In this interactive decision lab, participants work through a high-stakes transnational education (TNE) decision representative of the challenges many post-secondary institutions are currently facing. As institutions reassess international strategies amid financial pressure, staffing constraints, and shifting geopolitical and regulatory contexts, TNE decisions increasingly require explicit trade-offs and disciplined executive judgment.

Designed for experienced leaders, this session uses a facilitated, case-based simulation to move beyond general discussion of TNE models and into applied decision-making. Participants work in small groups as executive committees assessing a realistic TNE proposal that could proceed through multiple delivery models, each with different financial, human resource, academic, and governance implications.

The case uses China as a timely illustrative example, reflecting renewed government-to-government attention and recent high-level engagement, while keeping the discussion broadly applicable to other TNE environments. Participants are asked to assess institutional readiness, evaluate financial and staffing assumptions, consider academic and governance risks, and make a recommendation they could defend publicly. Participants will leave with clearer decision criteria and greater confidence navigating complex TNE proposals.