Abstract

Transnational Education (TNE) has seen a rapid expansion in recent years with UK universities active in the forging of partnerships across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean as well as the Middle East. This has seen UK Universities join the TNE "gold rush" which is seen as a beneficial model of global engagement that has forged partnerships that foster knowledge transfer which in turn acts as a pathway for widening participation. However, a critical question remains about the increasing strategic lifeline that supports our institutions; are the communities we partner with genuinely better off and more empowered to define their own educational futures, or do such arrangements reinforce existing hierarchies of knowledge and power? This provocative question is explored using knowledge management (KM) theory as a lens, while considering how cultural intelligence (CQ) among TNE leadership can reposition universities at the forefront of more equitable TNE practices. Knowledge management provides a powerful framework for making the most of TNE partnerships. At its core, KM distinguishes between explicit knowledge (codified, transferable through curricula, policies, and structures) and tacit knowledge (embodied in practice, culture, and lived experience). Evidence from TNE partnerships has shown that explicit knowledge flows predominantly from the exporting institution while local partners, who contribute contextual tacit knowledge, are often undervalued or overlooked. Cultural intelligence (CQ) should be central to effective leadership in transnational partnerships as beyond administrative efficiency, universities need to be conscious of the double-edged sword of TNE partnership. This discussion does not use empirical data, rather it relies on documents and discourse analysis. Case examples will support the discussions. As such, drawing on the KM-CQ lens, it is crucial to provide an answer to this provocative question that belittles deeper pedagogic and institutional commitments that support mutual learning and shared futures.

Keywords: Transnational education, knowledge management, explicit knowledge, tacit knowledge, cultural intelligence, leadership, partnerships.