Importing Private Higher Education: International Branch Campuses

International branch campuses (IBCs) evidence the increasing intention of some governments to use private higher education to fulfill public policy goals related to economic development and building capacity within the postsecondary sector. This study uses two exploratory case studies (Malaysia and Dubai) to investigate the relationship between the government, public policy, and IBCs. The IBCs imported by the governments investigated in this study tend to be from well-established institutions in countries that attract a large number of international students. The results from the study suggest that governments are actively recruiting institutions from other countries to aid in improving the host government's education-related reputation and signaling to the world that it is modernizing its economy and its desire to be a regional education hub. Thus, IBCs not only increase local capacity and provide a different type of education, but are intended to foster new regional interest in pursuing an education in the host country.