Ecctis was commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) to undertake research into the demand, opportunities, appetite, requirements, and constraints for a UK International Branch Campus (IBC) in Indonesia.

The project also comprises of an overview of transnational education (TNE) across a number of countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to achieve an understanding of the TNE landscape and the appetite for UK degrees.

The project research supports both short- and long-term FCDO objectives:

• Short-term: To attract more UK universities and skill providers to form high-profile and high-quality, sustainable and mutually beneficial international partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region
• Short-term: To complement the JETCO between UK-Indonesia which includes recognition of UK qualifications as a market access barrier
• Long-term: To support the achievement of the UK International Education Strategy which aims to increase the value of education exports to £35 billion per year and increase the total number of international students in the UK each year to 600,000 by 2030.

Broadly, the project research is designed to facilitate the strengthening of UK-ASEAN partnerships, harnessing the expertise of UK Higher Education (HE) to build ASEAN education capacity, improve quality, enhance governance and training in HE, and enable ASEAN students to access high-quality UK degrees at home.

As well as supporting the work of the UK International Education Strategy, the project research fulfils additional priorities of the UK government. This includes the designation of Indonesia as one of the five priority countries for the UK International Education Champion, where we can support skills development and attract international talent to Indonesia, using the insights and outcomes generated by the project research.

The focus of the project also relates to a number of high-level UK delegations to Indonesia, such as the visit of the International Trade Secretary to the Indo-Pacific region, which included top-level trade discussions with delegates in Jakarta.

This project also followed the announcement from the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, supporting foreign universities to establish their presence in Indonesia by waiving market access issues and create solid regulation around TNE.

By exploring not just the demand for UK degrees in the ASEAN, but also the UK appetite for collaboration, this project supports the development and promotion of strategic, sustainable and mutually beneficial TNE partnerships in alignment with governmental priorities from both regions. As well as supporting future operations in Indonesia, the project promotes interregional mobility across ASEAN countries, including regionalisation of international student mobility, safeguarding regional talent and addressing future challenges related to international travel restrictions.

In undertaking the project research, Ecctis employed a mixed-methods approach to obtain a variety of reliable quantitative and qualitative data, leading to the development of sound findings and guidance.

In order to explore the key research themes of demand, opportunities, constraints and considerations in the ASEAN, and UK institutional appetite, Ecctis performed a range of methodologically bespoke research activities, including:

• Literature reviews
• Policy analysis: TNE policy and regulatory environment, operational considerations
• Market intelligence analysis: population statistics, size and growth potential of the market
• Political, social and economic analysis: associated factors influencing national priorities for HE and policy drivers in Indonesia
• HE research (ASEAN): staffing considerations, scholarship availability, international student mobility trends, comparative cost of domestic provision, English proficiency, language experience of TNE operators in the ASEAN
• HE research (UK): UK HE institutional appetite, institutional strategic growth plans, TNE engagement, perceptions of Indonesia, perceptions of UK and Indonesian governments, experiences of joint ventures
• Comparative analysis of HE provision: alignment of the UK and Indonesian education systems, upper secondary qualifications and achievement in an international context, alignment with UK university entry requirements, structure, curriculum, and quality of HE provision
• Key stakeholder engagement: interviews and surveys with regulatory authorities, HE institutions and their students in Indonesia, and with HE institutional representatives for partnerships, recruitment, and due diligence in the UK, UK public sector and policy bodies including UKCISA, British Council, FCDO, BEIS, and DfE
• Feasibility indicators: Ecctis developed a series of indicators as a bespoke tool to measure the feasibility of Indonesian branch campuses
• Case studies: TNE case studies for each additional focus country in the ASEAN (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam)
• SWOT analysis: TNE feasibility.

The resulting report revealed a number of findings related to the potential feasibility of an IBC in Indonesia and the TNE landscape in the ASEAN. The comprehensive findings provide insights into the best way to support UK and Indonesia TNE strategy development.

The findings allow for fully informed decisions to be made regarding future TNE engagement in the region, including the planning of strategies for the mitigation of perceived challenges.

As well as featuring in a final report, the FCDO also invited Ecctis to present these findings in workshop format at the 2023 UK-Indonesia HE Forum.

Ecctis presented a series of key feasibility findings that demonstrated potential strengths and opportunities for exploring the establishment of IBCs in Indonesia and the ASEAN. The types of findings include:

• Top sending countries (inbound students)
• Top destination countries (outbound students)
• Demographic and student data from the ASEAN
• Priority subject areas of the Indonesian Government and of learners
• Government decrees outlining criteria for IBC establishment
• Pathways for establishing IBCs in Indonesia
• Regional support and incentives for TNE
• Regulatory models across the ASEAN
• Capacity for support from potential local partners
• Perceptions of UK degrees in Indonesia
• Information regarding cultural context and its influence over choice of study location
• Commitment of UK HE institutions to forming mutually beneficial TNE advancement.

Ecctis also uncovered insights into possible weaknesses and threats related to the establishment of IBCs in Indonesia and the ASEAN. The types of findings pertained to:

• Costs associated with undergraduate education Availability of local and international teaching candidates
• The partnership experience levels of Indonesian HE institutions
• UK-Indonesia recognition landscape for undergraduate degrees
• English proficiency levels in Indonesia
• Alignment of Indonesian postsecondary qualifications with the entry requirements of UK HE institutions
• Alignment of UK-Indonesia student recruitment priorities
• UK perception and understanding of regulatory barriers, government body approval, quality assurance, and regulation of IBCs and Special Economic Zones.

Ecctis took measures in the design of the bespoke methodology to ensure that the research and findings have longevity in their capacity to contribute to the UK International Education Strategy and to strengthen UK-ASEAN partnerships.

By blending stakeholder engagement (through focus groups and surveys) with future-focussed deep-dive research into Indonesia, this report not only provides a snapshot in time but also a source of durable and reliable information for subsequent use in evolving strategies linked to both IBCs and the ASEAN region.

A full report for this study is available on the Ecctis research publications page.

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