UK and โคAustralia Expand Higherโ Education Footprint in Southeast โAsia
Aโ growing collaboration between UK andโ Australian universitiesโ is targeting increased engagement with Southeast Asia, driven byโค rising demand for specialist skills and a desire for internationally recognised qualifications. This push is highlighted by theโค recent partnership between Deakin University (Australia) and Lancaster university (UK), establishing aโค joint โcampus โoffering programs in the region.
Leighton Ernsberger of the British Council views this collaboration as โคa positive advancement, distinguishing it from the “aggregator” model prevalent in Singapore, โขwhereโฃ multiple international universities hostโ programs thru private providers.โข He โขemphasizes the deakin-Lancaster โขpartnership as aโฃ unique instance of two universities sharing a “shared stake delivering โคtogether.” โErnsberger suggests this modelโ could โฃbe replicated in future ventures.
The expansion isn’tโ limited to university-to-university partnerships.โ Rob Lawrence, principal at Prospect Research university & marketing, predicts a future trend of multinational corporations collaborating with universities toโ deliver Transnational Educationโ (TNE) โin Southeast Asia. He โidentifies the region asโ a “strategic stepping zone into โขAsia” and notes โa particularlyโ strong demandโ for professionalsโฃ skilled in areas like cyber security and Artificial โIntelligence. โโฃ This demand, Lawrence argues, is an “inevitable outcome” of corporations needing access to qualified individuals โwith applied โฃknowledge.
Southeast โขAsia’s appeal stems fromโค a growing expectation for on-campus learning,โฃ differing from trends in Western nations. Furthermore, Lawrence anticipates increased โdemand for blended learning options โขas more mature-age students seekโข to reskill โand remain โcompetitive in evolving job markets. Heโ believes rising family wealth and corporate demand for โคspecialized skills will further fuel the region’s appetite โคfor standout educational opportunities.
The british Council is actively supporting this expansion with it’s 2025-2027โ TNE strategy, aiming to position the UK as a preferred partner for global education through โฃlasting and mutually beneficial collaborations.Ernsberger stresses the importance of financial viability in any TNE provision, acknowledging theโค “soft โขpower โคadvantage” โขof strong international relationships but emphasizing the need forโฃ self-sustainability.โ โHe reiterates that successful TNE initiatives are, fundamentally, “self-sustaining.”