Reflections and Learnings from our IC Global Collective Event in Wales

Europe: Opportunities for Partnerships and Student Diversification

Europe was one of the main topics on the agenda at our previous IC Collective event in Glasgow last year, and over the past few months its relevance within sector conversations has definitely increased. Whilst last year, we learned from the experiences of the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews; this time we heard about some of the latest research and figures from the region, as well as the experience from Taith, building upon the Erasmus model to offer mobility opportunities to Welsh students.

Prior to Brexit, Europe used to be a source of funding, research partnerships, home-fees enrolments and incoming Erasmus students. It has now become one of the most diverse overseas regions, closest in distance to the UK, full of opportunities but in a different shape and size than pre-2020. The potential of Europe for UK higher education institutions is two-fold: partnerships (such as those through TNE initiatives and research collaborations) and student recruitment (but with a different student profile than before).

Collaboration came up in our two IC Collective events as the main ingredient for success within the region. At the IC Collective in Glasgow, we heard how some Scottish universities have managed to remain very active in Europe post-Brexit, largely as a result of the institutions’ determination to build lasting and sustainable partnerships that are a win-win for both parties as well as a long-term strategy that started years ago. This year, at the IC Collective, we heard about the importance of partnerships designed for mutual benefit from the very first moment and with a long-term vision. There needs to be a recognition that TNE partnerships are amongst equal partners, each of them bringing something valuable to the table that the other partner can’t provide to create something greater than the sum of their parts. And let’s not forget that Europe has some of the world’s longest higher education history and many world-renowned institutions.

In addition to TNE and other opportunities for collaboration, there are still European students interested in studying in the UK. But considering the significant drop in EU undergraduate acceptances since 2020, it is crucial that UK universities are able to identify who those students are, where they are studying and what the most efficient tactics for engagement are. Those institutions that are active in student recruitment within Europe highlight the importance of partnerships with multiple stakeholders including agents, schools, alumni and other players: collaboration comes up again as the key ingredient for success.

Whilst the opportunities are clear, and the need for diversification is pressing, UK institutions often struggle to identify where those opportunities are amongst the more than 40 countries within Europe, and often lack the resources to analyse local regulations and complexity. This is where The IC Global can help: through our first-hand European market knowledge, TNE expertise and network of IC Global Fellows that provide consultancy and bespoke training opportunities.

TNE: The New Darling of Internationalisation

Not just in Europe, but across the whole world, TNE has become “the new darling of internationalisation” for UK higher education institutions. There is probably no UK institution that does not include some form of TNE in its internationalisation strategy. However, in this context of “fear of missing out”, the real risk is not not doing TNE, but embarking on TNE initiatives without the necessary research, market knowledge and expertise to be able to make it a success – as our IC Global Fellow and TNE expert, Professor Judith Lamie, pointed out. There is an urgent need for sector colleagues to understand TNE in its various shapes as well as the regulatory, management and strategic implications of any TNE initiative. Furthermore, it is imperative that institutions and internationalisation professionals understand that TNE can be (and should be) sustainable in the long term, although there are often no or few immediate financial gains in the initial phases. As a sector, we learn from experience and our own mistakes, so more opportunities for sharing real examples and lessons learnt, as we do at The IC Collective events, are increasingly necessary and always well appreciated by those who participate.

At both IC Collective events, we reflected on how considering TNE a quick fix for financial struggles is unrealistic. We also heard time and time again how successful TNE initiatives require enough time and effort to bring results. We know as well that measuring the return on investment of TNE initiatives only in financial terms risks missing many other drivers and indicators of success, such as new partnerships, stakeholder engagement opportunities, brand recognition, diversification of student and research communities, and positive impact within the local community and region.

If collaboration is the keyword that came up from our European discussions, commitment is the key ingredient for TNE success. There needs to be commitment towards the initiative within multiple layers: from the overseas government, country and institutional counterpart; and internally from all stakeholders starting with the leadership team to make it possible and realistic. There needs to be a clear purpose (the “why” of the TNE initiative), which guides all strategic decisions from the selection of location, partner and model, to the identification of metrics and KPIs.

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