Public Private Partnership in Ethiopian Higher Education: an Analysis of the Support the Private Sector Needs to Fulfill its Potential Contribution to the Expansion of Higher Education

Abstract

This paper is based on a report from the Higher Education Strategy Centre (HESC) to the Ministry of Education in Ethiopian produced by the Public Private Task Force: ‘Interim Report: Options for Support of the Private Higher Education Sector in Ethiopia’. The Task Force was set up by the Minister in 2005. It is also based on a follow up study by Dr. Ing. Kassahun Admassu and Haileleul Zeleke ‘Policy Options on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for the Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions’. Both reports were submitted to and discussed by the Higher Education Strategy Centre (HESC), the Ministry of Education and the Association of Private Higher Education Institutions. The paper analyses the benefits of public private partnership, the process of research underpinning the two reports, looks at their main recommendations and considers what may be done to encourage more action. The paper suggests two mechanisms should be established to ensure private public partnership supports the implementation of the key recommendations from the two reports: 1. An Ethiopian Council for Public Private Partnership (ECPP) to work out detailed and concrete specifications for consideration of Government, including: • The definition of a ‘quality Private Higher Education Institution (HEI)’ • Ways that the two sectors (Public and Private Higher Education) should cooperate together and the ground rules for sharing facilities and resources • Specific and detailed means for allocating government sponsored students between public and private higher education and ground rules for their financing • Specific suggestions for improving labor force planning with respect to higher education provision 8 Prof Kate Ashcroft is Visiting Professor at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff and at the University of Northampton. She is Co-Director of Ashcroft and Rayner Consulting Ltd. From 2003/5 she was Acting Director of the Ethiopian Higher Education Strategy Centre and Higher Education Management Advisor to the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia. Until 2003, she was the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff