In my previous articles in this series, I explored why student support must sit at the heart of successful transnational education (TNE) partnerships, and why academic support should go beyond providing resources to create equivalent opportunities for students to succeed. This naturally leads to another important question: how do we ensure students can fully engage with their learning when they are navigating not only a different educational environment, but potentially different approaches to language, communication and academic expectations?
When we talk about language in international education, the conversation often focuses on English language proficiency. This is understandable given the global reach of English-medium education and the role that English plays in many international partnerships. However, language and communication in TNE are much broader and more complex than this.
To begin with, language is not simply about the words we use. Communication is the thread that connects every part of a successful TNE partnership, from the student experience and academic delivery to partnership management, staff collaboration and external engagement, and creates shared understanding across all stakeholders. This distinction matters because TNE partnerships bring together diverse communities of students, their families, employers, academics, professional services staff, institutional leaders and other external participants. Each group may bring different linguistic backgrounds, educational experiences, cultural assumptions and communication styles. Therefore, the success of a partnership depends not only on what is communicated, but also on whether that message is understood in the way it was intended across all groups of stakeholders.
Beyond language proficiency
One of the challenges in discussing language support is that it is often framed primarily around student ability. Institutions may focus on entry requirements, language assessments, academic writing support, or additional learning resources. These are all important. However, language proficiency alone does not automatically translate into academic confidence.
A student may meet all formal language requirements and still find themselves uncertain about how to participate in seminars, interpret feedback, structure an argument or understand what is expected when asked to “critically evaluate” a topic. These challenges are not necessarily about a lack of ability. They are often about navigating unfamiliar academic cultures.
Higher education systems vary significantly in how they approach teaching and learning. Expectations around independent study, questioning ideas, engaging in debate, working collaboratively, or expressing disagreement may differ considerably between countries and institutions. The challenge is not that one approach is better than another. Rather, it is about ensuring students understand the expectations of the environment in which they are studying. In this sense, effective communication goes beyond helping students understand academic content. Instead, it is about helping them understand how to succeed within a particular academic context.
The hidden curriculum of higher education
Many students entering TNE programmes are also navigating what is sometimes described as the “hidden curriculum” of higher education – the unwritten expectations, behaviours and conventions that experienced students and staff may take for granted. This may include:
- What does a lecturer expect when they ask students to contribute to a discussion?
- How should students approach feedback from academic staff?
- When is it appropriate to challenge an argument or ask for clarification?
- What does academic independence look like in practice?
For students who are familiar with the academic culture of their institution or the country where they study, these expectations may feel natural. For others, they can represent a significant challenge. This is particularly relevant in TNE because students may be studying an internationally recognised qualification while remaining within their local cultural and educational context or they might be pursuing foreign qualifications outside of their home country and the country of the degree provider. As such, supporting students effectively requires recognising both parts of that experience. The goal should not be to replace students’ existing educational identities or experiences. Rather, it should be to help them develop the confidence and skills to navigate different academic environments.
Communication challenges within partnerships
While student communication is clearly important, some of the most complex communication challenges in TNE happen behind the scenes. TNE partnerships are, at their core, networks of people working together across geographical, institutional and cultural boundaries. This includes academic teams, professional services colleagues, quality assurance teams, administrators, senior leaders and external stakeholders.
In my own experience, some of the most challenging aspects of international partnership work have not necessarily been related to strategic alignment or programme design, but to the everyday communication required to make partnerships operate effectively. A phrase such as “student support”, “quality monitoring”, “course”, “module”, “term”, “credit” or even “engagement” may appear straightforward, but different colleagues may interpret these concepts in different ways. Expectations around timelines, decision-making processes, escalation routes, and responsibilities can vary considerably.
Many operational challenges within partnerships are, at their core, communication challenges. Successful partnerships therefore require more than formal agreements and governance structures. They require ongoing dialogue, opportunities to build relationships, and a willingness to understand how different teams operate.
Communication across languages and locations
It is also important to recognise that not all TNE is delivered in English. Across the world, there are successful international partnerships delivered in local languages, reflecting the needs of students, national contexts and institutional strategies. In these cases, language-related challenges may look very different.
For example, a local partner may deliver a programme in its national language, while colleagues at the awarding institution who are not part of the core delivery team, may not have sufficient language capability to fully engage with teaching materials, student feedback, or academic discussions. This can create challenges around communication, oversight, quality assurance and partnership engagement, possibly even feelings of exclusion or disengagement.
The solution is not necessarily for every colleague involved in a partnership to become fluent in every language used across the network. However, institutions do need to consider how they maintain effective communication and shared understanding when linguistic differences exist. This may require additional investment in translation processes, bilingual staff capability, local expertise, technology solutions, or simply greater awareness of where communication barriers may emerge.
The role of staff capability
Much of the conversation around TNE focuses on student preparedness, but staff capability is equally important. Academic and professional services colleagues working in international partnerships need opportunities to understand each other’s contexts, expectations and ways of working. This includes understanding differences in:
- academic cultures;
- administrative processes;
- communication styles;
- approaches to student support;
- expectations around decision-making and accountability.
Staff development therefore becomes an important part of effective communication. This is not simply about induction or familiarising colleagues with institutional policies. It is about creating opportunities for academic and professional services staff from both partner institutions to learn from one another, understand different educational cultures and develop the confidence to communicate across them. Joint training, staff exchanges, peer observation, collaborative curriculum development, and regular partnership meetings can all help create a shared understanding that ultimately benefits students.
The strongest partnerships I have encountered are those where staff relationships are actively developed (and often in person) rather than assumed. Regular communication between teams, opportunities for knowledge exchange, and genuine collaboration help build the trust required for partnerships to succeed over the long term.
Communication beyond the classroom
Effective communication in TNE extends well beyond the partnership itself. Students are rarely the only audience institutions need to engage. Parents, employers, professional bodies, government agencies and local communities all play an important role in shaping perceptions of international education.
Clear communication is particularly important when explaining the value of TNE qualifications. While awareness of international education continues to grow, there can still be misconceptions about how TNE programmes compare with degrees studied on the awarding institution’s home campus. Institutions therefore need to communicate consistently that students are working towards the same academic standards and learning outcomes, while also highlighting the additional benefits many TNE graduates develop, including intercultural competence, adaptability and the ability to operate across different cultural and professional environments.
Employers, too, increasingly value graduates who can work confidently across borders and cultures. Helping external stakeholders understand these strengths not only benefits graduates, but also reinforces the credibility and long-term reputation of TNE partnerships.
Technology can support communication, but not replace it
Technology has transformed the way international partnerships communicate and frankly, how we liaise with others across all industries. Virtual meetings, digital learning environments, collaboration platforms, and increasingly sophisticated AI tools have made it easier for teams and students to connect across borders. However, technology can support communication, but it cannot replace human understanding.
A translated document may communicate words, but it does not always communicate meaning. A virtual meeting may enable discussion, but it does not automatically build relationships. As TNE becomes increasingly digitally enabled, institutions will need to continue investing not only in platforms and systems, but also in the human connections that allow partnerships to thrive.
Building shared understanding
As TNE continues to expand globally and competition grows between nations and individual providers, language and communication become increasingly important. The future of international education will involve partnerships between institutions, countries, and communities with increasingly diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The most successful partnerships will not simply remove language barriers. They will actively create shared understanding between students, staff, institutional partners, employers, and wider communities.
Perhaps the most important question institutions can ask themselves is not simply whether information is being communicated. It is whether that information is being understood in the way it was intended. Because ultimately, effective communication in TNE is not about ensuring everyone speaks the same language. It is about ensuring everyone understands the same purpose. In the end, successful TNE partnerships are built not simply on shared programmes, but on shared understanding.
In my next article, I will explore another important dimension of the TNE student experience: wellbeing and pastoral support, and how institutions can create environments where students feel supported, connected and able to thrive across different international contexts.
– Dr Suzanna Tomassi is Executive Director of External Affairs at NCUK, a leading UK pathway provider, and Founder of CoachEd Global, a consultancy specialising in executive coaching and global education advisory.
She is a highly experienced strategic leader and board member with over 20 years’ expertise across UK Government and higher education. Her work focuses on internationalisation, governance, risk oversight, commercial growth, and organisational transformation. Suzanna’s career spans the UK Department for Business and Trade and four major UK universities, where she has shaped national policy, strengthened regulatory and quality frameworks, and led large-scale international expansion initiatives.
An expert in transnational education and global operations, Suzanna has driven multi-country growth strategies, co-authored accreditation guidelines, and facilitated major international investments in UK higher education.
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