On-site: Session and Presenter Details

Opening Plenary

10:00-11.00

Lecture Theatre 4: Redefining the Role of EAP in the Era of English Medium Instruction and expanding Transnational Education

Professor Nicola Galloway (University of Exeter) and Professor Bee Bond (University of Leeds)

The global growth of English Medium Instruction (EMI), alongside the rapid expansion of Transnational Education (TNE), is transforming higher education systems in non-Anglophone contexts. As universities increase English-taught provision and develop cross-border partnerships—often through programmes split between providers—there has been a clear shift in language education from English for General Purposes (EGP) towards English for Academic Purposes (EAP). This transition reflects not only intensified linguistic demands on students and teachers, but also the growing centrality of academic literacy and disciplinary communication in internationalised higher education. This plenary explores the opportunities created by these developments to foreground the pedagogical and institutional significance of EAP in supporting successful, high-quality EMI and TNE provision. At the same time, we consider the implications of this shift for the professional status, recognition, and identity of EAP practitioners. Drawing on a case study in China examining professional development opportunities for EAP teachers in rapidly expanding EMI institutions, we highlight both the emerging possibilities and persistent challenges shaping EAP within shifting higher education landscapes. We argue that systemic change is required to position EAP practitioners not as peripheral service providers, but as central actors in EMI and TNE curriculum design, staff development, and policy implementation. Such change is essential not only for quality assurance, but also for promoting equity across institutions, including more coherent recognition and support for EAP teachers working within English-medium and internationalised programmes. As TNE and cross-border university alliances expand, we also examine the need for a more globally attuned EAP agenda—one that recognises cultural and pedagogical diversity across contexts, and balances demands for global English competence with local relevance, norms, and academic values. We conclude by outlining directions for future research and calling for more collaborative inquiry with EAP professionals to build a shared vision for sustainable EMI and TNE. Finally, we argue for more critical engagement with prevailing definitions of “internationalisation” in higher education, including deeper examination of partnership structures, the dominance of English, and the extent to which EMI and TNE can foster meaningful global engagement, knowledge exchange, and intercultural understanding. We call for a reimagining of internationalisation, EMI, TNE and EAP through a stronger focus on equitable partnerships and the power and centrality of language(s) to the work this involves.  Nicola Galloway is Professor of Applied Linguistics, with a specialisation in sociolinguistics and language teaching research. Her research has included exploring attitudes towards the English language and in relation to English language teaching, Global Englishes, teaching English as an international language, and English Medium Instruction. Her work straddles applied linguistics and higher education studies. Publications include a number of books on Global Englishes, including Introducing Global Englishes (Routledge), Global Englishes for Language Teaching (Cambridge), The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English as an international language ( Routledge), Teaching English as an International Language (Cambridge) and Global Englishes for English Language Teaching (Routledge). She has published widely in the fields of Applied Linguistics and Higher Education and coordinates the ELIPro network (Education, Languages and Internationalisation network). It partners with The University of Oxford EMI Research Group (http://www.emi.network/), where she is an honorary research fellow.   Bee Bond is a Professor in EAP and is co-lead for a part-time, online MA in Teaching EAP at the University of Leeds. She is a practitioner/ scholar and her work is focused on highlighting the vital role that language plays in all forms of academic communication, and what that means for EAP and university teacher and student development. This was the focus of her book: Bond, B. (2020). Making Language Visible in the University: English for Academic Purposes and Internationalisation. Multilingual Matters.

Option 1

11:10-11:50

EMI lecturer training: content, formats, challenges, recommendations - Professor Katrien Deroey (University of Luxembourg)

This talks surveys EMI lecturer training programmes worldwide (Deroey, 2023) to help EAP practitioners make informed decisions about their design and delivery. From these published initiatives, I report key components, formats, challenges and recommendations. Many initiatives prioritize language and communication skills but also include (specific) pedagogical training. Microteaching with feedback, reflection and teaching observations of disciplinary colleagues are highly rated activities. Several initiatives additionally integrate intercultural and EMI awareness work. This diversity of components suggests EMI training could become part of a broader professional development programme and may warrant interdisciplinary collaboration. The training is mainly delivered by English language professionals through group classes, individual support (e.g. helpdesks, classroom observations) and peer learning (e.g. teaching feedback, fora, tandems). Peer mentorship seems a promising way to empower lecturers, enable contextualization and facilitate continuous development. A few institutions diversify their support depending on lecturers’ discipline, English proficiency and EMI experience. For most, however, long-term follow-up to ensure and document training outcomes remains ambitious. Having highlighted challenges and recommendations along the way, I conclude by highlighting points that are particularly pertinent to the TNE context. References: Deroey, K. L. B. (2023). English medium instruction lecturer training programmes: content, delivery, ways forward. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 62(101223), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2023.101223 Katrien Deroey is a Professor in Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching at the multilingual University of Luxembourg. She was the guest editor of the special issue 'Lecture discourse and lecturer training' for the Journal of English for Academic Purposes. Her publications on lecture discourse report how lecturers signal (less) important points in their teaching. Her interest in lecturer training dates back to twenty years ago, when she was tasked with creating a course for EMI lecturers at a Belgian university. She previously taught in Belgium, Vietnam and the UK.

11:50-12:00 Lightning Talks

Academic language challenges in EMI: Evidence from a Vietnamese transnational university - Ellie PA Pham (University of Sheffield)

As English-medium instruction (EMI) continues to expand in higher education, students are increasingly required to meet academic language demands that extend beyond general English proficiency. This lightning talk presents key findings from a mixed-methods study investigating the academic language challenges experienced by EMI students at a Vietnamese transnational university. Data were collected through a questionnaire completed by 244 students and semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholder groups, including 14 students, 3 language instructors, 10 content lecturers and 2 institutional managers. Drawing on these perspectives, the talk addresses perceived academic language needs and outlines practical implications for strengthening institutional approaches to academic language support in EMI contexts. Phuong-Anh (Ellie) Pham is a PhD researcher in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Sheffield, UK. She holds an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (University of Huddersfield) and an MSc in Applied Linguistics (University of Glasgow). Her research examines English Medium Instruction (EMI), academic literacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration between language and content specialists, with a particular focus on higher education in non-Anglophone contexts.

Option 1

11:10-11:50

Opportunities for UK ELT/EMI and EAP providers in TNE globally - Mark Henebury (Department for Business and Trade)

As global demand for transnational education continues to expand, there are major opportunities for UK ELT, EMI and EAP providers to support international partners in line with the UK Government’s International Education Strategy 2026. The strategy, co‑owned by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Department for Education, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, sets out the ambition to grow UK education exports to £40 billion per year by 2030 and to strengthen the UK’s position as the global partner of choice across all stages of learning. For UK language‑focused providers, this creates a strong mandate to help partners expand English‑medium programmes, raise academic English standards and build long‑term teaching capacity. The strategy emphasises that partnerships and TNE expansion are essential to widening access to UK‑quality education globally, enabling students to receive “world‑class education at their doorstep.”

By delivering high‑quality EAP modules, EMI training for faculty, and flexible online or blended English‑language pathways, UK providers directly support DBT’s goal of strengthening international collaborations and meeting rising global demand. In doing so, we contribute not only to improved student outcomes but also to the UK’s broader mission to enhance global engagement and educational leadership. Mark Henebury joined DBT in September 2018 as the English Language Training Specialist in the DBT Education Sector Team, representing and promoting the UK ELT sector and supporting UK ELT providers of all types to export their expertise around the world. Since September 2021 he has also taken on representation of the International Teacher Training sector and a cross-governmental role with the Department for Education, raising the profile of these international export sectors across all government departments and supporting the expansion of the iQTS status. In the role he promotes and celebrates the success of the sector, working closely with organisations of all types to identify challenges and opportunities.

11:50-12:00 Lightning Talks

Motivating Students in Overseas EAP Programmes: Challenges and Classroom Strategies - Daniel Scott (Kwansei Gakuin University)

This five-minute, practice-focused presentation explores motivational challenges in an overseas English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme within English-medium higher education. As English-medium provision continues to expand globally, EAP practitioners increasingly work with students preparing for study in English while remaining embedded in local educational cultures. Drawing on experience from an overseas programme in Japan, the presentation highlights challenges that are widely relevant across international EAP contexts. Common motivational issues include limited opportunities to use English beyond the classroom, instrumental attitudes towards language learning, and uncertainty about the relevance of EAP. These issues are closely connected to students’ adjustment to unfamiliar academic cultures and expectations, such as critical engagement, independent learning, and academic integrity (Hyland & Shaw, 2016). Focusing on classroom practice, the presentation shares a small number of strategies used to address these challenges, including explicit academic socialisation, discipline-relevant tasks, and culturally responsive approaches to academic language development. Key takeaway: small, explicit pedagogic interventions can significantly improve motivation and engagement in overseas EAP contexts. Reference: Hyland, K., & Shaw, P. (Eds.). (2016). The Routledge handbook of English for academic purposes. London: Routledge.  Daniel Scott holds an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Birkbeck, University of London) and is currently an EAP Reading and Listening course coordinator at a university and IELTS/Cambridge speaking examiner in Osaka, Japan. Since obtaining his CELTA in 2008, he has taught in a variety of contexts including pre-sessional courses in the UK and has more than 12 years of experience teaching in Japan. His academic interests include L2 motivation in EMI higher education contexts, course design (EAP/ESP), and assessment.

12:30-13:00 Special Session

Lecture Theatre 4: Special Session: BALEAP Vision and Values

The BALEAP Vision and Values in Practice Working Group have spent the last year engaging with various stakeholders within the membership in order to create BALEAP's Vision statement and to evolve our existing values into Values In Practice. The intention is to launch these at the AGM in April 2026. In this short session, the Working Group will be sharing the story of how the past year has gone and reflecting on the consultation and collaboration undertaken. The session will conclude by asking for some final input before the launch. Natasha Ingall is a Senior Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes Education at King’s College London. She has now stepped down from her role of Ordinary Member on the BALEAP Executive Committee, which she held for two consecutive terms. She now continues as one of the Institutional Reps for KCL, supporting CPD and participation in BALEAP. Her current research interests include promoting student self-efficacy, affective engagement, cross-cultural communication, and multi/interdisciplinarity. Hannah Jones is Chair of BALEAP, leading the organisation in its mission to support the professional development of those involved in learning, teaching, and research in EAP. She is also Director of English Language Education at the University of Edinburgh, where she has oversight of all EAP provision, including international pathway programmes and in-sessional support for all students. Previously, Hannah worked at the University of Bristol and as Head of EAP at a university in China. She retains a passion for classroom practice and is interested in leadership, curriculum strategy, internationalisation and widening participation. Dr. Usha Mani has an overall teaching experience of 3 decades teaching in Singapore, Belgium, India and Scotland, of which a decade has been in the field of EAP. In her current role as EAP Tutor at EIS, University of Dundee. She has led various EDI initiatives,

collaborating with students and community organisations which won her the 'Herald Higher Education Award' in 2024 for outstanding contribution from a staff member. As member of the BALEAP working group, she has been actively engaged in carving out the vision and the

values in practice along with the co-members but also with the wider members across the BALEAP community by conducting focus groups and testing it with Stakeholder groups. Usha's main interest is in championing inclusivity and transitions research.  Iain Newman is an EAP Teaching Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. He primarily works with the students on the International Foundation Programme during term-time and with the Pre-Sessional students during the summer. He taught English in Italy, Spain, Poland, and Japan, before returning to Glasgow to obtain his MEd in TESOL. He has delivered CPDs on peer-observation and practitioners’ beliefs on CPD. Iain’s main interests within the field are multilingualism, translanguaging, and student voice.

Option 2

13:10-13:50

All’s fair in Love and TNE: Assessment across academic cultures - Ms Jennifer MacDougall (University of Glasgow), Mrs Lori-ann Milln (University of Southampton) and Professor Liz Wilding (University of Reading)

TNE SIG members invite you to explore the concept of ‘fairness’ in EAP assessment. What constitutes “fair” assessment? As Fulcher (2024) argues, fairness is a difficult concept to define and often invoked to justify very different testing practices. McNamara (2007) also questions the universality of fairness in testing, arguing that the concept of test validity often ignores the significance of cultural values and social context. These issues become particularly visible in transnational education (TNE). In the Chinese context, students entering China–UK dual-degree programmes are challenged both in navigating two distinct learning cultures, and being assessed using a very different approach than they have previously experienced throughout high school. Working in partnership across organisations with differing traditions and beliefs on assessment raises important questions: whose model of fairness should prevail, and on what basis? Rather than assuming a single correct approach, collaboration can prompt critical reflection on assessment practices across cultures. This session explores fairness through three lenses— those of the students, the teachers and the institutions. Drawing on China TNE contexts, we will share how we have attempted to navigate these tensions in practice and open up the session for discussion and collective reflection on fairness in EAP assessment. References: Fulcher, G. (2024). Practical Language Testing (2nd edn). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003373629 McNamara, T. (2007). Language Assessment in Foreign Language Education: The Struggle Over Constructs. The Modern Language Journal, 91(2), 280–282. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2007.00543_14.x Jen MacDougall is the English Language Quality Lead for the joint engineering programme with the University of Electronic Science and Technology (Glasgow College, UESTC and Glasgow College, Hainan) in China.  Jen has been awarded a university Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of her work in developing and supporting English language learning and teaching on this programme and is a member of her university’s Teaching Excellence Network. She is a committee member of the BALEAP TNE SIG, with scholarship interests in teacher, curriculum, materials and assessment development, with a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion.  Lori-ann Milln is a Principal Teaching Fellow in the Academic Centre for International Students (ACIS) at the University of Southampton. Her interest in transnational education developed through her role as Programme Lead for the Southampton Ocean Engineering Joint Education Institute (JEI) with Harbin Engineering University in China. Alongside her involvement as a member of the BALEAP TNE committee, she has a strong interest in EAP for STEM students and is also a committee member of the BALEAP STEM SIG. Liz Wilding is Transnational Education (TNE) Programme Director at the University of Reading Global Academy UK). She has held leadership roles in EAP teaching and management for over 20 years. Her academic interests focus on supporting international students’ transition into higher education and TNE. She is co-convenor of the BALEAP TNE SIG.

Option 2

13:10-13:50

EMI and the changing role of EAP teachers - Tom Spain (Oxford EMI)

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in English Medium Instruction (Dearden 2015, Wingrove et al., 2025). This is attributed primarily to a desire for universities to “internationalise” both by attracting international students and by ensuring that home students are advantaged on the global job market (Dang et al., 2021). In this growth there are a number of assumptions that are not necessarily supported by research evidence, for example that students’ proficiency in English will automatically improve as a result of immersion through EMI and that the transition for academics from teaching their discipline in their first language to teaching through their second language (English) will be smooth and problem-free (Macaro et al., 2018). Most importantly, there has been little consideration as to what will become of the many English language specialists in universities and how their roles might develop (Dearden, 2018).

In this talk I will reference current research and Oxford EMI’s extensive international experience as trainers and consultants. Firstly, we will explain the key issues for students and lecturers involved in EMI courses. Secondly, we will outline the specific ways in which EAP teachers can support both lecturers and students to help make EMI a success. Tom Spain is a consultant and trainer specialising in EMI (English Medium Instruction) and based in Oxford, UK. His current role as Head of Training at Oxford EMI involves face-to-face and online course development as well as delivery and bespoke consultancy in the Higher Education sector. Tom is responsible for Oxford EMI’s international team of trainers who deliver courses for academics in Europe, Asia, North Africa and South America.

Option 2

13:10-13:50

Choose your own TNE adventure Workshop - Louise Pullen (University of Leicester)

Be the star of your EAP story with this Choose your own TNE adventure session! What do EAP professionals need to consider when setting up the English language component in a TNE partnership? What are the challenges, where are the opportunities and what do you definitely need to ask? Using first-hand experience of setting up EAP provision at two institutional partnerships, this interactive workshop will focus on key scenarios facing the EAP module convenor and manager when embarking on a TNE journey. From recruitment to progression to assessment to EMI training, participants will discuss a series of questions to explore and deepen their understanding of the complexities involved in delivering joint educational programmes. The session will draw on components of a problem-based learning approach with participants focusing on the issues and critical moments facing the EAP professional when collaborating with various stakeholders and when operating within institutional constraints. Through discussion and collaborative decision-making, participants will begin to create their own approach to EAP provision and aim to avoid routes that may end in peril. Louise Pullen is a senior manager, teacher trainer and EAP lecturer at Centre for International Training and Education, University of Leicester. She currently directs and teaches on EMI training courses and oversees EAP provision at two of the University of Leicester's partnerships.

Option 3

14:00-14:40

Bridging the Gap: Content-Based EAP for First-Year EMI Students - Catherine Journeaux (NYU Shanghai)

The continued expansion of EMI and TNE offers clear opportunities in terms of student access to academia and the global labour market. However, there are evident challenges, with some students lacking the requisite language and skills proficiency to access course material [Tajik et al, 2025]. Institutional responses have varied, from the ‘ostrich model’ [Galloway and Rose, 2021] whereby students are left to acquire academic skills through trial and error, to the provision of subject-specific language support. It is in this context that the role of EAP in higher education is being increasingly discussed. Traditional approaches are often skills-based, with little contextualization or focus on academic literacy [Wingate, 2016]. In contrast, content-based EAP mirrors the experience of a content course by combining subject learning with academic skills development, thereby bridging the gap between academic language courses and students’ first year on their degree programmes. This session will argue for the wider adoption of content-based EAP in EMI settings, drawing on the design of a freshman course centred on AI ethics. It will illustrate how engaging content can be used to scaffold academic literacy, develop academic skills, and prepare students for the study demands of EMI contexts. Catherine Journeaux is a Senior Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes at NYU Shanghai. She teaches content-based EAP and academic literacy, and has designed courses in AI ethics and food sustainability that integrate language learning with disciplinary content. Catherine has extensive international teaching experience and is particularly interested in supporting students’ transition into English-medium programmes through content-based approaches.

Option 3

14:00-14:40

Academic Citizenship and Invisible Labour across Transnational Branch Campuses - Amira Hussain (University of Birmingham Dubai)

English for Academic Purposes practitioners working in transnational branch campuses often hold roles that extend beyond classroom teaching. Alongside curriculum delivery, EAP staff provide pastoral support, mediate assessment expectations and carry out informal institutional work that is central to programme functioning but rarely formally recognised. This presentation draws on qualitative doctoral research with academics working in UK international branch campuses in the UAE. It explores how academic citizenship is understood and enacted in transnational contexts. The presentation focuses on how practitioners negotiate professional identity, belonging and legitimacy across home and host institutional cultures and how particular forms of academic labour become central to everyday academic life. The presentation argues that academic citizenship offers a useful lens for understanding the role of EAP in English Medium and Transnational Education particularly in relation to professional recognition workload and staff development. It concludes with reflections for practitioners programme leads on how academic citizenship can be more explicitly recognised within transnational education structures. Amira Hussain is a Teaching Fellow in English for Academic Purposes at the University of Birmingham Dubai and a doctoral researcher on the DProf TESOL programme at the University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on academic citizenship, professional identity, and staff experience in transnational higher education, with particular attention to UK international branch campuses in the Gulf. She works primarily on foundation and EAP programmes in English Medium Instruction contexts and is interested in how EAP roles are shaped by institutional structures, recognition, and everyday academic practice.

Option 3

14:00-14:40

Shaping equitable partnerships and comfortable TNE EAP practitioner identities - Meg Maclean and Hannah Jones (University of Edinburgh)

Transnational Education Programmes (TNE) can advance a more equitable global Higher Education landscape. In valuing global partnerships, institutions can do much to promote Knight’s (2013) positive vision of internationalisation. Against this backdrop, our institution recently began discussion of a TNE digital pathway to MSc study. Discussions began with visions of collaboration and co-creation of a course aligning with students’ specific needs. This was strengthened when discovering shared articulated values, e.g. in inclusion and access. An empowered EAP practitioner to international strategist identity was emerging, leveraging intercultural expertise underpinned by values of equity, access and inclusivity. This was strengthened by developments in inclusive recruitment and EDI policies and translanguaging (legitimising languages) (Choi et al 2025). The outcome is less optimistic. Soaring UK costs, global inequities and lack of institutional agility render course development as initially envisioned inviable. EAP practitioner identity thus shifted from co-constructive collaborator to forming an institutionalised identity (Hu et al 2025): of facilitator selling a ‘product’ with inequitable labour division. In this talk, I will share navigation of shifting EAP practitioner identities, and the impact on agency, motivation and project progress, and welcome audience insights. References: Choi, J., Gerkens, R. C. & Jufenna Slamet, M. (2025) Sustaining a translanguaging community of practice: a narrative inquiry by teacher educators, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 53:4, 428-448, DOI: 10.1080/1359866X.2025.2495772, Hu, M., Mirhosseini, S. & Mendoza, A. (2024). Only a cog in a machine?: Reappraising institutionalized EAP teacher identities in a transnational context, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 71. https://doi-org.eux.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101427, Knight, J. (2013). The changing landscape of higher education internationalisation – for better or worse?, Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 17:3, 84-90, DOI: 10.1080/13603108.2012.753957. Meg Maclean is a Lecturer in EAP and Director of International at the Centre for Open Learning, University of Edinburgh. Her current scholarship interest is interculturality and international HE. Hannah Jones is Chair of BALEAP, leading the organisation in its mission to support the professional development of those involved in learning, teaching, and research in EAP. She is also Director of English Language Education at the University of Edinburgh, where she has oversight of all EAP provision, including international pathway programmes and in-sessional support for all students. Previously, Hannah worked at the University of Bristol and as Head of EAP at a university in China. She retains a passion for classroom practice and is interested in leadership, curriculum strategy, internationalisation and widening participation. 

Option 4 15:10-15:50

EAP teacher identity tensions and agency in EMI transnational higher education: the case of China - Lijun Yin (University of Exeter)

Over the past two decades, English-medium instruction (EMI) transnational higher education (TNHE) has expanded rapidly in China. These institutions typically provide EAP courses to support students’ adaptation to EMI. Despite their central role, EAP teachers frequently face challenges to their professional identities. This presentation outlines three main identity tensions: (1) tensions between EAP teachers’ multilingual identities and the circulation of native-speakerism in EMI-TNHE contexts; (2) tensions between EAP teachers’ expected professional roles and the marginality of their work by EMI students; and (3) tensions between collaboration with subject specialists and the marginalisation of EAP teachers by disciplinary faculty. These tensions can contribute to the disempowerment of EAP teachers. The presentation then explores how EAP teachers may exercise agency to address these challenges. Key strategies include capitalising on multicultural and multimodal resources; developing subject knowledge and engaging EMI teachers in raising students’ awareness of the importance of language in academic and professional journeys; leveraging communicative teaching expertise to support EMI teachers’ professional development towards more interactive, student-centred teaching with institutional support. The presentation aims to stimulate dialogue among participants by encouraging the sharing of strategies EAP teachers use to reconstruct and strengthen their professional identities amid various tensions. Lijun Yin is currently a first-year PhD student at the School of Education, University of Exeter. She has nearly five years of experience delivering EAP courses and has worked in both Sino-UK and Sino-Australian higher education contexts. Her research interests include language teacher education, language teacher identity, and EAP writing assessment.

Option 4 15:10-15:50

Exploring EAP Teacher Development in a Transnational Education Context: Beliefs and Practices of EAP Teachers - David Munn (University of Sussex)

This presentation reports on a small scale action research project that focuses on the teaching practices of three China based EAP teachers delivering a pre-sessional course to pre-MSc students going on to study STEM subjects at a partnership TNE institution. The course was created by the home UK institution (University of Sussex) but the teachers were recruited by the partnership institution. However, their experience and knowledge of teaching were unfamiliar to the University of Sussex pre-sessional course developers. Consequently, this project seeks to understand what features of EAP teaching these participants report and display in their practice, while identifying areas to guide further development for teachers delivering pre-sessional courses in this TNE context. Through lesson observations, semi-structured interviews and respondent checking methods, the data revealed that all participants showed an understanding of the differences between General English and EAP, appreciating the need to support students to develop key academic skills. However, the data highlighted mismatches between beliefs and practice along with gaps in practice, relating to: awareness of lesson aims; scaffolding tasks effectively so these aims could be met; and greater awareness of transferable academic skills to students’ subject disciplines. These areas will guide interventions to support ongoing EAP teaching development in this TNE context. David Munn is an Associate Professor in ELT at the University of Sussex. He convenes and teaches on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses and modules delivered by the University of Sussex. His interests involve EAP course design, Legitimation Code Theory, Systemic Functional Linguistics and Academic Literacies. He currently leads on the development of ESAP courses and modules in STEM subjects at a Transnational Educational partnership university in China.

Option 4 15:10-15:50

Beyond Language: EAP, Employability and the Future of TNE Curricula - Caroline Collier and Richard Silburn (Manchester Metropolitan University)

This paper examines how English for Academic Purposes (EAP) practitioners can systematically embed employability within transnational education (TNE) curricula. The rapid expansion and growing strategic importance of TNE across global higher education has intensified the need to foreground student experience and graduate outcomes as key indicators of educational value. This trend is illustrated by the approval of 122 new UK–China TNE partnerships in 2025 (British Council, 2025) and reflects wider international growth. While such developments present opportunities for EAP to respond to structural challenges facing UK higher education, they also signal a shift towards greater emphasis on the quality, coherence and impact of academic provision. Employability is now central to the TNE student experience, with English language education positioned as a foundational element. Although the literature advocates explicit, integrated employability pedagogies (Yafei, Ayoubi and Crawford, 2023), evidence of their effectiveness remains mixed. Employers value TNE graduates’ linguistic and intercultural skills, yet concerns persist regarding contextual knowledge and understanding of local professional norms (Tran, Amado and Santos, 2023). In addition, the diversity of TNE provision and socio-economic contexts contributes to uneven graduate outcomes (Schuller, 2023). These conditions highlight the need for coherent, foregrounded and context-sensitive employability pedagogies embedded within TNE curricula. Drawing on a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project developed with an English-medium instruction partner in Egypt, the paper demonstrates how EAP-led curriculum design can enhance intercultural communication competencies in support of graduate employability. Analysis of student feedback illustrates both the benefits and design challenges of this approach. The paper concludes by outlining how these insights are informing curriculum development within a large-scale TNE project in China. References: British Council, (2025). Newly approved UK-China TNE partnerships in Dec 2025. Opportunities and Insight. Available at: https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/short-articles/news/newly-approved-uk-china-tne-partnerships-dec-2025 (Accessed: 15 January 2026. Schueller, J., (2023). Transnational education, labor market outcomes and graduate employability: a scoping review. Career Development International, 28(2), pp.196-216. Tran, N.H.N., Amado, C.A.D.E.F. and Santos, S.P.D., (2023). Challenges and success factors of transnational higher education: A systematic review. Studies in Higher Education, 48(1), pp.113-136. Yafei, K.A., Ayoubi, R.M. and Crawford, M., (2023). The student experiences of teaching and learning in transnational higher education: A phenomenographic study from a British-Qatari partnership. Journal of Studies in International Education, 27(3), pp.408-426. Carline Collier is a Senior Lecturer in TESOL and International Lead for the School of English at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on work-integrated learning in English language education and world Englishes. She is currently leading curriculum development for a large-scale TNE project for the school. Richard Silburn is Director of the English Language Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University. His work focuses on EAP-led curriculum design and intercultural communication to support integration in international higher education.

Closing Plenary

16:00-17:00

Lecture Theatre 4: Panel Discussions from BALEAP EMI and TNE SIGs