Exporting Employability: Evidence From Transnational Education Alumni

Abstract

Transnational education institutions promoting foreign curricula often claim to enhance international employability for local students, yet many assertions lack substantial evidence. This qualitative study investigates the study-to-work transitions of alumni from a binational university in Turkey, focusing on their motivations for selecting this university and their immediate labour market outcomes. The study introduces the concept of “exporting employability” through transnational education. The findings indicate that the extent to which transnational higher education institutions can “export” employability has limitations and largely depends on language skill development. Notably, nearly all graduates choose to work in their country of origin. By applying transnational social fields theory, this study illustrates how transnational education can offer a globally relevant yet locally applicable education, ultimately providing concrete evidence of transnational education's role in enhancing alumni employability and contributing to their labour market outcomes.