Start up in the third space: The Deakin Lancaster Indonesia (DLI) experience

In 2023, the Indonesian government granted license to foreign higher education institutions (FHEIs) to establish their international branch campuses (IBCs) in Indonesia, seen as an opportunity for Indonesian students to acquire world-class education at home. IBCs exist in a sort of “third space” between countries and cultures which has implications for teaching, research and operations in the respective host country institutions. This case study explores the experiences of Deakin Lancaster Indonesia (DLI), a start-up IBC borne out of the partnership between Deakin University and Lancaster University, and documents various pain points in establishing visibility and legitimising identity such as challenges related to the recruitment of transational and competent faculty, compliance to Indonesian regulatory frameworks that are different from home country assurance regulations - necessitating home institutions to monitor and regulate education programs, including national and regional accreditation mechanisms.