Think Education

International Students: Mobility, Finances and Implications

Talking about change has been a constant for us over the past few Think Education podcasts and indeed books we have written.  Today we talk about international students and the changes that are afoot. While we recorded this episode a few months ago, the subject is still as relevant today as it was then. 
Political issues are driving actions and students are often at the end of the process and feeling the brunt of action – along with the financial bottom line of many universities, and the communities in which they operate, around the world. 
Education may well be a public good, but it is also a political tool – particularly when we consider this within the landscape of transnational education. 
Judith reflected on whether this is seen as a ‘blip’ that can be weathered and ‘got through’ or an indicator of a much broader and deeper change in higher education and identified that are conversations about programme pricing models and the reality that costs over the past decade have naturally changed and the need to ensure that this is more clearly articulated and understood.  Judith further explained that research funding loses universities money and so international students are one of the only real ways in which the financial stability can be supported – and the impact that recent changes have had on universities. TNE is not the answer to this, however. 
We referred to recent conversations and podcasts we have had with Jazreel Goh and Douglas Proctor about student movement, TNE hubs and changing patterns of recruitment because of policy changes. 
Chris talked about the international student movement in Dubai and the relative sustainability of the model.  The aspirations are certainly here to increase international student numbers and the likelihood that this will see positive impact as a result of global trends. 
Students still want to travel, and they want education as a means to improve skills and to lead to employability.  Where will they go now and how will this be facilitated?  We talked about the changes that may well be coming and possible growth in the vocational space, apprenticeships, and indeed the work force itself. 
This led us to once again consider the purpose and value of a university and how it connects people to the wider world.  How do we demonstrate value to communities?  To students? To parents? To employers? 
#yorkies #pricing #costs #highereducation #internationalstudents #strategy 

AI IN IHE: A Conversation in Letters

In this latest episode of the Think Education Podcast Judith discussed her recent attendance at Going Global, a panel discussion she attended on Europe – which links to one of our previous episodes, and in particular a plenary session she attended on AI in international higher education.
We talked about the nature of fear regarding the use of AI in education and the need to regulate that formed many of the early conversations about AI and how this is changing to focus on the need for relevant training and support.  Chris talked about a recent HEPI study (linked below) that highlights student concern over the use and integration of AI in their learning and the fact that we need to consider how to leverage and integrate AI to support teaching and learning.
Chris talked about his work with Dr Tendai Charles on AI in teaching and learning and the UAE initiative, earlier this year, on the integration of AI at all levels of curriculum.  We discussed different possible applications for AI in teaching and learning – and some of the downsides of phantom knowledge/citation creation. Chris outlined the UAE’s approach to leading on the use of AI in both education and wider society.
We talked about the ethical use of AI and how we can attempt to harness AI for tomorrow. 
Link to Teacher Incubator Programme Middlesex session and ENAI
We did talk about access and engagement and the realisation that this is not the solution to everything as it is not available to everybody. Not all TNE projects can fully incorporate online learning due to national regulatory frameworks and accreditation processes.
We are not at a crossroads anymore, AI is here to stay, but we are perhaps in a constant state of crossroads.  This ongoing conversation is a good thing as it is forcing us to reflect and think about this in a meaningful manner, even if we can’t keep up with the level of progress.
What is the nature of learning?  What are skills?  How long does the traditional schooling approach of memorisation have in the age of AI?
The ongoing debates about AI are forcing us to engage with the deeper conversation about the value, application and impact of education.  In the international space – working across cultures, languages and space – we need to think about this even more so.
 
Hill, C., & Lawton, W. (2018). Universities, the digital divide and global inequality. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 40(6), 598–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1531211 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1531211
HEPI survey https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/08/11/student-wellbeing-in-the-ai-era-stress-confidence-and-connection-a-global-snapshot/
Xidian University Conference ICAI 2025: https://en.xidian.edu.cn/info/1063/2372.htm
Going Global: https://www.britishcouncil.org/going-global  
https://gulfnews.com/uae/education/new-uae-school-year-brings-ai-curriculum-unified-holidays-and-updated-exams-1.500243448

Europe Takes the Biscuit – TNE activity and progress

In this latest episode of the Think Education podcast, Judith reflected on her planning for the upcoming Going Global in London – this has now taken place.  Going Global holds a special place in our hearts, as it does for many people in our sector, and always provides a wonderful opportunity for engagement, discussion and learning. And is quite likely the place where Judith and Chris actually met.
We discussed collaborative models and Judith highlighted that many of the European partnership agreements fall into one of two categories: student exchange – such as Erasmus; and research but often the two don’t meet in the middle.
We did mention Brexit and the impact this had upon institutions and their ability to support (certainly financially) programmes and engagement. And identified that one positive at least of that process was in raising the level of conversation about possible collaboration.
Chris reflected on the still relative ‘newness’ of discussing TNE in Europe as it is so often understood as something that happens ‘far-away’ and in TNE hub areas.  We ponder whether TNE in Europe hasn’t been spoken of so widely due to traditional regional relationships, the degree structures (3 vs. 4 years), or indeed, because of Brexit itself.  We talked about how competition and competitors might have been viewed within the European context and how this might have been a barrier to UK activity – even though there have historically been strong partnerships in place like Erasmus.  Judith went on to highlight the key areas of activity in both Greece and Romania.
We finished our conversation with a call to arms that, when entering into the process of setting up partnerships, don’t shut yourself off to the ways in which this could develop over time.  Take a more holistic approach and be prepared to adapt along the way.
And yes, having fact checked the discussion, Chris did mean Leipzig the city, and not Leibniz the biscuit.
 
https://www.britishcouncil.org/going-global
#EuropeanTNE #Europe #collaboration #competition #partnerships #TNE #internationalisation #Erasmus #Greece #Romania

TNE: What’s Next?

In this latest Think Education podcast episode, Judith and Chris continue their conversation from last week – Who does TNE depend on? - to think more deeply about the next stages for TNE development.  We discussed underlying motivations for TNE engagement (finances, branding, necessity) and reflected on the intrinsic value of TNE and the need for it to have its own identity and space in a university agenda.  Partnership is absolutely pivotal whether within education, government or industry.  
We covered several questions along the way: 
What is happening in the UK higher education space and is TNE going to solve it? 
What is the next fix for international higher education? 
What’s next for TNE? 
We thought about the need for new models and approaches to developing TNE and would be interested to hear from colleagues on this – answers on a self-addressed envelope please.  We should think about the positive nature of developing TNE for TNE’s sake, rather than as a fix for something that has gone wrong. 
We talked about the recent changes in India and what this might mean for TNE growth – highlighting that these changes are being driven by India and their ambition and drive: a good model for building sustainable and equitable partnerships. 
Our conversation moved towards the need to think about a forward-thinking strategy that incorporates TNE as a foundational value/principle of the university – seen through the lens of crisis management.  We discussed the way in which institutions put together an international strategy and the extent to which these are centered around the issue of international student recruitment.  We will look to call upon Vicky Lewis to discuss this further and get her perspective. 
We reflected back to our conversation with Ian Mabbett about the need to incorporate research and collaboration with the internationalisation agenda rather than relying on recruitment as the focus.  To what extent can you be both an internationally engaged university and remain a civic one with strong ties to the local community?  Should more of these conversations take place in universities. 
Chris reflected on the nature of internationalisation in Dubai and what this means for how universities operate and even understand their own identity.  The UK example of protecting the home identity when you explore education can perhaps be contrasted by the UAE example of protecting the home, as you bring the other in. 
You need to work with other people.  You have to do this to survive and thrive.  If we accept this to be fundamental, it needs to be embedded in our strategic approaches. 
iTunes: 
Podbean: 
#TNE #internationalisation #collaboration #partnership #identity #strategy #challenges #balanceofpower 

Who does the Future of TNE depend on?

In this latest episode of the Think Education podcast, Chris talks to Judith about her recent attendance at the UUKi Transnational Education Conference 2025, held in Senate House, London.
https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/events/transnational-education-conference-2025
Judith reflected on the sessions she attended, and the information shared and discussed throughout the two-day event and the people she heard present and lead discussion - Janet Ilieva, David Pilsbury, Eduardo Ramos.  Some of the key takeaways were the need to be prepared and try to think of key issues in advance, such that you can communicate your findings and realities to different audiences.
How do different types of university networks support engagement and activity?
Competitive space appears to shifting to a collaborative one. People were sharing their reflections about a bold new world and there was an element of hope and forward thinking that Judith found very powerful.
Never underestimate the value of a good discussion about taxes.
We discussed the key findings of two recent reports – presented at the conference – namely JISC’s 2024/25 UK Higher Education students digital experience insights survey: https://repository.jisc.ac.uk/10242/1/DEI-2025-student-he-report.pdf and the UUKi’s Scale of TNE Report 2023-24 https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/topics/international/scale-uk-higher-education-transnational-0
We went on to debate the Future of TNE and how we are currently thinking about realities and motivations.  It would appear that the dependency model of old has shifted.  What used to be a process based largely on the ‘need’ of the receiving nation has become a process driven by the ‘need’ of the sending nations as they seek to use TNE to address shortfalls in recruitment at home.
We talked about the development of the TNE hub model and I even got to roll out a phrase I used when presenting at a GED conference years ago: Here a hub, there a hub, everywhere a hub hub, as we discussed the need to update our understanding of what a hub is, what it means, and even, where it is.
What is the mission of a university and how do we view engagement and collaboration?  We talked about soft power rather than pure financials.
 
Listen here:
iTunes:
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#JISC #UUKi #TNE #internationalisation #collaboration #futureofTNE #highereducation #dependency #universitymission #communication

Memory and the Freedom to Fail

Memory and the Impact of Learning
In this episode of the Think Education podcast, Chris and Judith talk about memory, the past, the present and the future.  We ponder the student experience, motivated by our own understanding of what impacted us along our respective journeys.
The impact of a good teacher should not underestimated, nor should the road less travelled.  The intangibles have been instrumental in our development, even if they are hard to quantify.
The value of a university is based on reputation, credibility, accreditation and so a lot of the value for the student is based on the past but the degree will be awarded in the future. But we don’t know where we are going to be in the future despite how many of us talk about being ‘future focused.’  We are assigning a future value to a degree that rests on the past. 
This led us to rambling on about how we assign value and what function does memory play in this?  We talked about things that impacted us over the course of our careers; who were those teachers that we remember; the situations that impacted us; how we measured success along the way.  This led us to consider the extent to which we actually measured these by any of the metrics we employ on a daily basis to ‘understand’ success?
We talked about the research infrastructure that universities operate within and the extent to which the metrics at the heart of it are relevant or appropriate to fully understand impact and value.   This led us to ponder the student experience and the value of a degree as connected ideas.
We don’t know what is coming and we can’t legitimately say that we know where we will be in 5-10 years’ time.  The uncertainty of learning can be incredibly valuable.  We linked this to travel and the need to adapt to shifting circumstances.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could say ‘as part of your studies, take different options and if you fail, that is fine’.
It is important to be able to fail at things, along your learning journey.  The freedom to engage with things that interest us, even if there is no direct link to employability, was a luxury that is perhaps no longer possible – but maybe should be.  Come to universities and think about things; read and engage with problems and be part of a think tank on an institutional level.
Creating an environment where failure is possible is a more accurate reflection of life – even if the term ‘failure’ is such a loaded one.  As our approach to expectations has shifted over time, there is very little room for flexibility, disruption, or even failure.  We manage the approach much more efficiently these days – in terms of course selection, degree progression and overall student experience – but we have perhaps lost sight a little bit of the variety and unknown that could lead to unexpected outcomes.
 
#memory #learningpatterns #learningstyles #internationalstudy #study #futureready

Chelsea Buns and Mergers - The Evolving Nature of Higher Education Partnerships

Following on from our recent conversation with Prof Ian Mabbett, Prof. Christopher Hill and Prof. Judith Lamie revisit the issue of partnerships – how they are changing and how we are responding to these changes in international higher education.
We discuss teaching and learning, research and innovation and the increasingly explicit nature of the integration of all of these elements in our thinking about partnership.
Partnerships have evolved and we are more readily acknowledging the more equitable nature of engagement.  We talked about how encouraging we find the current approach to TNE – not as a financial necessity – but as part of a strategic understanding of development. Judith reflects on how the TNE landscape is being discussed and understood in the current climate and the levels of increased discussion regarding attempts to broaden opportunities for people to engage in education – even within the wider discussion of geopolitics and the economy.
We talked about the nature of partnership and the extent to which we might see institutions from the same country, largely seen as competitors, partnering on an international activity that wasn’t research focused.  We did record this episode of the Think Education podcast back in May 2025 and so acknowledge its place in the development of current activity.  We talked about mergers and what this means for the partnership and individual identity of the partners themselves.
We ended the podcast talking about the nuances of how we refer to different elements of partnership and the extent to which this can impact both our understanding and indeed, the reality of what we are doing.  The more things change, the more they often stay the same.  And we also learned that, whether it is in reference to American universities merging or the purchasing of Chelsea Buns, Judith is correct!
 
iTunes: 
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#parternships #internationalhighereducation #mergers #teachingandlearning #research #strategicparternships #identity #TNE

A Deep Dive on the Future of TNE with Janet Ilieva

Cher.  Madonna.  Elvis.  People so significant to culture and context that they went by one name.  To this list, we add Janet.
Christopher and Judith are delighted to be able to present our recent Think Education podcast with Dr Janet Ilieva, founder and director of Education Insight.  Known by all in the international higher education sector, Janet is a font of knowledge and expert analysis and the conversation predictably touched on many different topics.
Janet talked about the current landscape of international higher education and how it is being impacted by geopolitical decisions and developments.  We discussed the issue of multipolarity and what this means for issues of trust, student decision making and mobility.
Janet offered insight into the flows of global mobility and changing patterns we have seen in student mobility and outlined the emerging destinations for international students.
We talked about the nature of TNE partnerships and the intersection of collaboration and compromise that must often be reached.  Janet stressed the importance of joint ventures as a means to reduce costs and risk and highlighted that undergraduate recruitment is no longer the sole driver of TNE activity and property investors and business engagement require serious consideration and non-degree activity, vocational qualifications, professional development, and micro-credentials will be relevant for capacity building.
There is scope for more tailored education that better fits student needs.
 
#UKwhiteppaer #geopoliitcs #multipolarity #trust #internationalstudents #globalmobility

Watching Philosophical Paint Dry - A fascinating conversation with Prof Ian Mabbett

Professor Ian Mabbett
Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for Research Culture, Swansea University
Returning to our former pattern of having a Welsh connection in our Think Education podcast, Chris and Judith are joined by Professor Ian Mabbett.  In a deeply engaging conversation that was parts philosophical, ethical and practical.
Ian talked about his background in chemistry and revealed the wonderful titbit that his PhD was about ‘watching paint dry’.  His main focus was on looking into how we can make things that are less resource intensive, and this led him to an interest in international and global challenges – in turn leading him to think about the place and role of universities overseas.
Ian asks the critical question - how are our research activities and our outreach activities connected.  He goes on to discuss the way in which we can connect research output, employability and community need.
We talked about the current state of international higher education and the intersection of identity and research culture.  Ian talked about the changes he has seen over the past few years – a lot of consolidation of effort in key areas of university focus.
Ian argues that there is a balance to be struck between the richness of our international student body and the funding mechanisms around research activity.  Ian argues that we have sharpened our minds on how interconnected these issues are.
Ian talked about the interconnectness between international research activity and ethics and argued for the personal connection and understanding that this can bring.
The aim should be to bring together all the key areas and think about things holistically.
Innovation is about disruption and where we disrupt, we get a skills gap. If we then think about this properly, we can plan for addressing this gap and build relevant partnerships. If we can answer the question ‘how does this benefit both sides’ you have a much greater chance of succeeding.
 
Remember, we are not always lost, we are just sometimes directionally challenged.
 
#culture #internationalisation #researchoutreach #researchculture #partnerships #employability
https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/i.mabbett/

Higher Education: rapid scale of change or none at all?

As a continuation of our last episode, and indeed part of the current podcasting series, Prof Judith and Prof Christopher discuss change in the university context.
Over the course of this session, we think about change as a concept and how we approach and respond to it.  How do we manage change itself?  What are the mechanisms in place?   How do we assess needs and then respond to them?
Judith ponders the philosophical reality of change and seemingly manages to present both sides of the argument simultaneously!  We debate the reality that the one constant in all of this is people.  So perhaps, the changes in leadership, and approaching and processing issues changes as much as people change.  People’s reaction to change is often very constant and if you provide a rational explanation it often works out.  Except when it doesn’t, of course.
We recognised the reality that, technologically speaking, the changes have been dramatic and then tripped down memory lane remembering overhead projectors and the introduction of printing in colour.
We continued the theme of looking at people and thinking about the central purpose of a university is the outcome – namely the students graduating.  And yes, we are aware of research output.  When thinking about the external environment we understand the changing landscape but when we think about the internal environment, it could perhaps be thought of as business as usual.  Getting students in the door, supporting them throughout their journey and then helping them on their way.  We wonder how many members of a university or student facing?  How many interact with students on a daily/weekly basis and how this impacts their understanding of where they are and indeed, the very idea of a university.
Does being non-student facing mean you aren’t ‘part of a university’ or is the reality much more that departments are integral in the success of the university, and indeed of providing student support, whether they talk to them or not.  A university is a delicate organisation – and organism – and all parts contribute.  Managing change is a delicate too – so let’s bring in some experts to help us with this.
 
 
#leadershipstyles #leaders #change #management #people #studentfacing #management #environment #technology #overheadprojectors