Branding of Germany’s transnational education and its potentials in the Arabian Gulf Region

Abstract

In responding to the growing global demand for education, transnational education (TNE) plays a fundamental role in the current debate on the internationalisation and globalisation of higher education. Through conducting a systematic literature review, this paper examines the unique features of German transnational education, which has little in common with the American, Australian and British models, the reasons for its limited presence in the Gulf and its potential for having a stronger footprint. The Gulf Region is the largest importer of foreign education, and yet German TNE is only represented by one university compared to the relatively large number of USA, UK and Australian higher education institutions. Although the Gulf Region is considered as a lucrative and attractive market for foreign education, the lack of engagement of German TNE there could be interpreted through public policy-related reasons. Since Germany has already established its footprint in creating a unique brand of TNE, the paper recommends building upon the country’s expertise in low-risk option in order to invest in the Gulf. For this to materialise, Germany must build awareness of its unique brand to stand out among the competition.

Keywords

• transnational higher education
• branch campus
• foreign-backed university
• german-backed university
• internationalisation of higher education
• germany
• gulf states