A Review of Transnational Education in Iran: Problems and Prospects

Transnational education (TNE) is defined as a set of higher education programs (face-to-face or e-learning) which is offered by institutions of higher education in an exporter country to an importer country. This type of education is covered by General Agreement on Trade in Services. The TNE has been introduced in Iran since last decade and a number of universities and higher education institutions hosted such programs. For the purpose of examining the TNE situation in Iran, a sample survey of universities and other higher education institutions (HEI) was conducted in 2007. Data were collected and analyzed from 21 sample HEIs. The results indicated that (in 2006-2007 academic year) Iran was an importer of transnational education (from countries such as U.K., Russia, U.S.A., and France). At the same time, it was exporter of the TNE (to countries such as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan). Data on the inputs and the processes such program systems indicate that the quality was not satisfactory. Considering the importance of the TNE, efforts should be planned and organized to expand the TNE. Furthermore, as quality assessment and monitoring of the TNE is of prime importance in its success. In last part of this article a proposal is discussed in this regard.