Graduate Outcomes in UK Transnational Higher Education: a Case Study of the United Arab Emirates

The unprecedented scale and rate of growth of UK transnational higher education (TNE) is well established. In 2019-20, 156 UK universities – more than ever before – delivered TNE courses to over 450,000 students in 225 countries and territories worldwide. However, the impact that UK TNE makes on its graduates and on the contexts in which it operates is relatively less well understood, highlighting a considerable gap in our knowledge of whether and how TNE is transforming graduates’ lives. What is the impact of a UK TNE degree on graduate employability and career progression? What skills and knowledge does a UK TNE degree course equip graduates with for working and thriving in a globalising economy? How do their experiences shape their identities, inform international mobilities, and establish links with the UK?

This seminar extends from one attempt at addressing these questions in the context of UK TNE graduates in the United Arab Emirates, a global hotspot for TNE provision and popular destination for students. The study, which was commissioned by Universities UK International, identifies the common experiences of UK TNE graduates in their transition from education to employment and their application of specialist skills and knowledge to the spaces where they work and live, both in the UAE and abroad. The seminar will explore some of the key findings of the study and their implications for the continuing expansion of TNE globally.

This webinar is part of the free public seminar programme hosted by the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE).