Globalization and Nation States in the Context of Transnational Higher Education

Analyzing the Cases of Offshore Provision by British and Australian Universities

Abstract

　 Many British and Australian universities have been providing offshore programs through their branch campuses and/or collaboration with local organizations in Southeast and East Asian countries among others, and the magnitude of the provision is substantial. Do these universities exemplify the erosion of national sovereignty that some globalization theorists argue? Are the national education systems becoming unable to control the universities? This paper is aimed at analyzing offshore provision by these universities, and answering the above questions. It is an application of Andy Green’s research on globalization and national education systems to transnational providers of education, which were not covered by his research.

　 The results of the analysis, including the two case studies of the offshore campuses in Malaysia, those of the University of Nottingham from Britain and Monash University from Australia, suggest that the role of nation states is still large as they sustain their educational systems although transnational higher education presents a new challenge to both sending and receiving nations. Both nations are not abandoning their control measures to pursue policy objectives including quality assurance, but have been preparing renewed functions to respond to the present challenge brought about by strategic actions of transnational higher education institutions as new actors. The findings are compatible with Green’s research on other aspects of globalization. The reality of these universities engaged in transnational provision is a sort of ‘dual nationality’ rather than ‘supernationality’. Based on their strategic choice, the offshore campuses, as Malaysian institutions and corporations, adapt themselves to Malaysian legal frameworks and regulations in ensuring accredited status and running their businesses while they, as academic institutions, endeavor to ensure internal quality assurance mechanisms in place and maintain their characteristics and brand image of a British or Australian university.

　 The above analysis provides important lessons to Japan, which is changing its policy on transnational higher education supplied both from Japan and into Japan.