Quality challenges in transnational higher education under profit-driven motives: The Vietnamese experience

Thi Thuy Nhan
The University of Melbourne, Australia
Huu Cuong Nguyen
The University of New South Wales, Australia

Among educational practices in the era of globalisation, developing countries are emerging with diverse representations of transnational collaboration. This paper investigates the operation and regulation of joint programs in Vietnam as a case study of higher education under the impact of profit-driven motives. It first reviews the trends, international agendas, and model frameworks for the provision of transnational services in education. Drawing on professional experience as quality assurance practitioners, higher education policymakers, and transnational education teacher participants, the authors critically reflect on recent development of joint programs in Vietnam pertaining to major quality assurance, decision making, partner selection, and curriculum issues. Corresponding solutions are then recommended with reference to aforementioned frameworks of effective practices. This paper offers both theoretical and practical views of transnational joint programs to inform key stakeholders in the enhancement of international collaboration in higher education. It also hopes to contribute to a more pluralistic perspective of this international practice to the current research field.
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Authors: Thi Thuy Nhan is currently a PhD candidate at the Assessment Research Centre, The University of Melbourne. Her research interests are in educational measurement, language teaching methodology, and language-related policies in higher education settings. She has a career background in English language education and administration in the private education sector in Vietnam. Email: tnhan@student.unimelb.edu.au Huu Cuong Nguyen is currently undertaking his doctoral research in educational policy and leadership in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales. His study focuses on professional development for quality assurance officials. He has a career background in policy-making in higher education quality assurance in Vietnam. Email: cuong.h.nguyen@student.unsw.edu.au Please cite as: Nhan, T. T. & Nguyen, H. C. (2018). Quality challenges in transnational higher education under profit-driven motives: The Vietnamese experience. Issues in Educational Research, 28(1), 138-152. http://www.iier.org.au/iier28/nhan.pdf