Australia’s transnational education (TNE) sector needs clearer policy support, better data and stronger institutional capability if it is to scale, delegates heard at AIEC.
At Policy levers to accelerate Australian TNE delivery, speakers discussed research co-funded by the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) and Universities Australia, alongside the practical barriers facing providers seeking to expand offshore partnerships.
The panel was chaired by Marnie Watson, vice president (global) at Griffith University, and included Keri Ramirez, co-founder and managing director of Studymove; Luke Sheehy, chief executive of Universities Australia; and Amalia Di Iorio, pro vice-chancellor for educational partnerships at La Trobe University.
Here are five takeaways from the discussion.
1. TNE should not become a substitute for onshore education
Sheehy warned against treating offshore delivery as an answer to political pressure around migration and international student numbers.
“We have to caution against ‘the future is offshore’,” he said.
TNE was a “fundamentally important” part of how Australia engaged with the world, he added, but it was not a replacement for students choosing to come to Australia for an Australian education experience.
Di Iorio said TNE could help students who were unable to travel to Australia access an Australian qualification, while also strengthening institutional brands and staff capability. Its role, however, was to extend Australia’s international education offer rather than displace it.
The government needs to play the right role. It needs to facilitate the government-to-government links and overcome the regulatory burden
Luke Sheehy, Universities Australia
2. A national strategy is needed, but universities must retain control
Research presented by Ramirez found strong sector support for a dedicated national TNE strategy, with clearer direction on priority markets, disciplines and the wider role of offshore delivery.
He pointed to Germany’s “science diplomacy” approach as an example of a national framework linking international education, research, STEM and engagement with selected host countries.
However, speakers warned against the government attempting to dictate the offshore activity of individual institutions.
Sheehy said the federal government should focus on areas where it could add value, including government-to-government relationships and reducing regulatory barriers, while universities retained autonomy over their partnerships.
“The government needs to play the right role,” he said. “It needs to facilitate the government-to-government links and overcome the regulatory burden.”
3. Australia’s TNE capacity is uneven and lacks the data to guide growth
Australian TNE is concentrated among a relatively small group of providers.
Ramirez said that, among a sample of around 25 universities, 76% of TNE enrolments were concentrated across just six institutions. While some universities have long-established offshore operations, many others remain at an exploratory stage.
The research identified an urgent need for better TNE data, with stakeholders arguing that Australia’s market intelligence for onshore recruitment is far more developed than its understanding of offshore demand, delivery models and student outcomes.
Participants also called for training and capacity-building across universities, where knowledge of TNE can remain concentrated within specialist teams rather than embedded across an institution.
4. Institutions need strategy, systems and long-term partnerships
For Di Iorio, TNE works only when it is an intentional institutional choice, backed by senior leadership and clear governance.
When she assumed her current role in 2022, she said La Trobe’s offshore activity was decentralised and lacked a consistent framework.
La Trobe subsequently developed a university-wide TNE strategy and a central educational partnerships division covering business development, due diligence, agreements, relationship management and operations.
“The TNE strategy was an absolute game changer,” Di Iorio said.
Only two or three of La Trobe’s 10 schools were engaged in offshore delivery when the strategy was introduced. Today, she said, nine schools offer offshore programs.
5. The business case must work and so must the public case
Di Iorio described TNE as a “high-risk, low-return business” in its current form, arguing that government and other actors could help reduce complexity and risk.
Speaking from the audience, Peter Waring, pro VC for transnational education at Murdoch University, said the key question was how to deliver a high-quality Australian education at a price students in host markets could afford.
He suggested potential policy measures including soft-loan schemes and allowing unsuccessful student visa applicants to redirect non-refundable visa fees towards study at an Australian offshore campus or partner institution.
Speakers also stressed that TNE’s value should not be assessed only in commercial terms. It can support research collaboration, trade links, public diplomacy and wider access to Australian education.
Sheehy said regulation needed to be thoughtful, risk-based and proportionate. The sector’s task, he argued, was to make the case for TNE clearly and ensure government support enabled quality partnerships rather than trying to manage them centrally.
