International Studies in Sociology of Education

Decolonising Transnational Education

The internationalisation of higher education has been a topic of growing interest in recent years, with an increasing focus on the ethical and power dynamics that underpin the process (Wihlborg & Robson, 2017). As universities seek to enhance their global reach and reputation through what has become known as transnational higher education (TNHE) - defined as "the movement of people, knowledge, programs, providers, ideas, curricula, projects, research and services across national or regional jurisdictional borders" (Knight, 2007, p. 24). The contemporary processes of TNHE, which involve "education as a product which can be packaged and sold abroad" (Branch, 2018), highlighting its commodified and market-oriented character. Critical pedagogy perspectives remind us that these hierarchies are sustained not only by colonial legacies but also by neoliberal policies that frame higher education as a competitive global market, often sidelining equity and local priorities. These developments raise pressing questions about whose interests are served and whose voices are marginalised, particularly in the uneven relationships between the Global North and Global South.

Critical scholarship increasingly frames TNHE as a continuation of colonial hierarchies. Global North universities, for example, often establish branch campuses and export curricula that overshadow and devalue local systems, reinforcing long-standing patterns of dependency (Waters, 2012; Sidhu & Christie, 2015). Similarly, the transition from aid to trade models in international education has been interpreted as replicating extractive logics reminiscent of colonial economies (Tikly, 2004). Such practices are underpinned by epistemic violence where curricula and assessment regimes frequently privilege Western epistemologies, marginalising local knowledge traditions and, in some cases, contributing to what Santos (2014) terms “epistemicide” (see also Altbach, 2016). Together, these critiques point to the urgent need to interrogate TNHE not as a neutral exchange, but as a site where global inequalities and knowledge hierarchies are actively reproduced.

This special issue seeks to address these concerns by exploring the notion of "decolonising" transnational higher education, to reimagine the way in which universities engage with the world beyond their national borders. The concept of decolonisation in higher education has gained traction in recent years, as scholars and practitioners have sought to challenge the enduring legacy of colonial power structures and knowledge hierarchies (Kessi et al., 2020). This has involved interrogating how curricula, pedagogies, and institutional practices privilege certain forms of knowledge and marginalise others, often along lines of race, ethnicity, and geopolitical location. Intersectional analyses are also crucial in understanding how race, class, gender, and geopolitical location intersect in shaping who benefits from TNHE and who remains excluded. In the context of transnational higher education, this imperative takes on added significance, as the power dynamics inherent in the global flow of students, faculty, and knowledge are brought into sharp relief.

We particularly welcome contributions from scholars who are positioned within or have direct experience of transnational higher education contexts, including those working at international branch campuses, joint degree programs, and other forms of cross-border educational partnerships. The special issue seeks to amplify voices from scholars who may be navigating the complex realities of TNHE from the inside, offering critical reflections on their lived experiences of these educational arrangements. We are especially interested in perspectives that challenge dominant North-South educational flows by examining emerging South-South collaborations, horizontal partnerships between institutions in the Global South, and alternative models of international educational exchange that resist traditional colonial patterns. We welcome autoethnographic accounts, collaborative research methodologies, and other innovative approaches that centre the experiences and epistemologies of those who have been historically marginalised within dominant TNHE narratives.

We welcome contributions that address the following themes:

• Theoretical and Methodological Frameworks, such as postcolonial and decolonial applications to TNHE; autoethnographic, collaborative, and community-engaged methodologies; critical pedagogy
• Historical and Structural Dimensions, such as colonial continuities in transnational educational partnerships; political economy of TNHE: aid-to-trade transitions, market logics, and global inequalities; geopolitical tensions shaping flows of students, knowledge, and institutions
• Knowledge Systems and Epistemologies, such as indigenous knowledge systems and local epistemologies in TNHE; epistemicide, epistemic violence, and the persistence of Western hegemony in TNHE curriculum and assessment; cognitive justice and epistemic frameworks for transnational contexts; decolonising disciplinary boundaries, professional accreditation and the global standardisation of knowledge; language, knowledge systems, and epistemic justice in transnational education
• Lived Experiences, Identities, and agency, such as lived experiences of epistemic violence and resistance in TNHE spaces; student and faculty negotiations of cultural tensions, belonging, and identity formation; Intersectional perspectives: race, gender, class, disability, and mobility in transnational education
• Institutional Practices, Pedagogy, and Technology, such as decolonial approaches to curriculum and pedagogy in transnational spaces; institutional governance and leadership models that challenge traditional/colonial hierarchies; digital pedagogies, technological divides and equitable access in transnational education; the role of technology in perpetuating or challenging colonial dynamics in transnational education; quality assurance and accreditation as sites of epistemic colonisation and potential decolonisation
• Alternative Models and Futures, such as South-South collaborations and horizontal partnership models; community-engaged and participatory approaches to internationalisation; case studies of successful or experimental decolonisation efforts in TNHE