Transnational education (TNE) is expanding globally, with UK TNE growing by around 70% in the past decade to nearly 650,000 students in 2023-24. While TNE offers substantial benefits for students, institutions, and society, it also presents challenges in assuring consistent quality across borders and guaranteeing that student receive high-quality provision.
Ministers responsible for higher education across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which includes the UK, have recognised the gaps in legislation and implementation of quality assurance of TNE. In the 2024 Tirana Communique, they committed to promoting a ‘more robust and transparent quality assurance of transnational education delivered worldwide, in line with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), to protect the interests of students.’
About ROQA-TNE
The ROQA-TNE project aims to promote more robust and transparent quality assurance of transnational education delivered worldwide, in line with the ESG, to protect the interests of students.
Objectives:
- Explore and map current approaches to the QA of TNE by EHEA sending countries, in terms of legal frameworks and methodologies by national authorities and quality assurance agencies
- Facilitate the exchange of experience and peer learning, and share examples of good practice, between national authorities and QA agencies in the EHEA, with input from receiving countries outside the EHEA
- Extend, update and disseminate guidance on QA of TNE for QA agencies and national authorities to promote a robust and transparent QA of TNE in line with the ESG
- Support QA agencies in reflecting on their own policies and methodologies for QA of TNE and identifying areas for improvement, with a particular focus on transparent and accessible information provision
- Develop policy principles for national authorities to ensure the transparent and effective quality assurance of TNE in line with the ESG and international good practice
QAA's role
The project will be coordinated by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). QAA is a project partner and will collaborate in all aspects of the project. QAA will lead the creation of a toolkit and self-assessment tool to provide guidance and support for quality assurance agencies and national authorities.
Contact and further information
Shannon Stowers, Director of International Policy and Engagement, QAA
Consortium
- ENQA – European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, Belgium
- ACQUIN – Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute, Germany
- ANVUR – National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes, Italy
- QAA – Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the United Kingdom
Funding
- Call: ERASMUS-EDU-2024-EHEA-NARIC – Topic: ERASMUS-EDU-2024-EHEA
- Duration: 1 October 2025 – 30 September 2028 (36 months)