Benefits and costs of transnational collaborative partnerships in higher education

Governments have been looking for ways to reduce the costs and maximise the benefits of higher education. Fostering cooperation between higher education institutions is one of the strategic options chosen by European countries in order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their higher education systems.

This report draws on a systematic review of empirical evidence to summarise what is known and what is not known about the economic and non-economic benefits and costs associated with transnational cooperation in higher education.

The analytical framework used to review empirical evidence on the benefits and costs of transnational collaborative partnerships reflects the understanding that: 

1. benefits and costs occur at different levels: macro (regional/national), meso (institutional) and micro (individual); and
2. benefits and costs can be: economic or non-economic (academic, socio-cultural and political).

The report finds that while there is a plethora of anecdotal evidence about the benefits and costs of transnational collaborative partnerships, there are relatively few empirical studies testing these causal claims.

Authors

Daniela Craciun and Kata Orosz

Cite as

European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE), Orosz, K. and Craciun, D., Benefits and costs of transnational collaborative partnerships in higher education, Publications Office, 2018, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/53660