This discussion panel will look at different perspectives on the quality assurance of transnational education (TNE), discussing the potential of TNE to widen access to quality international education to students who might be unable or unwilling to travel long distances, and challenges and opportunities associated with untapping this potential whilst safeguarding quality and standards. We will hear from two universities that have recently established branch campuses in Kazakhstan, De Montfort University (England) and the University of Arizona (USA), who will share their experience and views about challenges, best practices, and opportunities. We will also hear from the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan, holding the authority to regulate foreign providers operating in the country, and the Office for Students, the regulator of higher education in England, including English TNE provision, who will share their respective approaches to and perspectives on regulating in-bound and out-bound TNE respectively.

Following a successful career in Sales Management in London and the South East of England, Ian moved into the Higher Education Sector after completing his MBA degree at Aberystwyth University in 1999. Ian then directed the postgraduate programmes and international strategies in the business schools at Aberystwyth University and Swansea University before joining DMU as Associate Dean, International in 2019.

While at his previous institutions, Ian played a significant role in the management of the schools as a member of the School Executive, Chair of the Postgraduate Board and International Collaboration Committee and institutionally via membership of a wide range of institutional committees. 

At DMU, within the Faculty, Ian is a member of the Faculty Management Board and the Faculty Executive and Chairs the Faculty International and Faculty Collaborative Provision Boards. At institutional level, Ian is a member of the International Strategy Group, International Recruitment Committee, Global Partnership Advisory Group and the China Strategy Working Group. 

Teaching experience has included delivering Management Skills and Managing People modules at postgraduate and undergraduate level as well as on undergraduate programmes overseas, mainly in partner Chinese universities, as a result of which Ian was made a Visiting Professor of Beijing City University in 2011. 

Ian was also a Faculty Member of the Association of MBAs international Accreditation Panel between 2001 and 2013. This work involved assessing the quality of MBA and MSc provision at business schools in the UK, Europe and internationally.

University of Arizona representative 

Kazakh Ministry of Education representative 

Kate McAlister 

Kate McAlister is Head of Quality Stakeholder Engagement at the Office for Students (OfS) and has worked there since it was established in April 2018. Kate leads the OfS programme of work on transnational education and has oversight of the OfS’s role it took on from April 2023 to assess the quality and standards of academic experiences at English higher education providers seeking to register with the OfS. Prior to this, Kate has undertaken a broad range of leadership roles across different policy areas at the OfS and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) since 2007. This has included Head of Student Welfare and Safeguarding, Head of Strategic Development, Head of Prevent and Executive Adviser to the Chief Executive. Kate also spent a year on secondment to the University of Bath as the Strategic Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor. Kate started her early career working as a management consultant specialising in large-scale change programmes within the public sector, most notably within the Ministry of Defence.