Purpose: This study reports the results of a survey of teaching staff in the UK and China and two cohorts of Chinese students. We explored perceptions of a Transnational Education (TNE) course taught by UK teachers at a Chinese university to ascertain similarities and differences in perceptions and to help inform future TNE design and provision. Design/methodology/approach: Teachers in the UK (N = 10) and Chinese University (N = 20) and two cohorts of Chinese students (N = 102) completed questionnaires about their perceptions of the collaboration, including why they thought the university had developed the course and the benefits and risks of the course. They were also asked why they personally or why they thought the students had enrolled in the course. Questions were a mix of forced choice and open response formats. Findings: Prior to the course commencing, differences were identified between UK and Chinese teachers in their perception of the risks and benefits of the course and the challenges students might face. Differences were also seen in teachers' and students' views about why students enrolled and their expectations about the course. The TNE is no longer running and many of the reasons for this were identified by our participants before the course had begun. Originality/value: This suggests the importance of engaging with various stakeholders in the setup of TNE to ensure a close match between staff, student and institutional expectations of the course. This is likely to increase the likelihood of success of such programmes.