Taking Stock of the Costs and Benefits of Transnational Partnerships in Higher Education: What Do We Know So Far?

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence about the cost and benefits of transnational collaborative partnerships between higher education institutions, but few studies test these claims empirically. Those that do focus on the benefits brought about by such partnerships, namely more and better research publications and patents; better foreign language proficiency of internationally mobile students; a higher likelihood of employment at home and abroad; positive attitudes towards open borders and democracy; strengthened research and teaching capacity; and increased attractiveness of collaborating universities to foreign academics. Our systematic review of relevant literature found no quantification of the costs associated with transnational collaborative partnerships in higher education; only qualitative challenges.