There remains great enthusiasm from UK universities to set up overseas campuses and engage in other forms of TNE arrangement. Such ventures provide opportunities for universities to meet and respond to overseas student demand for a UK higher education experience without having to travel to the UK, as well as for further enhancing the reputations of UK universities and creating additional revenue streams.
Transactions of this type often involve universities teaming up with private sector education providers to deliver the programmes and run the campuses. The roll-out of a successful overseas campus requires careful planning from the outset. Areas that universities should focus on include:
Obtaining both UK and overseas jurisdictional advice, from a tax and legal perspective, as early as possible.
Allowing such advice to guide the structure of the deal and any ‘term sheet / heads of terms'.
Ensuring clarity of commercial objectives which are reflected in the legal arrangements.
Conducting due diligence on the private sector delivery partner, and working with them to ensure that their values and working methods – and academic quality and standards - align with those of the UK university.
Working closely with the relevant regulator in the overseas jurisdiction.
Developing a good working relationship with the delivery partner at the highest level, with senior personnel on both sides facilitating effective decision-making.
Regular reports being provided to senior university stakeholders / governance forums, to ensure internal approvals are fully informed and scrutinised.
Ensuring that the programmes and student experience to be provided at the overseas campus meet an identified market demand, with assurance being obtained that awards to students will be recognised overseas.
Ensuring the selection and recruitment of appropriate academic staff to deliver the programmes.
Assembling the right internal university team, with senior leadership and support.
Efectively project-managing the transaction as a whole – these deals are often complex and require a significant resource commitment.
It was a pleasure to be part of the Mills & Reeve team, partnering with the University of York (which has just opened its new campus in Mumbai), to deliver a session on this topic at the UUKi TNE Conference in London on 30 September. If you are a university that is looking to set up an overseas campus or engage in other TNE activity, the Mills & Reeve team is here to help you.
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