why universities are going global and how HR can help

While many universities have fostered global connections and campuses for centuries, reaping the benefits of diversity and knowledge sharing, expanding overseas is now a response by many institutions to the impact of tighter immigration policies and growing financial pressures.

Why are universities going global?

In recent years, many countries traditionally home to leading educational institutions favoured by international students have begun cracking down on immigration, making it harder for those students to study and stay.

For example, the UK government’s ban on dependants accompanying student visa holders coupled with the lack of clear and accessible pathways to long-term immigration status and employment may deter foreign students. Meanwhile, significant changes in US immigration policy are impacting the education sector, including Harvard University receiving instructions to ban the enrolment of foreign students.

In recent years, many countries traditionally home to leading educational institutions favoured by international students have begun cracking down on immigration, making it harder for those students to study and stay

The decline of this key revenue stream, coupled with growing skills shortages in areas such as AI and STEM, is forcing universities to look beyond home borders and forge global connections, such as establishing campuses abroad and implementing initiatives to continue driving revenue and innovation. For example, the University of Southampton will open a campus in India in August 2025, with the Illinois Institute of Technology also establishing an Indian campus.

These strategies offer real solutions to the domestic pressures faced by Western universities. However, as with all global endeavours, they are accompanied by significant employment, compliance, and HR risks.

The key international HR risks:

Local compliance

When expanding or hiring overseas, universities must ensure total compliance with local hiring, employment, and tax laws, and be aware that rules regarding pensions, benefits, and payroll differ greatly between regions.

Universities in particular must pay attention to worker classification, as they often employ staff and researchers on a temporary basis. Accidentally misclassifying full–time employees as contractors can lead to serious legal difficulties, and so it is vital to ensure that all workers are engaged compliantly.

When operating overseas, universities should also be aware of the risk of triggering permanent establishment, which can carry tax and legal implications  and understand how to avoid this.

Managing distributed teams

When managing workers situated around the world, universities need to ensure their workers are equipped to navigate varying cultural norms and expectations, and have support tailored to their time zones – making sure overseas staff feel on par with their home campus colleagues.

From a legal perspective, employers should be certain all visa and immigration boxes have been ticked, and that all local laws regarding grievances, discipline, dismissal, and offboarding are adhered to, along with any collective bargaining agreements.

Navigating these challenges effectively:

Ensuring compliance

To meet these challenges, HR teams must complete thorough legal and HR due diligence ahead of expanding. If the correct expertise is unavailable in-house, local legal counsel and compliance experts should be engaged.

For certainty, universities should consider utilising an Employer of Record if they have no previous experience in a location – or for those with their own operation overseas, engaging a company to provide Global HR consultancy services – to navigate complex employment laws.  

Supporting global teams

Managing distributed teams means developing globally consistent, locally adaptable HR policies. It is also important to train HR staff and managers regarding cross-cultural and jurisdictional HR practices.

Centralised platforms for tracking payroll and HR data are crucial for keeping workers supported and properly managed. These platforms and communication channels like video conferencing allow for clarity and consistency.

Leveraging visa and immigration solutions, like those offered by many EOR providers, can help to compliantly streamline and expedite immigration processes for workers moving abroad.

International expansion offers new horizons for universities under pressure, however without careful planning, it can be risky. Success lies in taking a strategic approach to global workforce management, keeping compliance and worker satisfaction at the core. With the right structures in place, universities can continue to foster meaningful and mutually beneficial global connections, keeping the world of education interconnected.

About the author: With Mauve Group for 25 years, Annette Ord is responsible for steering the commercial dimensions of the business. Her primary focus is advancing organisational objectives, enhancing revenue, ensuring profitability, and fostering growth through transformative business initiatives.   

As commercial director, Annette aims to unify customer-facing departments, creating a strong, respectful commercial team that boosts company revenue while ensuring exceptional customer service and client retention.  

Annette has been key in developing innovative industry expansion strategies, significantly increasing Mauve’s market share. She has played a crucial role in penetrating the global education industry, leading to a 900% increase in education clients since 2012, including 7 out of 8 Ivy League institutions and 8 of the world’s top 20 universities (Times Higher Education World Rankings).  

Annette frequently attends international industry events such as The PIE Live and NACUBO; most recently, she shared her global expansion expertise in the keynote speech at the prestigious Universities UK International Global Mobility Conference 2024.  

Combining the knowledge learnt in previous roles as global sales manager and account manager, Annette has honed her leadership, strategic design, negotiation, and people management skills, equipping her with an industry-leading toolkit to support the organisation’s goals.