The University of Northampton (UON) is strengthening its position as a leading provider of UK transnational education (TNE), building on a series of major overseas engagements across Asia.
The objectives of UON visits align with the Government’s International Education Strategy which aims to grow UK education exports to £40 billion by 2030.
Published in January 2026, the strategy marks a shift towards supporting UK institutions to deliver more programmes abroad, removing barriers to expansion and helping universities develop long‑term global partnerships.
UON Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Becky Bradshaw led this month’s week-long tour of Asia which included engagements at the Qiongtai Normal University and Beijing Union University in China and the Nanyang Institute of Technology in Singapore. She also hosted an event for major partners in the region and UON alumni at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Becky said: “Education is one of the UK’s most valuable exports and by building strong collaborations with trusted partners around the globe we can diversify the income of the University and build a sustainable future for our aspirations to make higher education open and accessible for home students in the UK.
“And these partnerships are by no means one-way; they are also valuable learning opportunities for our academics and researchers who will discover news ways of thinking and will hear fresh ideas from the most ambitious young people and academics around the world, thereby improving the excellence of what we can deliver in Northampton.”
During the visit Becky worked to finalise a Joint Institute Agreement between UON and Qiongtai Normal University (QTNU) in Hainan. Standard TNE partnerships see the delivery of courses split between host nation and UON with Chinese students travelling to Northampton for one or more years of their course. The revised agreement with QTNU will see UON courses delivered entirely in Hainan.
A similar agreement was also explored with Beijing Union University (BNU) to deliver Master’s Degree in Special Educational Needs Education entirely in Beijing which they hope will enrol 60 students a year.
On the third leg of the trip Becky renewed UON’s longstanding collaboration with Nanyang Institute of Technology in China where discussions centred on improving the outcomes and sustainability of UON courses in Mechanical Manufacturing and Automation and Electrical Engineering and Automation.
Rounding off the foreign trips, together with British Ambassador Iain Frew, UON hosted a Partnership Reception at the Ambassador’s Residence in Hanoi, Vietnam on 10 March 2026, attended by Vietnamese education partners, agents and alumni to celebrate the growing UK–Vietnam education relationship.
The event also saw the launch of a new £12,000 IMPACT Scholarship for Vietnamese students who have already successfully applied to study for a Master’s Degree at UON.
Becky highlighted Vietnam as a strategically important partner for the University, with more than 15 years of collaboration with Vietnamese institutions on joint programmes, research and student exchange initiatives.
She said: “Northampton is now among the top five UK universities hosting Vietnamese students, reflecting strong recruitment partnerships and growing interest from Vietnamese applicants.”
The day after she returned from Asia Becky was back in action welcoming a delegation from Amity Global Institute in Singapore to the Waterside Campus in Northampton (pictured) to relaunch the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme and explore new opportunities in education-related postgraduate provision.
The visit included presentations by Gil Ogilvie-Johns in the Faculty of Business and Law and discussions with senior leaders to diversify UON’s taught portfolio in Singapore.
Currently UON has 18 transnational education partnerships with institutions around the globe, find out more on UON TNE page.