Credentialism and the role of transnational education in

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Credentialism and the role of transnational
education in building sustainable cities

• Johanna L. Waters
• johanna.waters_at_conted.ox.ac.uk
• _at_johannalwaters
• DSA, 2014

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• How sustainable and desirable is the
  expansion of TNE as a means of creating an
  educated workforce within global cities?
• Does it create more problems than it solves?

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Some context

• Non-local degree programmes (or TNE) have
  proliferated in HK over past 10 years.
• 8 domestic universities 18 entry.
• Government sought HE for 60.
• Growth of community or CE colleges and new
  Associate Degree. Extremely low articulation
  rate.

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Social context

• Credentialism and the social expectations
  attached to HE.
• Long time ago, having a degree would look
  superior, but now, I think it has changed...If
  you do not have a degree, it seems that you
  cannot quite raise your head, feeling inferior.
  Having a degree is to show people that I am
  normal. (Nicolas Tse, graduated with a UK
  university degree in 2007, Hong Kong)
• Potential idealism around the role played by CE
  in society. Education is inherently a good thing.

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Relationship between CE and TNE
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UK HEIs offering degree programmes in Hong Kong
(according to the British Council)

• Birmingham City University Coventry University
  De Montfort University Edinburgh Napier
  University Glyndwr University Heriot-Watt
  University Kingston University Lancaster
  University Leeds Metropolitan University
  Liverpool John Moores University Manchester
  Metropolitan University Middlesex University
  Northumbria University Nottingham Trent
  University Oxford Brookes University Sheffield
  Hallam University Staffordshire University
  Swansea Metropolitan University Thames Valley
  University University of Bath University of
  Bedfordshire University of Birmingham
  University of Bolton University of Bradford
  University of Bristol University of Central
  Lancashire University of Derby University of
  Durham University of East London University of
  Glamorgan University of Greenwich University of
  Huddersfield University of Hull University of
  Leicester University of London University of
  Manchester University of Northampton University
  of Plymouth University of Portsmouth University
  of Stirling University of Strathclyde
  University of Sunderland University of Surrey
  University of Teeside University of Wales
  Institute University of Wales Newport
  University of Warwick University of
  Wolverhampton.

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Characteristics of UK degrees in Hong Kong

• They offer Undergraduate (i.e. top-up) -,
  Master- and Doctoral-level degrees
• Mix of full-time and part-time students
• Have developed as part of the expansion of
  continuing education in Hong Kong (the
  democratisation of access to HE), particularly
  over the last 15 years.
• British universities frequently link up with
  continuing education arms of local (Hong Kong)
  HEIs

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Figures for 2013

• 532 degree courses run by 36 different UK HEIs in
  Hong Kong
• Approx 78 of TNE in Hong Kong (offered in
  conjunction with a local HEI) is British
• Australia is the next biggest provider (around
  22).
• (Hong Kong Education Bureau, Dec.
  2012)

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Overview of project

• Funded jointly by the ESRC (UK) and the RGC (Hong
  Kong). Led by Johanna Waters in the UK and Maggi
  Leung in Hong Kong.
• Qualitative study of non-local degrees offered
  by UK HEIs in Hong Kong.
• Sample includes 70 interviews with current
  students and recent graduates (40/30) 18
  interviews with UK providers 9 interviews with
  recruiters in Hong Kong.
• Most interviews with students/graduates conducted
  in Cantonese and translated into English
  interviews with providers conducted in English
  interviews with recruiters conducted in English
  or Cantonese (their preference). All names of
  individuals, universities and courses have been
  changed.

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Some findings

• For many individuals, a UK education offers the
  only way of obtaining a university degree
• Students on non-local degrees often suffer from
  a lack of recognition
• Obtaining a British degree without ever having
  been to Britain has proved problematic for some
  graduates.

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Education UK your only option if you want a
degree!

• These programmes are for the bunch of people
  who did not perform too well in HKCEE taken at
  the age of 15, or their results might not take
  them to a local university directly (Peter
  Chan, graduated with a UK university degree in
  2007, Hong Kong)
• When I finished my form 5 repeated form 5
  the HKCEE result was not too good. I wanted to
  continue to study, but the results were not good
  enough to continue to study at sixth form and A
  level, so I considered a higher diploma...The
  ultimate goal was to complete a degree...I knew
  that when I finished that programme (the higher
  diploma) I would be eligible to study the top-up
  UK programme (Peter Chan)

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Lack of recognition second-class citizens

• The support that X university gave them
  local degree students was different from us
  joint degree students. There were plenty of
  facilities that we could not use. (Nicolas Tse,
  graduate, Hong Kong).
• I did not feel that X University Hong Kong
  HEI treated us as their real sons and
  daughters. Local degree students were their real
  sons and daughters. I was like a new immigrant
  there was a feeling of hierarchy. How I felt this
  hierarchy was that local students could borrow 10
  books from the library, but we could only borrow
  5 books. Local students could borrow for 20 days
  we could only borrow for 10 days....The resources
  they gave us were obviously less than the local
  degree students. (Peter Chan, graduate, Hong
  Kong)

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UK students in HK get reduced privileges

• JW What is the reason for the reduced
  privileges of students on top-up degrees, if it
  is not a fee thing...
• It is not a fee thing. It is who they are! They
  are not university students! They are not
  enrolled in university. So you cant change it.
  But we actually feel that they dont get a bad
  deal (Lilly Ho, head administrator for 42 UK
  top-up degrees at the continuing education arm of
  a local (Hong Kong) HEI)

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Lack of government recognition

• Disclaimer It is a matter of discretion for
  individual employers to recognise any
  qualification to which these courses may lead
  (SCOPE handbook, 2010-2011)

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• The organisers the UK-HK HEIs would not
  declare that the government does not recognise
  top-up degree programmes, but people know
  that.Actually, many students intend to take
  another Masters programme in a local university
  after studying the joint university program,
  because we want to wash file eliminate from
  the academic record our top-up degree
  qualification. However, the sad thing is that
  people in Hong Kong treasure and value the first
  degree most. So, I would prefer to take a local
  degree instead of a joint university on, if I
  could choose again. (George Law, graduate of
  British university, Hong Kong)

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Lack of social recognition?

• Somebody aged 50 plus, like our parents, they
  do not recognise these are degrees. They would
  only think local universities are real
  degreesWhat they thought is that we should go
  through the traditional process HKCEE, A
  level and then get into a local university, then
  it would be recognised. Even now, my parents do
  not think that I have completed a degree
  courseIn their eyes its not a degreeMy parents
  thought I lied to them about studying a degree.
  (Monica Shaw, successfully completed a 1 year
  British degree course in 2008)

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Did you really study in the UK?

• One day I went to Admiralty to meet a
  client...I introduced myself and this guy said to
  me your English should be better because you
  have come back from the UK...So I needed to
  explain that I did my British degree in Hong
  Kong. But sometimes I ask myself, do I really
  need to explain myself?...However, I do not want
  people to feel that I am intentionally misleading
  people. I am honest and I did not go to the UK.
  So even now, I am still thinking of how I should
  deal with this kind of situation.... I remember
  when I had my job interview. In the interview
  there were also other applicants from HKU, CUHK
  Chinese University of HK). We had a group
  interview. I would say I graduated from X UK
  university....I think it is a matter of how I
  identify myself. I dont want to...mention it
  but I also dont want to be misunderstood that I
  claimed I had been studying in the UK, but kept
  quiet about it (David Kwok, graduated with a UK
  university degree in 2009, Hong Kong).

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Some conclusions

• Issue of inferiority to come to terms with and
  the care given to UK universities to THEIR
  students overseas
• Questions of equity
• Student expectations and thwarted expectations.
• Longer term prospects for TNE in the territory?