Global Strategy
Our global ambition is to strengthen international reputation, develop enduring partnerships and build diverse student communities in ways that are academically excellent, financially sustainable and socially responsible.
Our global activity will continue to advance the School's three strategic pillars — Environmental Sustainability, Technological Transformation and Responsible Leadership — while responding to an increasingly competitive and financially constrained higher education environment.
From a leading UK institution to a growing global reputation
This strategy sets out the principles guiding the School's international activity from 2026 to 2031. It supports the School Strategy and the School's Research and Impact and Education Strategies, and aligns with the University Global Strategy.
Over the past decade, the Business School has developed from a leading UK institution into one with a growing international reputation. We will build on this progress and strengthen our position as a destination of choice for:
- UK and international students seeking a globally relevant ‘future focused’ education
- Academics who want to work and collaborate with us2
- Businesses and other organisations seeking knowledge, executive education and engagement partnerships
- Policymakers seeking evidence-based expertise
- High-quality institutions seeking research and education partnerships
- Philanthropists seeking to invest in our vision for a better world
Our Global Strategy responds to a changing external environment. Over the next five years, we will prioritise international activities that enhance reputation, strengthen the School's long-term financial resilience and align with University-wide global engagement priorities.
We will respond proactively and selectively to emerging international opportunities, including transnational education (TNE), innovative partnership models and new programme development. Opportunities will be pursued where they support the School's mission, ensure appropriate academic ownership and oversight, maintain academic quality and student experience, and demonstrate sufficient demand, operational deliverability and financial viability.
We will focus resources on activities aligned with the School's three strategic pillars and on deeper, multi-faceted relationships in key markets and with strategically important partners. These relationships will span student recruitment and experience, education, research, business engagement, alumni and philanthropy, creating clear and reciprocal value for students, alumni, staff and partners.
Four interconnected themes
To advance our ambition of being an internationally recognised and responsible business school, this Global Strategy is organised around four interconnected themes. Across all four, strategic alignment, academic quality, student experience, financial sustainability and responsible practice will guide our decision-making and delivery.
Responsible Internationalisation is both a distinct theme and the overarching framework
It guides our approach to Reputation, Recruitment and Relationships alike — shaping how every part of the strategy is delivered.
Reputation
A strong international reputation attracts excellent students and academics, enables high-quality partnerships, and increases the reach and influence of our research, education and impact. We will strengthen our standing as a responsible and sustainable business school by communicating our distinctive strengths and demonstrating their value to students, partners, policymakers, businesses and wider society.
Accreditation and rankings provide external validation of our quality and standing. Rankings inform student choice and partner selection and, in some countries, affect eligibility for TNE activity. We will maintain triple-crown accreditation and participate selectively in rankings that reflect our strategic priorities, showcase our distinctive strengths and provide a credible basis for sustained improvement, while recognising that rankings are only one measure of quality and reputation.
We will strengthen recognition of the University of Exeter Business School (UEBS) brand alongside the University of Exeter and Russell Group identities through consistent positioning, communications and external engagement.
Recruitment
International students bring diverse cultures, perspectives and ways of thinking to our campuses, enriching the academic and wider student experience. International fee income also makes a significant contribution to the School's financial sustainability.
We seek to recruit a high-quality and diverse student body at sustainable scale across all levels of study. In an increasingly competitive market, we will strengthen international recruitment and protect market share, while maintaining academic standards, delivering an excellent student experience, and diversifying markets and recruitment channels.
We will strengthen our international profile and brand recognition, maintain an attractive and relevant education portfolio, and take an evidence-based approach to market positioning, pricing and scholarships. Scholarships will be used strategically to support access, diversity, conversion and return on investment.
Recruitment partnerships will complement direct recruitment in the open market by creating high-quality and sustainable routes into the School, including Articulation and Progression (A&P) pathways and other innovative models. These partnerships will be developed selectively, with robust programme mapping, appropriate entry standards, effective student support and monitoring of recruitment, academic performance and student outcomes.
Relationships
Enduring relationships are central to our global ambitions. We will develop partnerships and networks that advance international research, enhance education, enrich the student and alumni experience, support recruitment and business engagement, and extend the reach and influence of the School's expertise.
Our international relationships will support:
- Student recruitment and experience, including agents, recruitment partners, A&P pathways, exchanges, placements, collaborative learning and other global opportunities.
- Research, including international collaboration, co-authored publications, joint funding bids and awards, workshops, academic mobility and policy engagement.
- Educational and programme innovation, including curriculum development, double and dual degrees, digitally enabled provision, TNE and other models suited to different markets and contexts.
- Business and executive education, applying the School's expertise with businesses, public bodies and other organisations.
- Alumni and philanthropy, strengthening lifelong engagement and creating opportunities for alumni and supporters to contribute expertise, advocacy, connections and philanthropic support.
- Networks and alliances, participating selectively in groups aligned with the School's mission and strategic pillars.
We will build deeper, multi-faceted relationships that create reciprocal value across student recruitment and experience, education, research, business engagement, alumni and philanthropy. We will prioritise relationships that align with the School's mission and strategic pillars, have clear objectives and accountability, and are supported by appropriate academic and professional-services resources.
Formal partnerships and new educational provision will be developed selectively through proportionate approval, due diligence and review. They must strengthen the School's reputation and education offer, maintain academic ownership, standards and student experience, and be operationally and financially viable.
Responsible Internationalisation
Responsible internationalisation will guide how we select partners, develop programmes, support students and staff, and manage the wider effects of our global activity. It will shape our approach across Reputation, Recruitment and Relationships, ensuring that international activity is academically robust, inclusive, environmentally responsible and mutually beneficial.
We will apply to our own activity the principles of responsible leadership that we seek to instil in our students. Decisions will take account of academic quality, student experience, equality and inclusion, institutional values, reputational and regulatory risk, and long-term social, environmental and financial sustainability.
Virtual engagement will be used where it is effective and appropriate. International travel should have a clear rationale and, where possible, contribute to multiple strategic objectives. We recognise that face-to-face engagement remains important for building trust, understanding local contexts and sustaining significant relationships. Travel will follow University policy, and its environmental impact will be monitored.
We will consider who benefits from each activity and whether opportunities are accessible to students and staff from different backgrounds. Partnerships will be shaped jointly around shared objectives and local priorities, drawing on the expertise of all parties and creating reciprocal value.
These principles will inform our engagement across all regions, including with business schools, organisations and networks in the Global South. We will develop relationships where there is a clear basis for mutual benefit and where collaboration can support responsible management education, research and policy engagement, student opportunity, institutional development and locally relevant provision.
Capacity-building with recruitment and education partners will respond to identified needs and strengthen the quality and sustainability of those relationships, including through academic and professional services development, curriculum design and programme delivery.