November 18, 2008
"Financing Higher Education" workshop
The main theme of this workshop is that The quality of higher education is one of the fundamental pillars of a nation’s economic competitiveness. Business leaders know that a key — perhaps the key — to success is the quality of the workforce. The speakers included international experts Professor Stephen Heynmenn, Professor of International Education Policy at Vanderbilt University and Professor Bruce Johnston, Professor Emeritus of Higher and Comparative Education at State University of New York. Professor Heynmenn’s presentation “International Competition in Higher Education: Implications for Egypt” examined recent global changes in higher education as they relate to access, quality, managerial innovation, transparency, accountability, equity and diversity of finance. He emphasized several characteristics of competitive education systems in OECD countries like the United Kingdom, United States, France and Germany. Professor Johnston reiterated several of these points in light of Egypt’s higher education system. His presentation “Cost-Sharing in Higher Education: Options for Egypt” brought attention to the need to reduce political opposition currently facing tuition levies and provide suitable financing options. There needs to be reform of higher education governance and financing to ensure better equity for the disadvantaged and better quality for all. Four tangible, near-term steps the government can take to prepare for a future in which students, parents and the private sector will be asked to share the burden of financing higher education include: 1) diversify sources of finance including expanding the number of private non-profit institutions; 2) target public scholarships to students; 3) introduce tuition in national universities along with means-tested student loans; and 4) increase university autonomy.
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