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Why Are There No Transnational UK University Campuses in South Korea?

Transnational Education (TNE) has been a significant strategy for UK universities aiming to expand their global reach. According to The Cross-Border Education Research Team, the UK has 46 branch campuses in 19 countries as of 2023, with Asia hosting the most significant number, including nine in China, six in Malaysia, and two in Singapore. However, past attempts to establish TNE programs in South Korea, such as those by the University of Aberdeen and Lancaster University, have faced numerous challenges and resulted in high-profile failures.


The University of Aberdeen's Hadong project, announced in 2015, aimed to focus on engineering for the offshore oil and gas industry. Despite initial support and funding, financial and logistical issues delayed the opening, and the global downturn in the oil and gas industry further complicated the project, leading to its eventual abandonment in 2018. Similarly, Lancaster University’s attempt to establish a campus in Busan began in 2014 but faced regulatory hurdles and financial viability concerns, resulting in the project's cancellation by 2020.


These failures highlight the challenges of navigating South Korea's saturated higher education market, characterized by an oversupply of institutions and a declining college-age population. Additionally, the competitive landscape and stringent regulatory frameworks pose significant barriers to foreign universities. Nonetheless, there are lessons to be learned from these cautionary tales, emphasizing the need for robust planning, early engagement with local authorities, and preparedness for economic fluctuations and legal challenges.


*This is a summary of the article published on the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) blog in June 2024. For the original work, please visit https://srheblog.com/2024/06/21/why-are-there-no-transnational-uk-university-campuses-in-korea/

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