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An international branch campus (IBC) is a form of international higher education whereby one or more partnering institutions establishes a physical presence in a foreign location for the purpose of expanding global outreach and student exchange. Generally named for their "home" institution and offering undergraduate and graduate programs, graduating students are conferred degrees from one or all partnering institutions, dependent on the agreement. Instruction most often occurs in properties owned or leased by the foreign institution, sometimes with a local partner, and may also include additional services and facilities to mirror Western universities. IBCs are delivered in many formats and currently exist all over the world. As a relatively new method of delivering post-secondary education, IBCs have been deemed successful and yet face continual criticism.


Background

While the
internationalization of higher education Internationalization of higher education in theory is "the process of integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of postsecondary education." Internationalization of higher education in ...
is considered a contemporary phenomenon, it has a variety of historical roots. During the colonial era, the practice of setting up "branch" institutions in foreign countries or sponsoring schools in the colonies was commonplace, serving the most basic purposes characteristic of the
period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
. This practice continued into the nineteenth century by American Protestant missionaries, who established colleges grounded in the U.S. model in countries such as Egypt, Turkey and Lebanon, practices from which the
American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut (AUB) ( ar, الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, aut ...
was founded. In a broader sense, higher education institutions have long held global orientations, in that they served international students, employed professors from different countries, and functioned chiefly in the common language of Latin. Close resemblances of the contemporary branch campus model emerged in the early twentieth century. At this time, these campuses functioned primarily to serve U.S. military and civilian personnel in the U.S.-owned Canal Zone.
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
, among other institutions, began providing this type of cross-border program as early 1933. In the 1950s,
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
opened a branch campus in Italy which is now considered the oldest established branch campus still in operation. The first concentration of branch campuses in a single country was established in Japan during the 1980s for various diplomatic reasons. Wanting to improve the relationship between Japan and the United States, the Japanese government recruited several U.S. universities to establish branch campuses on its soil, of which nearly 30 did in cooperation with Japanese institutions or private companies. Only one of these campuses (
Temple University, Japan Campus Temple University, Japan Campus (Abbreviated: TUJ, Japanese: テンプル大学ジャパンキャンパス) is an international campus of Temple University (located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States). TUJ has classrooms and student fac ...
) remain today; the rest mostly closing due to inconvenient locations and difficulties in English language instruction. International branch campuses began to proliferate in the mid-1990s and further into the twenty-first century. The first non-American institution to establish a branch campus in the modern era was French Fashion University that opened in Norway in 1990. The rest of the 1990s saw a wave of diversifying institutions expanding abroad, primarily from Australia, Mexico, Chile, Ireland, Canada, Italy, the UK, and Sweden; to target areas in Africa, Southeast and East Asia, the Middle East and South America. There were approximately 50 IBCs at the end of the '90s boom (not including those in the Japanese bubble), reaching 183 in 2011. Some have seen the development of the IBCs an extraordinary form of
privatization Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...
in the public sector (largely due to the geographic separation from the state); however, Jason E. Lane and Kevin Kinser have argued that the extent of an IBCs privatization should also be assessed in relation to fulfilling public purposes in the host country. As of 2015, there are 282 branch campuses worldwide. Not included in this figure are the range of for-profit providers, such as The Apollo Group through the
University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a private for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree level ...
, who now has campuses in Mexico, India, Latin America and parts of Europe.


Globalization and higher education

The growth of branch campuses and internationalizing activities in the 1990s can be largely attributed to the forces of
globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
. Though there were plenty of opponents against the idea that higher education should be subject to the types of
free-trade agreements A free-trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating states. There are two types of trade agreements: bilateral and multilateral. Bilateral trade agreements occur ...
that were applied toward commercial goods and services within the global economy, counterarguments offer the perspective that trade had already been present in higher education for some time, evidenced in the increasing numbers of students seeking education overseas. In fact, this trade was seen in many ways as a tool for
international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
and
soft power In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (contrast hard power). In other words, soft power involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. A defin ...
. One development which was of particular significance to the globalization of education was the finalization of the
Uruguay round The Uruguay Round was the 8th round of multilateral trade negotiations (MTN) conducted within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), spanning from 1986 to 1993 and embracing 123 countries as "contracting parties". The R ...
of trade talks in 1995, from which the World Trade Organization (WTO), the body that monitors and promotes free trade, was formed. The Uruguay round also saw the creation of new trade agreements, such as the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). The significance of these trade agreements was that they expanded the notion of trading in goods to include trading in services.


Geographic locations

Most international branch campuses are located throughout Asia and the Middle East. IBCs have developed in dense pockets in regions such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Malaysia. Both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have transformed themselves as educational hubs (a collection of campuses from multiple institutions in a common space, creating educational 'hubs', 'cities,' or 'parks'), with Saudi Arabia and Malaysia following closely behind. These academic reforms are mostly market-driven; approximately two-thirds of the new universities in the Arab Middle East are private and nearly half are branches of Western institutions, mostly from the United States, and others from Australia and the United Kingdom. Many of the countries with the most IBCs (United Arab Emirates, Qatar, China, Malaysia and Singapore) have struggled with the problem of brain drain. The logic of hosting a foreign institution's branch campus is to prevent local students from actually studying abroad by luring them to stay by receiving a foreign degree at home and at a considerably lower cost. Hosting a foreign branch campus can also enhance links with industry, as in some cases programs offered at the campus are aligned by the government to reflect the nation's industry needs; in other cases, such as typically in the Arab Middle East, IBCs help expedite the process of transitioning from an oil economy to a
knowledge economy The knowledge economy (or the knowledge-based economy) is an economic system in which the production of goods and services is based principally on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to advancement in technical and scientific inno ...
.


Notable regions and institutions

Nearly half of the IBCs in operation today are from American institutions, with Australia and the United Kingdom following closely behind. For many institutions, the establishment of a branch campus abroad is an opportunity to improve international relationships, ability to attract foreign talent, increase prestige and tuition revenue, and expand opportunities for external funding.


United Arab Emirates

The UAE has set aggressive goals to make it a destination for higher education destination. Free zones have been established in individual Emirates in which organizations operating from within are exempt from federal regulation. These zones were originally intended for foreign investment from corporations and have expanded to house education hubs—or education cities. IBCs in free zones are generally financially independent and expected to cover their own costs. Fifty of these IBCs are located across four different free zones in Dubai, each operating as its own complex. Established by real estate master developer TECOM Investments in 2003 to complement other business parks,
Dubai Knowledge Village Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), informally known as Academic City, is a university town in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates along the Dubai-Al Ain Road. The project was launched in May 2006 in liaison with Dubai Knowledge Park. T ...
(DKV) contains 15 IBCs and 150 training institutions and learning centers. DKV was expanded in 2007 to
Dubai International Academic City Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), informally known as Academic City, is a university town in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates along the Dubai-Al Ain Road. The project was launched in May 2006 in liaison with Dubai Knowledge Park. T ...
(DIAC), which consists of 40 branch campuses of foreign universities. IBCs within the free zones are regulated by the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority. There are a number of private institutions outside the UAE's free zones. The
Commission for Academic Accreditation The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) is the UAE Federal Government Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Working collaboratively with relevant national and local authorities in the Emirates, the CAA has a key leadership role in ...
(CAA), the federal accrediting body modeled after agencies in the United States, regulates these institutions. Foreign education providers are expected to obey and maintain the policies and regulations of their home campus.


Qatar: Education City

Qatar's
Education City Education City is a development in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Developed by the Qatar Foundation, the property houses various educational facilities, including satellite campuses of eight international universities. History Education City was launched b ...
was developed to attract top programs, primarily from the United States in order to enhance the educational offerings in the country. While IBCs in Education City remain private institutions, the construction of Education City was funded through the royal family's Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. there are seven international universities (six American, one French) with programs available at IBCs in the Education City, in addition to one Qatari university. The curriculum is taught in English and features the traditional U.S. model of general education. Students can enroll in courses from multiple IBCs at one time. The eight institutions in Education City include: *
Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virgini ...
*
Weill Cornell Medical College The Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University is Cornell University's biomedical research unit and medical school located in Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York. Weill Cornell Medicine is affiliated with N ...
*
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
*
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People * Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name * Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie *Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polyt ...
*
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) is the school of international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It is considered to be one of the world's leading international affairs schools, granting degrees at both ...
*
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
* Hautes Etudes Commerciales de (HEC) Paris * Hamad Bin Khalifa University


Malaysia

Development of international branch campuses in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
reflects the country's pursuit of becoming a global knowledge hub. Two major IBC initiatives in Malaysia include EduCity in Iskandar and Kuala Lumpur Education City (KLEC). Built in an economic free-zone, EduCity is sponsored by the government-backed investment organization, Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB), whose strategic goals include recruiting regional students, producing a skilled workforce that supports foreign companies in the free-zones of Iskandar. KLEC, which is located in the Klang Valley of Kuala Lumpur, is overseen by the private investment firm KLEC Ventures, which seeks to attract commercial investment to Malaysia and touts its environmentally friendly and energy efficient nature. These institutions exemplify Malaysia's recent shift from sending students abroad to receiving students from abroad. Many of these foreign educational institutions in Malaysia are branch campuses. A branch can be seen as an 'offshore campus' of the foreign university, which offers identical courses and awards as the main campus. Local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee, with a local Asian experience. Some of the foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia include: *
University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus , mottoeng = A City is Built on Wisdom , established = 2000 , type = Private , officer_in_charge = , chairman = Admiral Tan Sri Dato' Setia Mohd Anwar Bin Hj Mohd Nor (Retir ...
*
Monash University Malaysia Campus Monash University Malaysia, the Malaysian campus of Monash University opened in 1998 and is located in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It is the first foreign university in Malaysia. Monash University Malaysia is one of several ...
*
RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (Formerly known as Penang Medical College (PMC)) is a private medical university in Penang, Malaysia. It is one of the Foreign University Branch Campus in Malaysia, in collaboration with Royal College of Surgeons in ...
*
Curtin University, Malaysia Curtin University Malaysia, previously known as Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia is a private university in Miri, Sarawak and is the largest international campus of Curtin University, a university based in Perth, Western Australia. It has ...
*
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus is the foreign branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne University and is located in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Established in 2000, Swinburne Sarawak operates as a partne ...
* Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) * University of Southampton, Malaysia * Heriot-Watt University Malaysia * University of Reading Malaysia *
Xiamen University Malaysia Xiamen University Malaysia ''(abbreviated as XMUM)'' is a private university located in Bandar Sunsuria, Sepang, Selangor in Malaysia. It's the first overseas campus set up by a Chinese public university and the first Chinese university branch ...
*
SAE Institute The SAE Institute (SAE, formerly the School of Audio Engineering and the SAE Technology College) is a Private college, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit college with campuses and facilities, including license ...
, Australia *
Manipal International University Manipal International University (MIU), in Putra Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, is a Malaysian university offering multidisciplinary programs with a focus in the fields of science, engineering and management & business. It is a member of th ...
* Raffles Design Institute, Singapore


India

India has had a variety of efforts to allow for the importing of international branch campuses. The
National Education Policy 2020 The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), which was started by the Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of new education system of India. The new policy replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1 ...
allowed for the importing and exporting of IBCs. The policy set an explicit goal of using IBCs as a means for advancing Prime Minister
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
's goal of positioning India as a
Vishwa Guru Vishwa Guru or vishwaguru is a Sanskrit phrase and idea which translates to world or global teacher, world guru, tutors of the world, world leader, or teacher to the world or universe. Translation ( sa, विश्व गुरु) consis ...
(world teacher).


Research Productivity

Most IBCs focus initially on providing education; however, some IBCs have evidenced interest and commitment to engaging in research. Hans Pohl and Jason E. Lane developed a methodology using SciVal data to determine the research productivity of faculty/researchers at IBCs. Their research demonstrated that IBCs in countries such as Qatar, UAE, and Malaysia contribute a significant portion of those nation's overall research productivity. However, in an analysis of research-producing universities in Abu Dhabi, their research suggested that IBCs may not necessarily have greater impact than other forms of educational investment when it comes to overall research productivity.


Cross-Border Education Research Team

Th
Cross-Border Education Research Team
(C-BERT) was founded in 2010 by Professors Jason Lane and Kevin Kinser, then at the
State University of New York at Albany The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...
, to track and study the development of international branch campuses. C-BERT maintains the only publicly accessible list of IBCs operating around the world, which is important as the entities are disbursed across dozens of countries and often not tracked through other educational data collections. C-BERT's efforts to advance knowledge about international branch campuses has been recognized by the Association for the Study of Higher Education with their award fo
Outstanding Contributions to International Education Research


Criticisms

Though a variety of studies concerning the student experience and satisfaction in IBCs have found that most students react to their branch campuses similarly to their peers at the home institutions, criticism of IBCs abound. Most prominent among these concerns are those that relate to attracting and retaining host campus faculty, misalignment between home and branch campus, replicating diversity and quality of the student body, mirroring forms of cultural imperialism, lack of data to drive decision-making, organizational culture, and the ability of IBCs to adapt to the "new" local context.Owens, T. L., & Lane, J. E. (2014). Cross‐border higher education: Global and local tensions within competition and economic development. ''New Directions for Higher Education'', ''2014''(168), 69-82.


References

{{reflist


External links


Branch campuses

Rise of Education City Qatar
Campuses *