE models will also be considered, and how universities can respond to pressures arising from resource constraints, fluctuating student demand and geopolitical changes.

We expect latest thinking on how institutions can respond to shifting political environments, including the interaction of national policies and institution principles of academic freedom and autonomy. This includes navigating new policy expectations around strengthened compliance, reputational assurance and responsible expansion overseas. Areas for discussion also include priorities for protecting student welfare and managing risk in volatile environments, addressing resource pressures - including at the British Council - and forging frameworks for diplomatic, regulatory and sector collaboration that best support stable long-term partnerships.

Delivery, standards & transparency

Sessions will examine the place of TNE within the quality regulation framework, and potential implications of divergence from the European Standards and Guidelines when they undergo anticipated revision in 2027. Potential options for tougher compliance standards for providers - announced in the International Education Strategy - will be considered, including implications for oversight, monitoring and risk management as overseas activity grows.

Delegates will assess how providers can demonstrate comparability of academic standards and student experiences across different sites - including in joint and dual degrees, and in overseas delivery contracts. Sessions also look at the future for consistency in quality assurance and recognition across international partnerships and how to meet demands for clearer, robust mechanisms to underpin high standards. Areas for discussion include regulation of degree-awarding powers, programme validation and the recognition of qualifications across borders, as well as coordination of oversight nationally and internationally amid growing expectations for transparency as transnational enrolments scale, with over 620,000 students currently registered with UK universities overseas.

Attendees will consider what arrangements are needed to give students, partners and sponsors sufficient assurance as partnerships grow in scale and complexity. Options for additional transparency and monitoring mechanisms will be considered, alongside the growth of TNE initiatives.

Engagement, policy & market access

Delegates will discuss measures designed to reduce barriers to partnership development, looking at their effectiveness and next steps for the broader TNE engagement framework in fostering access to priority markets. This includes the role of government and sector bodies in addressing restrictive regulatory conditions that stifle international partnerships. Strategies for reducing barriers to trade and strengthening coordinated support through government and diplomatic networks will be considered, as well as key focus areas for the Education Sector Action Group.

Priorities for policy frameworks in supporting the sector’s future growth will also be discussed, drawing on latest thinking on how TNE can support universities to address financial concerns, diversify income streams, and strengthen institutional sustainability.

Digital models, workforce capacity & skills

Further sessions will assess digital provision and how it can be deployed to successfully broaden access while also supporting quality, reputation, and institutional integrity. Consideration will be given to how providers can support government ambitions to grow digital education exports, AI-enabled innovation and future skills training to drive international competitiveness. Delegates will discuss options to address challenges of strengthening connectivity across borders, particularly in regions with underdeveloped digital infrastructure.

Further opportunities for working around gaps in host-country digital infrastructure will be assessed, including priorities for mitigating the impact of licensing restrictions limiting access to learning materials and curriculum delivery.

Variations in digital literacy among students and staff will also be an area of focus, looking at balancing domestic and international workload demands. Strategies for developing staff skills for cross-jurisdiction teaching will be discussed, and the future for sector-wide approaches - such as the academy model - in supporting the development of workforce capacity to meet the needs of global education delivery.

There will also be discussion on how access to licensed teaching resources can be improved and legal, cost and censorship barriers can be tackled.

Research

Delegates will also examine strategies for growing transnational research, including investment strategies and alignment of funding with impactful research, priorities for improving financial resilience across transnational education, as well as integrating research activity with TNE provision to support collaborative research efforts, enhance institutional reputation, foster innovation, and support UK and host-country priorities. Discussion will consider the role of research collaboration in achieving broader objectives of strengthening the UK’s global soft power and long-term international partnerships.

Strategies for improving risk management will also be examined, looking at key issues for decision-making in supporting financial resilience, diversification, and sustainable partnership models.

All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.

The agenda:

Draft subject to change

Additional senior participants are being approached, but if you or a colleague would like to be considered as a speaker at this seminar, please contact speakeroffers@forumsupport.co.uk, specifying the event and session where you would like to speak. If you are offering to speak yourself please don’t fill in the booking form, as this will be taken as an order and you will be charged for a place subject to Ts&Cs.

Booking arrangements:

To secure your place, please use our online booking form.

Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions (including cancellation charges) below.

You can also pay in advance by calling 01344 864796. If an advance card payment is not possible, please call to make other arrangements.

Fees and options are as follows:

• access to Next steps for UK transnational education (plus a permanent record of proceedings) is £299 +VAT per delegate
• concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £140 +VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking

If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending:

• Concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances; typical eligibility: individual service users or carers not supported by or part of an organisation, full-time students, unemployed and fully retired people with no paid work, and small charities; concessions are not offered to businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies.

Can’t attend on the day? Watch on-demand.

You can pre-order a recording of this conference above or via our website to watch on-demand when it suits you. The digital packs include:

• a full video recording of the conference as it took place, with all presentations, Q&A sessions, and remarks from chairs
• an automated transcript of the conference
• copies of the slides used to accompany speaker presentations (subject to permission)
• access to on-the-day materials, including speaker biographies, attendee lists and the agenda