The Role of Transnational, Private, and For-Profit Provision in Meeting Global Demand for Tertiary Education: Mapping, Regulation and Impact

Abstract

This is a report of a first-stage project sponsored by UNESCO and the Commonwealth of Learning to map the extent, range, and impact of transnational, private, and for-profit tertiary education provision in a sample of countries. The data, collected from readily available public sources and verified by in-country experts, was first used to create country case studies for Jamaica, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Bulgaria. A summary report was then produced that drew comparisons across countries in relation to five topics: overviews of each country; national education systems and policies; regulatory frameworks, accreditation, and quality assurance; transnational, private, and for-profit provision; and local perceptions of impact. The summary report also provides a comparative analysis across countries, with reference to the wider literature, and draws out a series of policy implications from the study for governments, institutions, and agencies, both national and international.