Private universities are arguably the best in their countries. Despite challenges, private institutions have brought vitality to moribund higher education environments

In the past half-century and especially since the new millennium, there has been a quiet but extraordinary promotion of high quality non-profit private universities, especially in the Global South (Asia, Africa). These universities are changing the landscape of global higher education.

They are providing new ideas about organisation, curriculum and even philosophy of higher education in countries where academic institutions are usually traditional and bureaucratic. These universities, often supported by substantial private philanthropy, have been able to attract top-rated students and high-quality faculty.

The elite private higher education sector is small — perhaps 150 worldwide. The largest number is in the United States, with perhaps half the total, and a few in countries such as Japan and South Korea. Some Latin American countries also host private Catholic and other private universities. But the largest growth area for premier private higher ed institutions is now the Global South.

There have been several periods of development for these universities. At the end of the 19th century, wealthy American capitalists sponsored newly invented German-style research universities in an effort to build scientific capacity in the United States. Stanford, Chicago, and Johns Hopkins, among others, were established and quickly became renowned private universities. Waseda and Keio, with similar missions, were founded in Japan.

In the Global South, elite private universities began to be established in the mid-20th century. Examples include the Tecnologico de Monterrey (Monterrey Tec), established in 1943 in Mexico by industrialists. A decade later, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education was founded in India, followed by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.

These pioneer private universities now have multiple campuses in their country and are among the best and most innovative national academic institutions. In the following decades, additional innovative universities were founded.

Symbiosis International University in Pune, India, was established in 1971 as an internationally-focused institution, and the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) was founded in 1986 in South Korea.

INSPER, an independent university in Sao Paulo, Brazil focusing on business, economics, and (later) engineering was founded in 1987. LUMS University (formerly Lahore University of Management Science) in Pakistan, was founded in 1984 and grew from a management training institution to a comprehensive university. There were a small number of additional universities founded during this period in other countries.

Although there are probably under 50 such institutions in the Global South, there are some elements common to all. Among them — Financial backing: These universities are, in their national contexts, well-resourced due to their establishment by wealthy individuals or businesses. Innovation: The universities represent new ideas about curriculum, teaching, organisation, student affairs, and other aspects of academic life. Excellent facilities: They have built ‘state-of-the-art’ campuses that are attractive to students and faculty, and permit advanced research and scholarship. Governance: As private non-profit universities, they differ from public institutions in their countries in their approach to management and governance and often less influenced by national political pressures, provide a greater degree of academic freedom. Highly qualified students and faculty: With ample resources, these universities are able to attract top quality people. Local quality and global orientation: By offering education comparable to international standards, these universities retain many students who would otherwise go abroad. English: Most of these universities use English either as the sole language of instruction and research or as a prominent language. Internationalisation: Links, joint research, collaborative degrees and other international initiatives are integral to these institutions. Students are often offered an international opportunity as part of their degree program.

Most, if not all, of these elite privates depend on revenue from student tuition — and this determines academic programs and future direction. Tuition prices tend to be high so students from low-income families cannot attend; therefore diversity is limited. However, many such as LUMS in Pakistan, have a robust scholarship program aimed at low-income and rural students. But by and large, the new elite universities remain preserves of wealthy families — indeed this may be one of their attractions. These universities remain mainly undergrad institutions and few have become research-intensive with large graduate programs in the traditional disciplines, although some offer highly-regarded professional schools in fields such as business and law. These are arguably the best universities in their countries, but at the same time sometimes benchmark themselves against the top global institutions — a rather high hurdle. Despite challenges, these elite private institutions have brought vitality to an often moribund higher education environment in their countries.

(Philip G. Altbach is research professor and distinguished fellow, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College)