Student experience at international branch campuses - Vol 62 No 2 - 2020

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man

Student experience at international branch campuses is examined through the lens of replicability claims between offshore and onshore campuses. The article outlines how higher education increasingly treats students as “customers” and defines student experience across teaching and learning, non-academic support, and student life. It then questions whether branch campuses can genuinely match home-campus quality despite constraints in scale, infrastructure, and resources, and it draws on prior research and definitions of international branch campuses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Concept of student experience in higher education

Replicability claims and offshore constraints

Transnational higher education and definitions

International branch campus definition

Assessing student experience and evidence from studies

A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W Student experience at international branch campuses Stephen Wilkins The British University in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Many higher education institutions now have offshore campuses in foreign countries. To attract students in the host country, these international branch campuses typically rely on the parent institution and home country higher education system reputations. Institutions that operate international branch campuses typically claim that the student experience at the offshore campus replicatesthe onshore home campus experience. Such claims are made even though the majority of offshore campuses lack the scale or financial strength needed to invest in physical infrastructure and resources. This article is a consideration of the extent to which claims of replicability may be true. It is concluded that although institution claims of replicability between onshore and offshore student experience may be somewhat fanciful, it may be reasonable to judge the offshore experience as largely comparable, particularly at the larger branch campuses. Keywords: transnational higher education, offshore education, international branch campuses, offshore campuses, student experience Introduction Student experience has become an important concept in higher education institutions worldwide. Higher education systems have become increasingly market-based, and students have become ‘customers’ that demand a high-quality student experience. The term ‘student experience’ usually refers to a student’s overall interaction with an institution, which refers to teaching and learning activities, non-academic support and student life. Most institutions have devised objectives, policies and processes to provide student experience, and institutional performance is increasingly monitored by governmental quality assurance agencies. Institutions that operate international branch campuses in foreign countries typically claim that the student experience at the offshore campus replicates the onshore home campus experience. For example, promotional literature of Monash University claims, ‘our education is consistently excellent – across campuses and international boundaries. It doesn’t matter where our students start their journey, if they are at Monash they can expect the same high-quality education, and their teachers will be leading academics in their field’ (Monash University, undated). This article considers the extent to which claims of replicability between offshore and onshore student experience may be true. Bhuian (2016) observes that much of the discourse regarding the dissatisfaction of offshore students is speculative and based on anecdotes rather than well-designed empirical research. International branch campuses operate in unique contexts, and student experience may be affected by the lack of scale or financial resources at branch campuses; the commercial objectives of joint venture partners; the problems of recruiting and retaining high quality staff; as well as the differing expectations of students in different countries. Transnational higher education – also known as crossborder and offshore higher education – involves providers and programs crossing national borders. Thus, the term‘transnational higher education’ refers to all types of higher education study programs or educational services in which the learners are located in a country different from the one vol. 62, no. 2, 2020 Student experience at international branch campuses Stephen Wilkins 39 A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W where the awarding institution is based (UNESCO/Council of Europe, 2001). Traditionally, when students wanted a foreign education, they had to travel overseas as international students, typically to countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). Over the last two decades, transnational education provis

FAQs

What does “student experience” mean in this article?

It refers to a student’s overall interaction with an institution, including teaching and learning, non-academic support, and student life.

Why does the article question replicability between offshore and onshore campuses?

It notes that offshore campuses often lack the scale and financial strength to invest in comparable infrastructure and resources, and experience can be shaped by local staffing and student expectations.

How does the article define an international branch campus?

It describes a campus owned at least in part by a foreign higher education institution, responsible for strategy and quality assurance, operating under the foreign institution’s name and offering related programming or credentials.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man