What Makes a TNHE Venture in China Successful? Insight from Policy Documents

Abstract

Transnational Higher Education (TNHE) plays a critical role in China’s education internationalisation and national development. While TNHE has expanded rapidly, it faces challenges such as regional disparities, inadequate adaptation of foreign curricula, and weak quality assurance mechanisms. This paper analyses 12 key TNHE policy documents issued between 1986 and 2020, employing Smith’s Policy Implementation Model to assess policy formulation, implementation, and outcomes. Findings reveal that TNHE in China has evolved through four key policy phases, successfully integrating international educational resources, diversifying academic disciplines, and enhancing research capacity. However, imbalanced regional distribution and inconsistencies in foreign curriculum alignment persist. To ensure sustainable and high-quality TNHE development, future research should focus on improving regional equity, optimising curriculum localisation, and leveraging AI-driven quality monitoring mechanisms.