As universities continue to expand their global footprint, Transnational Education (TNE) has become central to international strategy. Yet for academic and professional staff working inside these partnerships, the day-to-day reality is far more complex than the strategic headlines suggest.
A recent research article by Dr Jiayi Wang (2025), published in Frontiers in Communication, provides one of the most comprehensive examinations to date of intercultural challenges in TNE — and introduces a practical, evidence-based model to strengthen partnership operations: the Triple-A Framework.
Why This Study Matters
Dr Wang’s research draws on large-scale surveys, stakeholder interviews, and official audit documentation across multiple TNE sites. The findings resonate strongly with staff experience: although TNE continues to grow, many teams report they receive limited intercultural training, insufficient structural support, and operate within partnerships where priorities are not always aligned.
Some key challenges include (data collected through surveys):
They never asked for our input—it felt like they did not trust us. (host faculty, Vietnam, survey response).
We’re delivering most of the programme, but decisions are made in another country. We’re implementers, not partners. (academic coordinator, Dubai, survey response).
There’s a lot of talk about student voice in the handbook, but in reality, our input often feels like an afterthought. Decisions are made at the top without consulting us or understanding what we go through on the ground. (student at a Cyprus branch campus of a UK university, survey response).
Out of sight, out of mind… the branch campus just becomes a figure feeding into the bottom line. (chief executive, UK university branch campus, interview).
For universities with ambitious international strategies, this research provides timely guidance on the capabilities required to deliver TNE responsibly and sustainably.
The Triple-A Framework
This research identifies three institutional capabilities that shape effective TNE partnerships:
1. Agility
The ability to respond quickly to regulatory changes, emerging problems, or cultural misunderstandings. Agile institutions empower in-country teams, streamline decision-making, and maintain responsive communication channels. This reduces operational delays and supports staff working across time zones and governance systems.
2. Adaptability
Recognising that TNE cannot simply replicate home-campus practice. Adaptability involves contextualising curricula, adjusting assessment expectations, providing bilingual academic support, and adopting inclusive pedagogies suited to local learning cultures.
For staff, this means meaningful collaboration, co-design, and structured professional development instead of ad-hoc trial-and-error.
3. Alignment
The capability most commonly missing — and the most damaging when absent. Misalignment occurs when home and host institutions hold different goals (academic, financial, regulatory), or when central teams and local teams interpret responsibilities differently.
Alignment requires shared objectives, clear governance, transparent QA processes, and regular communication. When achieved, it significantly reduces friction for staff and enhances student experience.
Key Takeaways for University Teams
This research highlights several realities and insights:
- Intercultural competence must be supported, not assumed.
Staff — whether academic or professional — should receive training, guidance, and structured onboarding for TNE contexts. People matters! Staff and TNE students alike! - Effective QA needs cultural intelligence.
Dual-system regulation means processes should be flexible, collaborative, and co-owned. - Partnership strength predicts staff performance.
When governance and communication are weak, staff carry the burden; when they’re strong, delivery becomes smoother and more consistent. - Student experience depends on intercultural design.
Language support, expectations around participation, and assessment literacy require deliberate planning.
A Practical Tool for Institutions
One of the most actionable contributions of Dr Wang’s work is the idea of conducting Triple-A audits.
Institutions can assess:
- How agile is our decision-making and by whom?
- How adaptable is our curriculum and pedagogical design?
- How aligned are our goals, incentives, and governance structures?
This offers staff a shared language and evidence-based framework to raise concerns, diagnose problems, and inform strategic improvements.
Final Thoughts
Dr Jiayi Wang’s Triple-A Framework provides a timely, research-informed roadmap for strengthening TNE delivery. For the academic and professional staff working daily across cultural, linguistic, and regulatory boundaries, the message is clear: sustainable, high-quality TNE depends on institutions building agility, adaptability, and alignment into the heart of their partnerships.
Wang, J. (2025). Triple-A transnational education (TNE): Addressing intercultural challenges. Frontiers in Communication, 10, 1568138. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1568138