Higher Education in a Global Market: The Case of British Overseas Provision in Israel

Abstract

In recent years there has been a major expansion by higher education institutions in setting up 'for-profit', offshore programmes and campuses. It has been claimed that for-profit provision in a free, or unregulated market, responds to student demand and acts as a catalyst for innovation, thus fuelling arguments for a global 'free market' in higher education. There are few opportunities to test these claims since higher education is overwhelmingly provided within national systems of education and is generally subject to strong local regulation. Israel, in the 1990s, offered a rare case of an unregulated market in higher education for foreign providers, albeit one which contained significant distortions: British institutions took the leading part in developments. This article examines that experience in the light of documentation in the public domain and of practitioner research and argues, contrary to unsubstantiated claims, that provision fell below acceptable standards. The article concludes that, in this field, consumer demand did not operate on the basis of quality and that the market-place cannot assure standards of higher education in overseas provision. Furthermore, until international standards are agreed, governments have a responsibility to regulate provision which directly affects the lives of their citizens.

The ‘brand name’ research university goes global

“…Much of the commentary on transnational education has focused on the teaching activities of universities, with supporters pointing to their potential to contribute to capacity building in recipient countries (Knight 2003). Critics of transnational education, on the other hand, have argued that the power/knowledge relations underpinning transnational education markets have allowed institutions from education exporting countries to engage in profit-seeking behaviours which reduce educational quality and standards (Lieven and Martin 2006;Schapper and Mayson 2004).…”

Legislation and Social Policy in the Higher Education System

“…This argument has been joined by Lieven and Martin (2006), who studied the operations of the British university extensions in Israel. The researchers believe that although the extensions entered the higher education system on the basis of market forces and consumers' needs, these factors were insufficient to maintain quality of the institutions.…”

Market orientation in universities

“…Due to critical reports and public concern against the low quality of many partnerships, the government of Israel responded in 1998 by amending the 1958 CHE Law, thereby significantly reducing the number of foreign operators, and imposing restrictive practices in the bureaucratic procedures involved in applying for a license (Lieven & martin, 2006). This legislation was followed by a decline in the numbers overseas providers in Israel.…”