Adaptive Curriculum Design in a Transnational Dual Masters Programme

ABSTRACT Transnational education (TNE) programmes frequently encounter tensions between maintaining academic rigour and addressing local contextual realities. This case study examines a part‐time dual‐award MSc in Financial Technology (FinTech), jointly delivered by a UK public university and a private higher education institution (HEI) in the Philippines. Framed through the glonacal agency heuristic, the paper explores how curriculum design and delivery are shaped by global academic standards, national regulatory frameworks and local student needs. Drawing on institutional reflections and student feedback, the study analyses the programme's adaptive curriculum strategy, quality assurance mechanisms and industry‐aligned content. The dual‐award structure, where each institution confers its own qualification, requires careful coordination to meet the standards of the UK's Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the UK's Office for Students (OfS) and the Philippines' Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Findings reveal that local agency plays a decisive role in ensuring contextual relevance, particularly for the challenges faced by mid‐career professionals balancing part‐time study with urban constraints. The paper contributes to the TNE literature by illustrating a practical model of cross‐border delivery that integrates academic compliance, student responsiveness and collaborative governance.