Leading in TNE 3.0: shared stewardship and the future of transnational education [Presentation]

Transnational education (TNE) has evolved from models predominantly characterised by programme export and institutional replication towards increasingly collaborative forms of international partnership. Yet, while contemporary TNE discourse increasingly emphasises equity, reciprocity and co-creation, the leadership structures underpinning transnational provision may continue to privilege the authority, knowledge and institutional practices of awarding or 'home' institutions. This conceptual paper examines this tension through a postcolonial lens and argues that the development of more equitable forms of TNE requires a corresponding rethinking of leadership.
The paper proposes TNE 3.0 as a heuristic for understanding an emerging orientation in transnational education in which partnership develops beyond collaboration towards Shared Stewardship. Shared Stewardship is conceptualised through reciprocal agency across epistemic, contextual, institutional and student domains. Rather than assuming symmetrical institutional responsibilities, the framework distinguishes between formal responsibility and reciprocal agency, recognising that regulatory accountability can coexist with distributed expertise and meaningful local authority.
Drawing on scholarship in transnational education, internationalisation, postcolonial and decolonial thought, and higher education leadership, alongside developments across African, Australian, UK and US transnational contexts, the paper examines how Shared Stewardship might reshape institutional governance, knowledge production, quality assurance and educational decision-making. It argues that the maturation of TNE requires a movement from leading for partner institutions towards leading with them. Ultimately, the value of this transition should be judged through its capacity to create equitable, contextually meaningful and academically rigorous student experiences across borders.