Interesante informe de la OCDE sobre universidades privadas: reflexiones a partir de un seminario internacional.

In November 2013 the OECD held a workshop on innovative approaches to education in the private higher education sector in Madrid, co-organised with Laureate International Universities. Over 30 higher education experts from 11 countries discussed the role of private providers in the higher education innovation ecosystem, and identified innovative organisational and pedagogical practices in private higher education institutions. Participants also examined drivers and barriers to innovation in a sector that continues to experience a sustained growth worldwide while being subject to changing regulatory environments.

The workshop summary report and participants’ presentations are available on the workshop website. Here are some highlights of the discussion:

·         Most organisational and pedagogical innovations in private higher education are based on fostering the employability of graduates, or other forms of response to business needs.

·         Professional development of faculty seems much more common in private higher education, a trend which supports pedagogical innovation.

·         Regulatory frameworks are becoming stricter in many countries, but may often be too uniform to accommodate the institutional diversity of the private sector