Building a successful international university model

Summary 
At Bett Asia 2026, Paul Tan, Senior Vice President for Asia-Pacific at Cintana Education, delivered an opening keynote on building a successful international university model. As traditional destination markets in the West enforce stricter border controls and enrolment caps, the global Higher Education landscape is undergoing a significant transition. The emerging model in Transnational Education (TNE) is moving away from outbound student mobility towards bringing high-quality academic standards, curriculum, and capabilities directly to local and regional hubs.

The Global Landscape: Shifting from the 'Big Four' to Asian Education Hubs
For centuries, international Higher Education has depended on physical student mobility. Out of approximately 7.3 million cross-border students globally—representing a 3.5-fold increase over recent decades—nearly half (3.4 million) have traditionally studied in four primary host markets:

 

• The United States: 1.2 million international students
• Australia: 1.0 million international students
• Canada: 700,000 international students
• The United Kingdom: 700,000 international students

However, this reliance on the 'Big Four' is coming under pressure as host governments introduce restrictive policies and immigration controls:

The United Kingdom: Implementing tighter regulations, increased administrative hurdles, and restrictions on student dependants.

The United States: Facing political headwinds and stricter border policies.

Canada: Introducing caps on study permits, including a recent additional 15 per cent reduction.

Australia: Imposing enrolment caps alongside substantial increases in visa application fees.

As access to traditional Western destinations tightens, international student demand is re-routing towards welcoming regional hubs across Asia. Key Asian markets are experiencing strong year-on-year growth in international student enrolments:

 

• South Korea: 21 per cent increase (reaching 250,000 international students)
• Japan: 17 per cent increase
• Taiwan: 17 per cent increase, supported by government scholarships and living allowances
• China: Expanding TNE rapidly, approving over 200 new models in a single year
• Malaysia: 6 per cent growth in new international student intake, hosting 160,000 international students with active support from Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS)

This shift highlights a growing demand for 'quality at home', allowing students to access international-standard qualifications without incurring the high tuition fees, living costs, and visa uncertainties associated with studying in Western nations.

The Transnational Education (TNE) Continuum
To guide Higher Education leaders in choosing the right international strategy, Tan outlined the Transnational Education Continuum. This framework spans five distinct operational models, balancing the import of foreign brands with the development of local institutional capabilities:

Import or Export of the University: Pure-play foreign branch or offshore campuses (such as Monash University or the University of Nottingham in Malaysia), where operations, brand, and governance remain entirely under the control of the foreign institution.

Export of Qualification: Franchise, validation, or online degree programmes where foreign credentials cross borders without requiring full operational control by the host institution.

Connecting Qualification: Established articulation pathways—including 2+2 or 3+1 credit transfers, dual degrees, and joint degree programmes—where student mobility remains a key feature.

Capability Building: A collaborative model focused on enhancing local university quality by sharing foreign curriculum, content, faculty development, digital capability, joint research, and quality assurance. The degree awarded remains that of the local institution.

Ecosystem and Network Sharing: Multi-institutional networks designed to share resources and best practices. Examples include regional partnerships like the Triple Alliance (Sunway University, Taylor's University, and Monash University) and global initiatives like the Cintana Alliance.

Tan highlighted that university leaders should evaluate their specific institutional strengths and select appropriate positions on the continuum, rather than defaulting to resource-intensive branch campuses.

The Cintana and Arizona State University Model in Practice
Cintana Education was established in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU)—the largest public university in the United States, hosting approximately 200,000 students, recognised as the most innovative U.S. university for 12 consecutive years, and ranked first globally for societal impact. Over five years, Cintana has built a global alliance of 32 partner institutions across 27 countries, serving over 300,000 students, with a vision to expand to 50 countries by partnering with one premier institution per nation.

Rather than building foreign branch campuses, the Cintana model focuses on equipping local universities with ASU's academic intellectual property, curriculum, masterclasses, and digital tools while maintaining local price points. This approach can reduce the total cost of obtaining a U.S.-aligned degree by up to 60 per cent compared to studying in the United States.

Southeast Asian Case Studies:
Malaysia (Sunway University): Sunway partnered with Cintana specifically for its School of American Education. Students entering after SPM or O-Levels complete American-style general education courses and can select from three academic tracks: a single Sunway degree enhanced by ASU content, a dual Sunway-ASU degree completed entirely in Malaysia, or a credit transfer pathway to the United States.

The Philippines (Mapúa University): Ranked first in the Philippines for engineering and computer science, Mapúa expanded its health sciences and business offerings using ASU curriculum and resources. Students earn local Mapúa degrees powered by ASU, with options to earn ASU certificates or pursue pathway options to the United States.

Indonesia (Universitas Esa Unggul): Serving 18,000 Bahasa-medium students at an accessible tuition fee of approximately US$1,800 (RM8,000) per year, the university incorporates ASU content across its standard programmes. Additionally, it launched an English-medium International College within the university to offer premium 3+1, 4+1, and accelerated ASU master's pathways.


Strategic Guidance for University Leaders
The Bett Asia 2026 session delivered clear strategic takeaways for Higher Wducation decision-makers:
Focus on Capability Enhancement: The future of international education relies on bringing academic quality and global resources into local hubs, making Higher Education more accessible to broader student populations.
Pragmatic Progression along the Continuum: Institutions do not need to begin with complex offshore branch campuses; starting with articulation agreements or capability-building partnerships offers a more scalable and sustainable path.

Balancing Accessibility and Quality: By combining foreign intellectual property with local delivery, universities can offer globally competitive qualifications while protecting students from escalating travel costs and shifting immigration policies.

Audio and written summaries powered by Gemini Notebook, a free generative AI tool grounded in your provided sources. Try Gemini Notebook for free. You can listen to the audio overview of the session here.