Svava Bjarnason Observatory on Borderless Higher Education ‘Borderless’ Higher Education - Competition or Collaboration?

Today’s Presentation Introduction ~ BBE / OBHE Challenges GATS Scenarios Responses Threats and opportunities

Future Challenges Pace of change is accelerating Managing is more complex Traditional boundaries are becoming blurred Lack of clarity in identifying competitors Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership 2000

Borderless higher education involves the interaction between... New technologies Public / Private / Not-for-profit providers Traditional HE / CPD / Lifelong learning Time / Space / Geography / Level Distance learning / Transnational education Internationalisation

Forces Driving Change in HE Continuing growth in demand Increased recognition of the economic returns Expanding and shifting frontiers of knowledge Communications and information technology Economic globalisation and inter- nationalisation Democratic quest for cohesion, justice and equity in social arrangements The University Challenged: a review of international trends and issues 2001

General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Liberalization of trade in services Education one of twelve service sectors Five levels of education services 21 of 44 countries committed to trade in HE Request/offer stage ends 30/03/03 Negotiations close 31/01/05

Modes of trade Mode 1 ~ Cross-border supply distance learning Mode 2 ~ Consumption abroad students travelling abroad Mode 3 ~ Commercial presence branch campuses Mode 4 ~ Presence of individuals visiting scholars

Global ‘mega’ universities Traditional public universities Private universities Corporate universities Media & Publishing Houses Professional Associations Brokers Global Players

Scenario 1: Invaders Triumph Large, ‘higher learning businesses’ enter national markets Varied forms: commercial, public/private consortia, public and expanded on-line Target markets: business, healthcare, engineering, IT Undergraduate, postgraduate, CPD Use of local centres in convenient locations

Scenario 2: Trojan Horse Foreign HEIs seek local partnerships Content designed elsewhere with delivery local External on-line exams On-line teaching options from foreign partner Full range of curricula High fees for ‘international currency’

Scenario 3: Community Champions International media companies & government & external funding Investment in local/regional DL universities Community learning opportunities - all levels International collaborations possible Community projects as vehicle for learning

Scenario 4: Explorers International International educational consortia of Professional Associations Consortia provide modules/programmes Associates study in several countries Accreditation: consortium or HEIs Target market for international qualifications: managers in private/public sector

Issues Accreditation Quality assurance Access / capacity building Public ‘good’ Collaboration vs competition ‘New’ providers Cost

Expectations of the University To be more outward looking To provide leadership and service To make efficiency gains To maintain standards and high quality To demonstrate ability to obtain additional sources of revenue The University Challenged: a review of international trends and issues 2001

New strategic positioning of the university Need for explicit strategies for eLearning Human resources requires more investment Competition versus collaboration Challenges from corporate providers Strategic Challenges for Managers European Union Policies and Strategic Change for eLearning in Universities 2002

Rationale for online provision Keeping up with competition= 71% Distance learning= 59% On-campus enhancement= 94% Widening access= 65% New international markets= 53% Safeguarding international markets= 33% New corporate markets= 33% Safeguarding corporate markets= 20% Cutting costs= 20%

Opportunity or Threat? Depends on one’s perspective! International: increased mobility of knowledge and people ~ global understanding(!?) National: increased capacity ~ diversity of provision Institutional: new modes of partnership

“We tend to under-estimate change in the longer term and over-estimate it in the shorter term.” Gill Ringland 1998

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