10. Envisioning Successful Sino-Foreign Universities in 2030: Considerations for Current and Prospective Partnerships

This chapter describes a study that used the Delphi Technique to envision strategies that appear to ensure success for Sino-Foreign Universities in 2030. Transnational Education (TNE) partnerships in Mainland China have faced significant issues and their future is uncertain. The unprecedented speed of change in Mainland China’s higher education system made it imperative to conduct a study that looked beyond the nation’s 5-year planning system. The study involved the executive management of Sino-Foreign University partnerships, whose data informed the envisioning of scenarios. The scenarios suggest the importance of an internet and social media strategy which is a radical change considering the regulations for foreign online education in Mainland China. Furthermore, a societal involvement strategy recognizes a new role for Sino-Foreign University partnerships that will create greater competition among partnerships. This chapter shows that organizational policies jointly related to experimentation and accountability can sustain futures thinking within a centrally planned yet global higher-education system.