A Guide to UK Higher Education and Partnerships for Overseas Universities, published by the UK HE International and Europe Unit, claims that increasing competition for students worldwide has caused a shift ¡°away from a focus on international student recruitment and toward a longer-term and more partnership-based conceptualisation of internationalisation¡±.

Because of this change, the report says, UK institutions should be more prepared to work with international partners rather than going it alone overseas.

It identifies a number of benefits of such links, such as the contextual knowledge that local partners can supply on regulatory structures within a country.

¡°It is always easier [to do business overseas] if one has advice and guidance from local partners who understand from the inside what is required,¡± the report states.

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It cites the University of Nottingham¡¯s Ningbo campus in China as an example of a successful international venture that has benefited from being a joint venture.

The report also says that UK institutions have to ensure that their international partners are fully briefed about the way the sector operates at home.

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It warns, for example, that unless they are forewarned, partners ¡°may easily be offended¡± by the quality assurance measures required in the UK.

It adds that misunderstandings are best avoided by being absolutely clear about the nature and parameters of any partnership. ¡°Setting realistic goals understanding what is expected from both sides will avoid confusion down the line,¡± it states.

The report also says that collaborations should be entered into with an assumption that there will be ¡°some shared financial risk¡±.

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com

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