The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Higher Education How Tertiary Institutions in emerging Economies benefit from Public-Private Partnerships

Abstract

The number of Public-Private Partnerships in the education sector is growing in developing and emerging economies. Traditionally governments are the main financial contributor to education however, the involvement of the private sector is an increasing one. While more established in primary and secondary education, PPPs in tertiary education are a phenomenon rather slowly growing in the past decades (Patrinos, Barrera-Osorio, & Guaqueta, 2009). There are various concepts of PPPs in higher education each targeting different goals. In order to give an insight into different types of PPPs, the typology according to Mabizela has been briefly displayed and the case of a PPP in Namibia is given. The framework of the partnership was compiled to give an outlook on the practicability of partnerships. The paper exemplifies that both partners within a PPP can benefit from the added value they may generate for their target group. Thus, the benefit depends on quality, relevance and execution of the partnership.