Site of branch campuses shifting to Asia

The phenomenon of branches campuses continues to unfold (249) but the location of these is changing. China has been growing at a faster rate than other areas of the world, growing from 13 in 2010 to 32 in 2015. With the largest number of young people seeking advanced education in the world, it is no surprise that China is including branch campuses in its higher education expansion strategies.

An interesting twist on China's increasing number of branch campuses was raised by OBHE Director, Richard Garrett, who offered the opinion that "universities from developing countries that are engaged in setting up branch campuses tend to be 'unusually large institutions' or 'unusually entrepreneurial' and the goal of their foreign provision is to serve a 'specialized' expat group or minority group that wants some home provision that it cannot get locally."

Perhaps meeting both national's and expatriates' higher education needs is the best capacity building strategy. As the number of expatriates from around the world continues to expand (as Khanna predicts), helping countries blend and leverage diverse workforces will be key. Learning to live and learn together in a mix of indigenous and expatriate learners is one of the best ways to teach the value of all when it comes to capacity building.