In her previous blog [Launching a new UK-China partnership], Prof Sue Welburn talked about the potential of the new UK–China Health Research Alliance (UKCHRA). Whilst in Wuhan, a second meeting started to explore the detail of collaboration. Here are some reflections on the challenges of healthy ageing that were discussed at the meeting.

As Executive Dean of ZJE Institute, I am incredibly proud that we are seen as a centre of excellence in two spheres. Most people see us as a centre of excellence in biomedical research led teaching and learning, where our co-delivery with Zhejiang University offers dual validation at undergraduate and postgraduate levels; but increasingly, we are seen as leading exponents of transnational education.

Transnational education refers to the delivery of education programmes across national borders, where learners are based in a country different from the awarding institution. In our case, around one in fifty Edinburgh students are now based on the international campus at Zhejiang University. The University of Edinburgh also leads the UK China Joint Institute Alliance (supported by the British Council) for the UK side of the Alliance representing 70 UK China partnerships which I am delighted to Chair, so when the UK–China Health Education Conference was convened in Hubei in March, I was pleased to be able to share some of our experiences.

The conference was jointly hosted by the Hubei Provincial Department of Education and the British Consulate General in Wuhan. The aim was to promote cooperation between leading medical education institutes in the UK and peer organisations in Wuhan. We were facilitated into three areas of discussion:

• Partnerships in transnational education, where we explored curriculum development, teacher training and summer schools. We talked about articulation programmes – formal agreements between institutions to enable students to progress from one programme or institution to another, typically across countries, with recognised credit transfer.
• Continuing professional education for healthcare professionals, and
• Academic–industry collaborations in the field of healthcare

Prof Sue Welburn spilling the tea on TNE

One of the recurring themes was how to manage transnational education as a student-centred experience. It is important that the learners gain from the transnational partnership – whilst also ensuring that local context is also prioritised. To use a time honour phrase, we do need to think global, act local. In some cases, there is an asymmetry of funding – but no one felt there was any asymmetry of talent. The core challenge in transnational education is alignment – of incentives, standards, context, and expectations.

Let me unpack some of this. Partnership work is tough – in the long term it may deliver efficiency savings, but in the short term the workload of everyone concerned will increase. There are a series of factors that need to be aligned. If difficult discussions are avoided, the transnational education partnership is unlikely to succeed. This is more about the depth of alignment in the partnership where alignment moves collaboration from functioning to making a difference.

Alignment of expectations
Partnerships succeed when each party is transparent about its underlying assumptions and ambitions. One partner may expect rapid expansion, while another prioritises depth and consolidation. These differences need to be surfaced early – during the initial “getting to know you” phase – so that expectations are understood and aligned from the outset.

Alignment of incentives
The aim of any partnership is to bring together complementary strengths. The idea is that the synergy can deliver more than the sum of the two parts. This means that it is almost inevitable that institutions have different reasons for entering the partnership. One may seek reputation, student recruitment, or research reach; the other may prioritise educational development or systems strengthening. Successful partnerships have what economists call a double coincidence of wants. What each partner wants requires to transparently and honestly shared – allowing processes to be put in place for both institutions to learn and grow.

Alignment of context
When we build a partnership, it is important that each partner is aware that systems differ – in resources, profiles, roles, and pathways. Alignment means grounding content in the lived realities of educational practice.

Alignment of standards
Academic institutions have two critical pieces of infrastructure: the curriculum and quality assurance programmes around accreditation and assessment.

Within transnational educational contexts there must be a level of pragmatism. For example, a curriculum designed for national and international students learning in Scotland may not necessarily reflect the ambitions of Chinese and international students based in China. For example, we see a major difference in the proportion of our transnational education undergraduates based in China wanting to use their batchelor’s degree to go on to master’s and PhD pathways – than we do in in Edinburgh.

The work is not simply to transfer standards, but to interpret them for different contexts and adapt them without diluting rigour.

There is no shortcut to achieving alignment in transnational educational partnerships. Effective partnerships are co-created. This approach is methodical, slower, and more demanding of the teams involved. Success comes from creating a space where teams can share curriculum and programme design, mutually adapt, and equitably distribute authority. The curriculum evolves; teaching methods are jointly shaped; research agendas reflect shared priorities. Over time, capability is built on both sides, and we achieve a model that we are proud be called a genuine partnership.

Written by Prof Sue Welburn, Executive Dean, Zhejiang-University of Edinburgh joint Institute.

Notes from the UK-China Health Education Conference / ZJE Matters by is licensed under a