SPECIAL ADVISORY SERVICES DIVISION Trade Section 3 Pan ...

Introduction
SPECIAL ADVISORY SERVICES DIVISION
Trade Section
3 rd Pan-Commonwealth Conference on professional service trade
Harnessing Transnational Higher Education (HE) for growth
Valetta Malta, 29-31 May, 2012
CONFERENCE REPORT
Education is at the heart of Governments’ efforts to raise productivity, and the quality of life
of citizens. Higher education in particular imparts specialised skills that are essential for
economic growth and is therefore an important element of sustainable development. In
today’s globalised, knowledge driven economy, a country’s stock of skilled labour is key in
attracting foreign direct investment especially in higher value industry. Universities have a
long tradition of enrolling foreign students mainly for social and political objectives but over
the last 20-30 years, the economic benefits of exporting education have gained more
prominence. Education is exported through all modes- Distance learning (Mode 1), studying
abroad (Mode 2), establishment of foreign institutions (Mode 3) and short term travel of
lecturers abroad (Mode 4). In addition to generating revenue and employment, exporting
education services especially through Mode 2 (Consumption abroad) has spill over effects in
other sectors of the economy, including construction, retail, transport, tourism, among others.
Countries have witnessed a spectacular growth in higher education over the past few decades.
Today, about 132 million students have enrolled in higher education, up from about 13
million in 1960. Along with the enrolment, there is a sharp rise in movement of international
students across countries. Demand is projected to increase to 8 million international students
in 2025.
Commonwealth Member States such as Australia, UK, Canada and India are among the
world’s leading exporters of higher education. In assisting Commonwealth Developing
Countries achieve sustainable development, the Trade Section has supported several
countries to identify and promote a range of services for trade and investment. Improving the
export of higher education services has emerged as an achievable goal for a number of
Member States including Cyprus, Malta, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Ghana and Uganda.
Many other countries strive to create an enabling environment to generate sustainable foreign
direct investment in higher education.
The Trade Section organised this Pan Commonwealth Conference to provide a platform for
Member States to learn, share experiences, and be equipped to address the common
challenges they confront in exporting higher education. The third in the series of thematic
Pan Commonwealth conferences, the forum was co-hosted by the Government of Malta
through Malta Enterprise and aimed to:
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� Expose participants to emerging trends and opportunities to export HE
� Share good practice in addressing challenges in exporting HE
� Share perspectives on how to harness transnational HE for global prosperity
� Encourage greater collaboration and networking among providers, policy makers and
experts in Commonwealth countries.
The conference attracted a total of 45 participants from Government ministries, regulatory
bodies, trade promotion organisations and universities. The thematic areas addressed
included:
� Trends and issues in internationalisation of HE
� Opportunities and challenges of exporting HE
� Cross cutting issues in international HE
� Facilitating transnational HE through collaboration
� The conference programme is attached as Annex B.
Opening session
Welcoming participants, Dr Nicole Lungaro Mifsud, Director, Multilateral and Global Issues,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malta noted that the 2005 Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta recognised the contribution of international trade to global
prosperity, poverty elimination and sustainable development. Further, the CHOGM in Perth,
in October 2011 agreed to explore options on higher education, in particular for sharing best
practise on resource management and providing initiatives to provide access to research. The
position of Malta with regards to the Commonwealth has changed from the recipient of
Technical Assistance to building capacity of member countries through Malta-
Commonwealth Third Country Training Programme which has trained over 1,250
Commonwealth officials. Besides Malta also helped to establish COMNET-IT and supported
the Virtual University for Small States. The full speech is presented in Annex C.
Estella Aryada, Adviser and Acting Head (Trade Section), Commonwealth Secretariat
provided an oversight on the background to the conference, its objectives, modus operandi
and expected outcomes. She drew attention to the Conference programme and expressed her
gratitude to Ministry of External Affairs Govt. of Malta and Malta Enterprise for their
support in organising the conference. A summary of the Secretariat’s involvement in HE and
modalities of assistance is presented in Annex D.
The Key note address was delivered by Prof Alfred Vella Pro Rector University of Malta on
the theme of ‘Transnational higher education for global growth and prosperity’. He noted
that small states have to manage their affairs carefully because of their uniqueness and ensure
that higher education is not jeopardized by Transnational Education (TNE) providers who do
not meet the required or expected standards. The presence of foreign students enriches the
campuses culturally which benefits the whole community of learners and teachers. The
current partnering arrangements in Malta with prestigious American universities which
utilises only Maltese and American teaching staff with no virtual teachers is bringing dual
benefit by a) providing students with the opportunity to receive awards that are certified by
both a European and a US institution and (b) creating a conducive environment towards
collaborative research. In Malta, franchised higher education (mainly from UK institutions) is
particularly active in providing IT and business education since they fill an existing gap,
delivering important social and economic benefits and minimising brain drain. He however
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cautioned about the risks associated with educational provision obtained against payment
from overseas operators, especially, by distance learning since such qualifications are
generally not accompanied by detailed transcripts which makes it difficult to evaluate or
harmonise with similar qualifications. It was emphasised that the local bodies responsible for
quality assurance of higher education need to be sufficiently resourced to take on the task of
controlling and regulating TNE operators. In his concluding remarks the keynote speaker
identified that in this age of lifelong learning and especially as the economic performance of
a country depends on the education of its workforce, higher education cannot be allowed to
be exploited and abused by unprincipled TNE operators. The full keynote address is attached
as Annex E.
Theme 1: Exporting Education: emerging trends and issues
1.1 An overview - Neil Kemp
The international market for HE continues to grow faster especially in Asia and Africa
because of increasing demand and decline in public funding for HE. Some new destinations
such as Malaysia, China, and Mauritius have emerged. The numbers of globally mobile
students are about 2% of the total numbers enrolled across the world. The top 6 countries
(US, UK, France, Australia, Germany, Japan) host 62% of all international students.
Immigration and high cost are major barriers to student mobility. Other export activities are
also equally important such as research, staff recruitment and research contracts. For most
state universities involved in TNE, export activity is part and parcel of their wider
internationalisation strategies. In the context of UK it was noted that there are now similar
numbers of students enrolled for a degree outside the UK as there are on UK campuses.
Regional hubs are evolving for student mobility, TNE and other cooperative ventures. While
on-line delivery offers many opportunities serious concerns was expressed regarding being
able to distinguish bogus operators from the genuinely accredited. There is a rapid expansion
of private sector HE companies operating internationally through partnerships, investment
and full scale ownership. The demand for HE is highest in business & management, finance,
electronics and, computing. The greatest mobility is within regions and historic and language
relationships are important in the selection of destinations for higher education. However, the
impact is global. In exporting HE, it is important to get the business model right. Despite
having the right technical and financial resources, some foreign campuses have closed after
only a few years in operation. The presentation is attached as Annex 1.1
1.2 Issues and prospects for developing countries- Sajitha Bashir (by video link)
In highlighting the issues and prospects for developing countries (Annex1.2), Dr Sajitha
Bashir stated that data indicate that in spite of the economic meltdown of 2008-09 there was
no decrease in the number of students going abroad for higher education. The data further
reveals that Asia is a big importer of higher education. The factors responsible for creating
demand are (a) limited capacity for domestic tertiary education (b) low quality in disciplines
in high demand and (c) higher rate of return on internationally recognized qualifications. A
major problem facing the sector is lack of communication between Ministries of Education
and Ministry of Trade and lack of a coherent education sector strategy. Equity is also a matter
of concern as it is emerging that it is mostly rich learners who are benefiting from higher
quality, foreign provided, education. There are also concerns that foreign education within a
country is creating a two-tier higher education system. Some negative effects of foreign
education on domestic institutions is that local institutions cannot withstand competition from
well-established public and private foreign universities. Foreign institutions will create
competition for well qualified and experienced university teachers. Developing countries run
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the risk of attracting low quality foreign providers, who rely on a “foreign” name but offer
limited range of programmes. Some instruments that could be used for regulating foreign
institutions are domestic quality assurance agencies; quality assurance mechanisms of
exporting countries; and regular due diligence to ensure that the programmes offered are
accepted by employers. There is need for closer collaboration between the ministries
responsible for trade, and those for higher education. Ministries of trade should take the lead
in trade policy (negotiations with other countries) but education ministries need to be
involved at the technical level. In order to have a strong external negotiating stand it is
important to have an understanding of the domestic education context especially the current
drivers of domestic demand, the interests of external providers and as much information as
possible about the external provider. It is also important to have an understanding of the
domestic regulatory mechanisms and the country’s goal in higher education.
1.3 Malaysia’s education export in the 21 st century- Ismail Abd Aziz.
In Malaysia, trade in HE has emerged because of the country’s efforts to strengthen and
increase its skilled workforce to accelerate the country into a high-income economy status.
Malaysia introduced the Private Higher Education Institution Act in 1996. This led to the
liberalization of its higher education sector which allowed foreign higher education
institutions to set up branch campuses in collaboration with local partners. The sector has
seen high growth post September 2001 as students responded to the stricter immigration
requirements from SE Asia to the US. In 2007 Malaysia launched the National Higher
Education Strategic Plan 2020 as a blueprint for developing a globally recognized and
competitive higher education in the region. One of the targets is 200,000 international
students by 2020 with the majority in private universities. Malaysia has imposed certain
restrictions on national access and national treatment of foreign institutions. To promote TNE
Malaysia has introduced (a) Easy access to information for students (b) Strategies on
geographic recruitment (c) Intelligence unit for information dissemination and (d) efficient
immigration and review of entrance procedures. The presentation is attached as Annex 1.3.
1.4 Transforming Mauritius into a regional destination for Tertiary Education-
Praveen Mohadeb
Dr Mohadeb traced the development of Mauritius from Sugar export economy with a per
Capita GDP of $320 in 1970’s to a Knowledge Based economy with a current Per Capita
GDP of $ 7500 which is projected to be around $15,000 by the year 2020. The vision
statement of the Government of Mauritius is that by 2020 Mauritius will be a Knowledge
Hub and a Centre for higher learning and excellence. It aims to make tertiary education an
important pillar of the Mauritian economy and attract 100,000 Foreign Students by 2020. To
develop and promote tertiary education, Mauritius has created a separate Ministry of Tertiary
Education. The Tertiary sector has also evolved with 61 Private tertiary institutions and 56
Cross border institutions. He enumerated a number of reasons as to why students choose
Mauritius as a destination for HE, including a diversified higher education system based on
British and French systems, a robust Regulatory Framework for Quality Assurance,
supportive policies and processes to remove bottlenecks for investors in Higher Education.
Details are in Annex 1.4.
1.5 Higher education in the Caribbean-Yvonette Marshall & Donald Peters
Most countries in the Caribbean do not have regulators and data gathering
facilities/organisations on foreign providers. Quality assurance was identified as a major
issue. There was however World Bank funding to develop capacity for quality assurance in
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the region. Caribbean countries face a lack of appropriate legislation for foreign providers
and high mobility especially to northern America.
The following issues were raised in the discussion:
� Trade frameworks (such as the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services-
GATS) are not designed to deal with the academic, research, or broader social and
cultural purposes of cross-border higher education.
� Trade policy and national education policy may conflict with each other and
jeopardize higher education’s capacity to carry out its social and cultural mission.
� How can students be assisted to make more informed choices?
� How might we keep out the bogus operators?
� In most regions, legislation for distance and online education is weak
� Many universities in developing countries have a low research output which
undermines their global rankings
� Small states are constrained by their limited job markets which makes them
unattractive for some foreign students
� There is need for institutions to explore avenues for collaboration while recognising
that they are also competitors. For example, some institutions in Malaysia have a
working relationship to absorb the overflow of students in Singapore.
Theme 2: The Enabling Environment-Policy and Regulatory Issues in HE
A summary of the key policy considerations was presented (Annex 2) highlighting the
importance of a policy framework on Higher Education; Foreign Institutions; Academic
Faculty, Governance and Accountability. Participants then worked in three groups on
different themes.
2.1 Policy Issues in Higher Education (Group 1)
The group reviewed the topic of HE policy as it relates to trade and education and identified
following policy issues:
a) Regulation:
� With the proliferation of foreign providers, it is difficult for national authorities to
monitor and advise on the authenticity of institutions and/or qualifications. To
control the entry of fake institutions, national bodies should advocate for a website
that lists all accredited TNE programs together with the respective accrediting
bodies.
� The Ministries of Education should be the designated Government agency
responsible for monitoring and regulating TNE.
� With regards to governance the group recommended that any institution wishing
to operate in a commonwealth country should be first registered and accredited in
that institutions home country.
� To control quality each country should regulate TNE through local regulatory
bodies using UNESCO and other international accrediting standards as the
benchmark for licensing.
b) Access: Institutions should seek to work cooperatively with accredited TNE to create
access and opportunities for underprivileged students in Commonwealth countries.
The group recommended that countries should ensure that trade agreements do not
undermine the rights of local students and institutions.
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c) Financing: In some countries, foreign providers of TNE are considered not to be
paying a fair contribution towards Government revenues. Appropriate taxation
should be considered and the revenues directed towards the future development of
HE.
2.2 Accreditation and Quality Assurance (Group 2)
Participants recognised that there was not only a wide variety in the institutional provision for
Accreditation and Quality Assurance across the Commonwealth but also diversity across
subject-specific accreditation and operational mechanisms. Lack of consistency in the use of
key terms such as Licensing, Registration, Accreditation, and Validation was regarded as
unhelpful in engaging in Pan-Commonwealth discussions. The group further noted that
Accreditation arrangements were generally handled by administrators or experts. The
criteria used for Accreditation generally includes physical infrastructure, teaching staff of
adequate quality and support arrangements. The Group recognised the importance of sound
legal instruments to back up Accreditation arrangements to prevent providers from exploiting
legal loopholes. Quality assurance on the other hand was carried out through external
academic peer review which focusses on inputs, processes and outputs and an overall
assessment to ensure that the programme and/or the provider is fit for purpose.
2.3 Roles of Trade Promotional Agencies in TNE (Group 3)
The Group recognized that Trade Promotional agencies must be given a clear mandate to
support TNE with full political support at the highest level as in Malta. Given this mandate
the following roles were identified for Trade Promotional Agencies:
� Harmonizing policy of TNE by incorporating views of different stakeholders.
� Building consensus at the state level that HE is now part of the trade sector and ensure
that this realization transcends into policy.
� To play an active role in portability of qualifications. If an institution’s qualifications
are recognised nationally, then such qualifications should be recognized
regionally/internationally.
� Improving communication amongst different stakeholders on the prevailing trade
policy towards TNE.
� Coordination of activities and stakeholders.
� Support research to identify new and emerging market trends and sharing research
findings with stakeholders and using findings to formulate policies.
� Work with regional economic groupings to achieve harmonizing policy in Higher
education.
2.4 Trends and Issues in Internationalization (India) - Pawan Agarwal (by video link)
While tracing educational growth in terms of institutions and programmes, Mr Agarwal,
Adviser (Higher Education) Planning Commission of India, observed that India has seen
private sector-led growth over the past years and that trend is likely to continue. Such growth
was good for quantity but more needs to be done to improve quality, diversity and equity.
With 20m students in HE, India has created a differentiated system to meet the needs of the
domestic environment and to establish research excellence. While providing data on India
and cross-border education it was emphasised that the presence of India overseas was very
modest (17 campuses only) whereas 161 foreign providers were offering 641 programmes to
about 35,000 learners. He informed participants that the Indian government has just
introduced legislation which is taking long time to pass through Parliament to establish one
regulatory body for quality control for all the programmes on offer. The Indian government
intends to put together a repository of all certificates/degrees issued by Indian institutions so
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that when questions are asked on equivalency and quality they can respond more effectively.
Another area of reform being considered was to give grants to students rather to institutions.
He concluded that the country had the potential to become one of the best and most
affordable education systems if key reforms were undertaken. The presentation is attached as
Annex 2.4.
Theme 3: Country case study: Malta
3.1 Positioned for Trade and Investment- Emmanuel Mazzitelli
Mr Mazzitelli (Malta Enterprise) stated that the dynamic and high value-added economy of
Malta was founded on three pillars viz. competence, skills and excellence in order to sustain a
high standard of living for its entire people. Malta has identified seven areas of development
which include a) creative industries/ ICT ( e.g online gaming, digital media), b)Financial
Services, c) Advanced Manufacturing, d) Life Sciences and Health Services, e) International
Educational Services f) Tourism and g) transportation and logistics. The economy is based
on politico-economic stability; availability of highly-skilled, English-speaking human
resources; Educational institutions that structure courses to address the needs of the industry;
a competitive cost structure with low social costs; competitive labour costs and a high degree
of openness. As a small state, the economy is dependent on foreign trade. In this process the
role of Malta Enterprise is to assist foreign companies wishing to do business in Malta,
including through coordination of fact finding missions and handholding during setting up
phase and providing a one stop shop for most Government services for businesses. Details in
Annex 3.1.
3.2 Further and Higher Education: Keys to Employability and Investment -
James Calleja
Dr Calleja, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Employment stated that Malta’s
unique attributes of cultural diversity, geography and history have had a positive impact on
its education system.
All University of Malta degrees are recognised at European and International levels and the
country is leading the Referencing Process (2009) of the Malta Qualification Framework
(MQF) to the European Qualifications Framework for LLL, the Qualifications Framework of
the EHEA and the Transnational Qualifications Framework of the Small States of the
Commonwealth. In 2012 Malta introduced new legislation amending the Education Act
(1988) to incorporate validation of informal and non-formal learning, the MQF and quality
assurance. Malta has also established credible quality assurance structures at all levels. In his
concluding remarks it was highlighted that education and training were identified as priority
investment areas for government. Full presentation in Annex 3.2
3.3 Strengthening Commonwealth partnerships (COMNET IT) - Sandra Hyzler
COMNET was established in 1995 by the Malta Government and the Commonwealth
Secretariat to promote good practice, capacity building and knowledge and technology
transfer in e-government services, telecommunication regulation and activities having a
bearing on national, social and economic development. The mandate of COMNET is to set up
contact networks with one contact point in each country to drive Commonwealth Connect
Programme (CCP); to cultivate relations with development/donor agencies; to conduct ICT
needs’ assessment; compilation of an ICT assets inventory. The CCP database holds ICT
legislations, policy documents and tool kits, which are useful when working on specific
projects; supporting Commonwealth countries in Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative by
strengthening institutional capacity in policy, legislation, technical and operational abilities;
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fighting cybercrime through the sharing of expertise and best practice from existent resources
and finally providing leadership of the Commonwealth Internet Governance Forum (CIGF)
amongst policy makers and stakeholders from industry, civil society and academia. The CIGF
also runs a Youth Project with a view to raising awareness and drawing youth into public
policy deliberations.
The CIGF recently organised ICT in Education Leadership Forum in collaboration with the
Commonwealth of Learning, the Commonwealth Secretariat, Microsoft, and UNESCO. Held
for the Caribbean and Pacific regions under the theme ‘Teachers Creativity and Innovation: a
Key to Success in the Regions’, the fora explored how the UNESCO ICT Competency
Framework for Teachers (CFT) has enhanced ICT integration into teaching. In both regions
there was unanimous agreement that access to and the innovative use of technology is vital
for reforming education systems for 21st century learning. Full presentation in Annex 3.3.
Theme 4: Exporting HE: opportunities and challenges
4.1 Designing a Successful Online Programme- Balasubramanyam Chandramohan
Dr Chandramohan questioned who defines success: students, teaching staff, institution or
policy makers? He identified a variety of modes being used to deliver online programmes
including blended learning; Skype – one-to-one – tution; Many-to-many – Avatar; Mobile
learning; Podcasts and Virtual Learing Environment --discussion forums. He identified the
following as key drivers; a) Infrastructure especially to support the changing technology;
b)availability of technical Staff ; c) buy in for academic staff , development of course
content; d) Availability of resources to support Open Education (e.g through UNESCO) and
cultural relevance of course content; e) Recognition of qualifications/acquired through online
programmes.
The participants raised questions on the quality and adequacy of online programmes and a
point of reference for recognised and credible online programmes. It was felt that if a
programme is accredited in the home country then it could be accepted as an accredited
programme abroad. Similarly if any grant/scholarship were offered by some agencies e.g.
Commonwealth of Learning for a particular programme, it could be considered as accredited
since such agencies would have carried out their due diligence before offering the course.
4.2 Off-shoring English language solutions for Higher Education- Will Kinsman
Discussing “Off-shoring English language solutions for Higher Education’, Will Kinsman
stated that English was no longer just the lingua franca of commerce but, increasingly of
higher education. This was driving the trend towards increased globalisation of HE. As a
consequence, for many learners in tertiary education English was no longer about learning a
foreign language but about acquiring a vital life skill. Hence many HE institutions were
looking to deliver services transnationally. Packaging the existing English teaching
programmes for the overseas market involves a complete change of learning environment
from fully-immersive study and studying in one’s own country. His organisation therefore
does not believe in the franchising model of its products and services since it is difficult to
control the student experience leading to reputational damage. He concluded by saying that
in an increasingly globalized world, English Learning and Training (ELT) strategy should be
an important part of HE planning. Working with transnational providers for some or all of the
services may be an effective way of delivering ELT.
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4.3 Opportunities and Challenges- Sherelyn Thomas
Taking the perspective of a small island state in the Caribbean, Mrs. Thomas traced
education exports in Antigua and Barbuda to the Leeward Island Teacher Training College.
The institution was established in 1958 to train primary and secondary school teachers from
Antigua and Barbuda and across the Leeward Islands in response to growing regional
demand. In its efforts to export higher education it established an International Institute of
Technology in 2001 and which was designated a “Centre of Excellence for ICT” by the
Ministers of Education of the Eastern Caribbean and a Hospitality Training Institute in 2003.
The regional participation of students in such programmes has been very limited. Antigua
established the University of Health Sciences and the American University of Antigua. These
universities, which have twining arrangements with US institutions, have been successful and
attracted in generating sufficient revenue for the economy. Antigua is an attractive
destination for investment because of Government support through concessions and tax
relief; support for the domestic real estate/accommodation sector; and visa free access from
source markets – USA, UK, Commonwealth countries. This is underpinned by political
stability and personal safety. The challenges facing the country in promoting transnational
trade in education services include lack of an articulated policy and framework on HE export;
inability of domestic public institutions to utilize Mode 3 (Commercial Presence) through
satellite campuses or partnerships and fragmentation in the export of HE through movement
of natural persons. Full presentation in Annex 4.3
4.4 Setting up international branch campuses in Malaysia: Lessons learnt-Mohd.
Ismail Abd Aziz
Professor Mohd Ismail Abd Aziz noted that in the Malaysian context , a branch campus is a
branch of a private higher educational institution with the status of a University or a
University College and includes a branch of a foreign University or a University College that
is established under this Act [Private Higher Educational Institutional Act 1996 / Act 555]”.
There were four categories of International branch campuses (IBC) in Malaysia including a)
the classical model with investment from a foreign parent campus; b) those based on
Government to Government (G2G) initiatives with Government focus and funding; c)
campuses set up by a foreign based institution, bearing the same name as the parent
institution but with independent governance (e.g, John Hopkins University); d) campuses
established in collaboration with local institutions. The Government perspective on IBC’s is
that their presence serves to stimulate competition among local HEIs in Malaysia leading to
enhanced quality and improved access to higher education in Malaysia. IBCs retain
domestic students seeking affordable options for international degrees, and stimulate greater
inflow for students for both short and long term mobility. IBCs are required to provide
similar quality experience as that of home campus; are encouraged to infuse a local flavour
and to offer programmes in high demand that are not being provided by the local market.
IBCs are important in strengthening Malaysia’s position as a HE exporter and make a
significant contribution to the socioeconomic environment of the country. Full presentation in
Annex 4.4
4.5 An export strategy- Key considerations: Neil Kemp
Dr Neil Kemp highlighted the key considerations of an export strategy (Annex-O). Besides
focussing on the four Ps of marketing (Place, Product, Price and Place) it was important to
differentiate one’s product and service from the competitors. Problems arise with the brand if
promises and expectations are not met. An understanding of the Unique Selling Point (USP)
of the home country and of the target market are important parameters along with the
understanding of prospective international students and their choices. Teaching quality and
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eputation of qualifications, websites, visa requirements, costs and scholarships are other key
aspects of an export strategy. Feedback from students, including through electronic, digital
and social media is of vital importance. Government ministries, agencies and departments
(e.g, those responsible for immigration, trade, foreign affairs, education) and university
faculty have to be an integral part of the process to develop a national strategy. Full
presentation in Annex 4.5.
Theme 5: Mobilising Resources for Higher Education
5.1 Financing of Higher Education in Uganda- Robert Odok Oceng
Many Governments in Africa find it increasingly a challenge to deliver higher education and
provide other public institutions with adequate subventions which are critical to finance
budgets as well as promote and facilitate quality education.
In the case of Uganda, (Annex 5.1), Dr Oceng stated that the country has a tertiary GER of
5.4%, which is the lowest in East Africa and its current expenditure on Higher Education is
0.3% of G.D.P. Between 2006 to 2010 students enrolment grew by 34.1%. There is
massification at the tertiary institutions due to inadequate funding as facilities do not march
enrollment. Research in the universities is largely donor driven since universities modestly
budget for research. The Government of Uganda is in the process of establishing a students’
loans scheme in order to cater for those who do not qualify for the Government scholarship
and cannot afford HE.
5.2 The experience of Ghana- Domwin Dabire Kuupole
In Ghana (Annex 5.2), Government subvention remains to be the most predominant source
of funding for the tertiary education sector. After the 1970s when the approved budget for
universities covered about 55% of universities’ funding requirement, the Government
introduced measures such as cost sharing from 1997. The Government took responsibility to
pay 70% of the total budget whereas the universities had to generate 30% from student fees,
donations, consultancies etc. In 1998 Government also introduced student academic and
residential user fees. Although Government took the responsibility of 70% of the budget, it
has not been able to pay more than 42%. Government support has mainly been in the release
of ‘Compensation of Employees’ subvention with very little financial support for goods and
services and fixed assets. Universities have also not received the needed private donations.
Inadequate funding has resulted in the following:
� lack of modern laboratories with needed equipment and chemicals
� inadequate office space for faculty and staff
� inadequate lecture theatres, library and hostel facilities
� poor ICT infrastructure facilities
� relatively low rate of remuneration for staff
� low levels of research output and
� Limited access to qualified teaching staff.
The following recommendations were made to solve financial problem being faced by
universities in Ghana:
� Government fulfils its obligation by providing 70% of the total funding requirement
of universities as stipulated in the “Akosombo Accord”.
� Government should increase the rate of bursary and thesis grants for graduate
students.
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� Institutions of higher learning to intensify their efforts in seeking private donors to
support their activities.
� Government should allow higher education institutions to charge realistic tuition fees
from students.
� Universities should strive to create chairs, endowment funds and mobilise Alumni to
contribute towards funding University education.
5.3 University advancement mechanisms in the Caribbean : Yvonette Marshall
In the Caribbean, institutional advancement aims to further public understanding and
recognition and to develop support for the institution, politically and financially. It involves
building relationships with a range of external stakeholders. The economic crisis resulted in
severe fiscal constraints for higher/tertiary education institutions in many countries and a
contracting labour market for graduates. Institutions however, continue to forge ahead,
focusing on being resourceful to meet the increasing demand for higher education in the
region through the investments of partners, donors, and supporters. The strategies below are
used for university advancement:
� offering more classes during evenings and weekends to accommodate students with
full- or part-time work responsibilities thereby making better use of the facilities.
� offering more courses online and using technology for course delivery including
incorporating blended delivery modes into course design.
� allocating funds to support student learning, civic engagement, and research
opportunities.
� improving writing skills with the opening of a Writing Centre to provide remedial
instructions to students in order to improve the quality of their output.
� receiving international accreditation for programmes to improve the marketability of
graduates.
� instituting student service learning activities to prepare students for active citizenship
and leadership in their communities.
� encouraging internationalization.
� providing students with real life entrepreneurship experiences.
Simultaneous efforts were also made to attract competent faculty and improve their teaching
and research skills by development of Endowment Funds and allocating funds in the budget
to support faculty development and research. To promote research, grants were obtained from
regional and international agencies. Facilities and equipment were shared across institutions.
MOU’s were signed with local and overseas institutions for collaborative research and
sharing of resources. Partnerships were forged with the OECS Secretariat, the World Bank,
COL and UNESCO to organize a regional conference on the future of higher education in the
OECS. Brand awareness among staff, students and the wider public was created through
publications, marketing & electronic and digital media such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.
Full presentation in Annex 5.3.
5.4 University Advancement Schemes in Southern Africa: Dr Patricia Joubert
Dr Joubert outlined the approaches/strategies that universities in Southern Africa could
consider to address shortage for teaching staff and research funding (Annex-5.4) . She
identified the following problems:
� Very few graduates in specialised key areas like medicine, dentistry, accountancy and
finance, law and engineering
� Young age group less likely to enter academia
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� Low salaries and benefits relative to the responsibilities
� High rise in Africa’s population, the increasing importance of education and
sophistication
� More schools /colleges/universities do not have enough staff to have reasonable
teacher pupil ratio required for quality education.
� Huge budget cuts with the economic melt down
� Some Faculties have not been able to mount postgraduate studies because of limited
senior members of staff who should have doctorates at least. This limits further staff
expansion in these specialized areas
The following measures have emerged to overcome some of the problems identified:
� Review of incentives and work environment
� Address concerns around governance
� Growth of private Universities, which at times are sub-standard and their motive is
more commercial. Most of them have less qualified staff.
� Some organisations/individuals have teamed up with accredited institutions which
offer different programmes from the ones offered in their countries. Governments
have also signed agreement within the regional block or with other governments
abroad to start education institutions
� Develop linkages/partnership with other Universities for instance in South Africa
(Case of Swaziland and UNISA; and Swaziland and Mondlane University in
Mozambique)
� Research Centres/Institutes are formed in association with Private sector,
Development partners and/or Government
She suggested that for University advancement some of the following strategies may be
followed:
� Develop new kinds of contracts that are responsive to need rather than sticking to
traditional practice: i.e leasing online professors; establish satellite -based video
conferencing for certain programmes
� Create virtual classrooms and greater diffusion of e-learning in classrooms to ease
direct contact learning
� More teaching and research collaborations or exchanges for mutual benefit
� Permit growth of ‘hot spot’ specialisation which can then be shared among countries
regions or institutions
� Endowments from alumni but that is only applicable for high ranking institutions in
Advanced countries; similarly Southern Africa could rely on donation from former
students.
5.5 Effective collaboration with industry and research institutions- Vincent Maione
Mr Vincent Maione underscored the fact that with increasingly challenging environments,
HEIs can no longer afford to produce graduates that are not suited to the needs of industry.
(Annex-5.5). Competitiveness of economies is increasingly dependent on the availability of a
qualified and entrepreneurial work force and qualified people who remain unemployed or
who end up doing jobs below their level could become social problems. HEIs should open up
to lifelong learning. Improving employability should not only involve those who are entering
the job market, but should also focus on the upgrading of competencies for those already in
the workforce. Effective collaboration could also be an important source of revenue for HEIs.
Further, the synergy in the use of resources could benefit both industry and Higher Education.
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Industry should be involved in curriculum development, work placements and providing
research funding for projects bringing transfer of knowledge. He suggested that Higher
Education Institutions could set up ‘Service on Demand Centres' where Research and
Development projects originating from SME’s (who probably could not afford to do it with
their own resources) can be aided in their development.
Concluding Session
Issues Identified
The final session was devoted to identify areas of concerns and to make recommendations for
agencies such as Commonwealth Secretariat on how they could service the development of
Transnational Trade in Education Services such that member states could take full and
informed advantages of transnational trade in education services and safeguard their
education systems from its negative impact (See Annex 6). Participants raised the following
concerns:
The landscape of transnational higher education is becoming increasingly dynamic. Some
international universities have withdrawn from different countries demonstrating that
exporting education through setting up branch campuses requires thorough market research
and analysis. At the same time, the nature of international providers of HE is changing.
Companies with a global outreach (e.g Laureate; Kaplan; INTO; Navitas and Apollo) buying
and running a number of educational institutions worldwide. It is crucial that national
authorities upgrade their level of understanding, skill, and put in place systems for effective
regulation of HE.
Quality assurance, equivalence of qualifications, their regulatory mechanisms and the
Bologna process are essential for student mobility. Developing countries need to improve
their capacity to address these issues.
As regards online providers, concerns were expressed regarding appropriateness of the
education being offered and bogus and non-regulated operators. There is need to establish a
system to provide advice and guidance to students.
Access to and equity in higher education is a fundamental principle in the provision of higher
education. Governments must ensure that foreign providers complement existing institutions
to address these concerns.
There is limited supply of qualified local teaching staff in the higher education institutions in
many countries. Foreign providers tend to attract the best staff thereby exacerbating shortages
in state system.
Recommendations
It was recommended that a database of formally accredited HE providers be created,
containing:
� University name and address; website link; Qualification Authority agency/regulatory
body to which they are accredited
� Private colleges (without own DAPs): name and address; website link; university
awarding their degrees and Qualification Authority agency/regulatory body to which
they are accredited:
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� List of all recognized Qualification Authority/ agencies and regulatory bodies
� List of non-accredited Higher Education Institutions or links to websites listing these.
� Participants were unaware of current position of GATS negotiations on transnational
trade in education services and recommended that it was necessary to organize a Pan-
Commonwealth seminar for policy makers to cover benefits and drawbacks in critical
way.
� There is need for a focal point in Government to take up the responsibility of
checking with the regulatory authority of a foreign provider in their country of origin,
particularly if it appears not to be meeting the expected requirements. 1
The Commonwealth Secretariat should:
� Promote the principles of good practice in transnational trade in education services
and building national capacity in quality assurance.
� Work towards mutual recognition of qualifications in the Commonwealth countries.
� Support greater co-operation between quality assurance agencies and those
responsible for recognition of qualifications.
� Work closely with other national, regional and international agencies active in
transnational trade in education services to deal with issues of fraud and corruption.
� Undertake an evaluation of the relevance and impact of transnational trade in
education services particularly in the Commonwealth.
1 The contact for the UK is the Quality Assurance Agency in Higher Educationwww.qaa.ac.uk/Complaints/Pages/default.aspx.
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