Philippines launches transnational education strategy for 2027 to 2030

Countries across Asia are stepping up efforts to attract international university partnerships, with the Philippines launching a transnational education strategy for 2027–2030 aimed at positioning itself as a more prominent destination. Unveiled at the ASEAN–UK Higher Education Week in Manila in early November, the initiative follows similar expansions in Malaysia and Indonesia, and creates uncertainty over how growing student populations will affect regional housing markets and infrastructure.

Developed by the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) with support from the British Council, the new strategy introduces a “green lane” visa fast-track system for international students and academics alongside measures to improve the mutual recognition of qualifications. This framework rests on earlier groundwork: a 2016 partnership linking the British Council and CHED to foster 17 postgraduate programmes across UK and Philippine institutions, which featured a PhD by Research project shared by the University of Reading and the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Rather than pursuing the rapid expansion of physical international branch campuses seen in neighboring markets, the Philippine strategy prioritizes joint degrees, co-designed programmes, and research collaborations, backed by the Education Philippines (EduPhil) national initiative and a planned digital visa platform.

Malaysia and Indonesia Establish Diverse Transnational Education Models

Across the region, transnational education models vary significantly. Malaysia represents an established market featuring international branch campuses from institutions such as Nottingham, Newcastle, Southampton, Curtin, and Monash. Indonesia is emerging as another significant market; in May 2026, the Australian government hosted a TNE CONNECT symposium bringing together more than 30 Australian and Indonesian higher education institutions to explore collaboration opportunities, building on three Australian branch campuses already operating in the country.

While joint academic programmes involving predominantly local students generate relatively little additional accommodation demand, incoming international cohorts and multi-city relocations can create demand for housing and associated services. Malaysia addresses this via integrated hubs like EduCity Iskandar in Johor, where local and international providers share student accommodation, recreational facilities, and a sports complex.

However, commercial execution remains precarious. According to projections by real estate services firm JLL, the deficit in student housing within Hong Kong has the potential to hit 147,200 beds by the 2029/30 academic year should construction fail to keep pace with demand. To combat this constraint, Hong Kong launched its Hostels in the City Scheme in 2025, which saw four projects providing approximately 700 places open by October 2026. South Korea faces parallel pressures, with government statistics showing the proportion of international students accommodated in university dormitories dropped from 23.8% in 2024 to 20.3% in 2025.

Philippine Youth Population Drives Collaborative Programme Focus

For the Philippines, possessing a population of more than 32 million people aged 15–30, the focus remains collaborative programmes rather than large-scale new campus developments. Yet, as inbound recruitment scales up, the absence of a current TNE-specific shortage may give way to long-term housing demand depending on delivery locations and student relocation rates.

Industry stakeholders will gather to dissect these capital allocations when GSL’s Investor Summit makes its Asia debut in Singapore on 17 & 18 November 2026, convening sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, family offices, and select industry leaders to examine the evolving residential living sector.

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