Analysing risk in transnational higher education governance: a principal-agent analysis of international branch campuses

Much of the literature on higher education governance is based on the premises of institutional immobility and national sovereignty. However, the rise of transnational higher education directly challenges both concepts. Transnational education is based on institutions' mobility and the provision of education in a different country from the home institution's location. This paper examines the governance of transnational higher education from the perspective of principal-agent theory (PAT). It posits that to understand the governance of such entities, one must consider the relationship with the home and host contexts – particularly the extent to which each is involved in the governance process. The study uses international branch campuses in Malaysia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to examine governance and risk mitigation in the transnational higher education context. Furthermore, the study aims to advance empirical and theoretical understandings in the comparative context.