Private university

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A private university is a university that is run without the control of any government entity,^[1] as opposed to public universities. Private universities are common in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Chile, India, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Portugal, and the United States but do not exist in some countries. Tuition fees at private universities tend to be much higher than at public universities.^[2]

Contents 1 Australia 2 Austria 3 Bangladesh 4 China 5 Chile 6 Germany 7 Hungary 8 Hong Kong 9 India 10 Ireland 11 Iraq 12 Japan 13 Lebanon 14 The Netherlands 15 Pakistan 16 Portugal 17 United Kingdom 18 United States 19 References

[edit] Australia

Bond University is Australia's first private university, founded in 1987.^[3] It runs three semesters per year (correlating exactly with the Northern and Southern Hemispheres' schedules), which allows a student to complete a six semester degree in two years and an eight semester degree (e.g. Law) in under three years.^[4]

Since Bond University's foundation, the University of Notre Dame Australia has also been founded as a private university, in 1989. They remain Australia's only private universities.^{[citation needed]}

Melbourne University, a public university, owned a private university called Melbourne University Private from 1998 to 2005. The private university was not successful, losing $A 20 000 000 over its life.

[edit] Austria

In Austria, institutions must be authorised by the state to legally grant academic degrees. In 1999, a federal law (Universitäts-Akkreditierungsgesetz) was passed to allow the accreditation of private universities. The Akkreditierungsrat (accreditation council, [5]) evaluates applicants and issues recommendations to the responsible accreditation authority, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research.

Accreditations must be renewed regularly and can be withdrawn, e.g. in case of repeated academic misconduct. In 2003, the accreditation of International University Vienna was withdrawn. In 2006, when the accreditation of IMADEC University expired, the accreditation council rejected the request for renewal.

Austrian law demands private universities use the term Privatuniversität (literally "private university") within their German name, although the formal name in other languages, e.g. in English, is not regulated. While the legal definition of "private university" prohibits funding by the Republic of Austria, it still allows funding by other public bodies. Consequently, some of Austria's private universities are funded by provincial governments.

Accreditation of private universities started in 2001. Today, there are 12 private universities in Austria. Most of them are small (fewer than 1000 students) and specialised in only one or two fields of study:

• Anton Bruckner Private University for Music, Drama, and Dance in Linz
• Catholic-Theological Private University Linz
• Konservatorium Wien in Vienna
• Modul University Vienna
• Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität in Salzburg
• PEF Private University of Management Vienna in Vienna and Graz
• New Design University in St. Pölten
• University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology in Hall in Tirol
• Sigmund Freud University Vienna
• TCM Privatuniversität Li Shi Zhen in Vienna
• UM Private Wirtschaftsuniversität in Seekirchen (near Salzburg)
• Webster University Vienna (also accredited in the USA)

Two former private universities are not accredited any more:

• International University Vienna: Accreditation was withdrawn due to academic misconduct
• IMADEC University: First accreditation period ended in January 2006 and was not renewed

[edit] Bangladesh

Private university system in Bangladesh started in 1992 and all the private universities in Bangladesh are established under the Private University Act 1992^[5]. During the early 90's government as well as the civil society of Bangladesh felt that existing public universities are not sufficient to meet the constantly increasing high demand of higher education in Bangladesh.^{[original research?]} Moreover, to maintain the quality education most of the reputed public universities kept themselves extremely selective and each year a large number of students failed to get admitted into the higher educational institutions.^{[weasel words][citation needed]} All those issues leaded them to permit private sectors to establish universities. On 9 August, 1992, the Private University Act (Act 34) 1992 was passed and with in the next few years a good number^[clarify] of private universities were established in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Sylhet. North South University (1992) was the first private university in Bangladesh. Independent University, Bangladesh (1993), American International University-Bangladesh (1994), Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology(1995), East West University(1996 are some earliest private universities of the country. In recent time some new private universities have started functioning in Bangladesh. Some of these are,University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh[ULAB](2002) Sylhet International University ;SIU(2001),),[SOUTH EAST UNIVERSITY,BANANI,DHAKA] (2002), [Uttara University] (2003), United International University (2003). The University Grant Commission is the monitoring body for all the private and public universities in Bangladesh.^[6]

[edit] China

In the late 19th and early 20th century the first private universities in China were founded by missionaries, such as St. John's University and Aurora University in Shanghai, Yenching University in Beijing (Peking), and Ginling Women's University and University of Nanking in Nanjing (Nanking). During the Republican era, all public universities were all designated "National Universities". (This is still the case in Taiwan, where the Republic of China still exists e.g. National Taiwan University.)

All universities were made public following the 1949 revolution and the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The first private university in the PRC is Sanda University, founded in 1992 offering until 2001 only certificates and diplomas. As of 2002, it was officially allowed to offer undergraduate level courses, and now offers instruction in a variety of subjects as approved by the state.

[edit] Chile

In the 80s the government of Pinochet split up of Chile's few but large universities into minor private owned universities. Chiles traditional universities lost almost all their campuses outside Santiago to these new universities. Almost all Chilean's private universities are for-profit. Despite of a growing number of private universities, as of 2006, Chile's most prestigious universities continued to be two state owned universities.

[edit] Germany

In Germany, Witten/Herdecke University was the first private university, founded in 1982. In the 1990s many private universities were newly founded and today, there are 63 private universities and universities of applied sciences in Germany. However, all German private universities are relatively small and the 233 public universities in the country are therefore more important within the German higher education system. Witten/Herdecke University, with just over 1000 students, is also the largest private university in Germany. Most German private universities specialise in relatively few majors, most often in business and information technology related subjects.

There are also 43 so called church-run universities in Germany, founded and operated by churches. In most other countries they would be considered to be private universities since they are run without the control of a government entity. German law defined church-run universities as a third type of university besides public and private institutions. Church-run universities specialise in church music, nursing, religious education, social work, special needs education, curative/therapeutic education, philosophy and theology. One of the most outstanding is Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Another example is the Hochschule für Philosophie operated by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The Hochschule is a School of Philosophy that provides a special offering in ethics and philosophy of religion. The Jesuit Faculty of Philosophy in Munich works with questions pertinent to the modern world by offering an informed perspective to the discussion.

[edit] Hungary

• Central European University in Budapest, a founding member of the European University Association (EUA)^[7]

[edit] Hong Kong

• Shue Yan University: acquired university status on 19 December 2006.

[edit] India

In India, privately funded institutions are in existence since independence, but they were not recognised as private univeristies. Many private universities (or institutions classified as universities by the University Grants Commission (India) or those that define themselves as university) have come up only recently. Many of these universities offer multidisciplinary professional courses similar to state funded universities, however institutions offering single stream specialization programs are also in existence.

Manipal University, Manipal- Karnataka, is india's first private University. It has over 20 constituent colleges that offer over 180 programs in 14 disciplines. Manipal University is one of the few globally renowned private universities of India and is the preferred destination of students from over 55 countries.

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), in Pilani, Rajasthan and Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand, SRM University, Chennai are some of the other well respected private universities in India that are considered as being competitive with the Indian Institutes of Technology. Thapar University in Patiala, Punjab is a well known private engineering college of north India. These universities have been awarded with the 5 star ranking by NAAC.

Many institutes Specializing in management education (like Xavier Labour Relations Institute, and The Indian Institute of Planning and Management) have been around since the 1940s and the 1970s respectively. Some of the noted private universities in western India are the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and D. Y Patil University, Navi Mumbai

Vedanta University, near Bhubaneswar, Orissa will be India's first large multidisciplinary university.^[8]. It will start functioning in 2008.

[edit] Ireland

In Ireland, a private university (more commonly known as a private college) is one that is not funded by the state, and therefore not covered by the free-fees initiative. All universities, Institutes of Technology, Colleges of Education, as well as the National College of Ireland and some religious institutions are publicly funded and therefore covered by free-fees. There are few private colleges, and they are highly specialised, such as Griffith College Dublin, Dorset College and Dublin Business School.

[edit] Iraq

See Private Universities in Iraq

[edit] Japan

As of 2007, there are 568 private universities, while there are 87 national universities and 89 public universities.^[9]. Private universities thus account for about 3/4 of all universities in Japan. Like public and national universities, many private universities use National Center Test for University Admissions as an entrance exam.

[edit] Lebanon

There are 19 private universities in Lebanon.^[10] Among theses universities, two are internationally acknowledged, namely, the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University.^[11] The languages of teaching in private universities are mainly French and English, while Arabic is widely used in religious universities and Armenian in the Armenian university. The first university opened in Lebanon was the Syrian Protestant College in 1866 (Became the American University of Beirut in 1921). It was founded by Daniel Bliss a Protestant missionary. The second university opened in Lebanon was the, Université Saint-Joseph, founded by the Jesuits in 1875.

[edit] The Netherlands

In the Netherlands there is one private university named Nyenrode. This University is founded in 1946 and still active as a Graduate School for Business. You can get your master degree in Management and do an MBA. Both programmes are though in English. Recently they merged with the institute for CPA education and they share their facilities. the Nyenrode Business University also contains a campus and highly active student life. In the Netherlands this is unique. The Dutch HBOs (universities of applied science) count more private institutes like the Nootenboom University for Business and the IVA for the Automotive industry.

[edit] Pakistan

Main article: Higher Education Commission of Pakistan

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), formerly the University Grant Commission, is the primary regulator of higher education in Pakistan. It also facilitates the development of higher educational system in Pakistan[1]. Its main purpose is to upgrade the List of universities in Pakistan to be world-class centres of education, research and development.

The HEC is also playing a leading role towards building a knowledge based economy in Pakistan by giving out hundreds of doctoral scholarships for education abroad every year. In spite of the criticism of HEC, its creation has also had a positive impact on higher education in Pakistan. In their two year report for 2004 to 2006 it is mentioned that according to the Institute of Scientific Information, the total number of publications appearing in the 8,000 leading journals indexed in the web of Science arising out of Pakistan in 2005 was 1,259 articles, representing a 41% increase over the past two years and a 60% increase since the establishment of HEC in 2002. In addition the HEC digital library now provides access to over 20,000 leading research journals, covering about 75% of the world's peer reviewed scientific journals.

Until 1991, there were only two recognized private universities in Pakistan: Aga Khan University established in 1983; and Lahore University of Management Sciences established in 1985. By 1997, however, there were 10 private universities and in 2001-2002, this number had doubled to 20. In 2003-2004 Pakistan had a total of 83 private degree granting institutions.

The rapid expansion of private higher education is even more remarkable if we look at the number of institutions established on a year-by-year basis. In 1997, for instance, three private institutions were established; in 2001 eleven new private institutions were opened; and in 2002 a total of 29 private sector institutions sprung up.

The HEC website also points to a 40% increase in enrollment in universities in Pakistan over the last two years, which it attributes to efforts on its part to encourage higher education in the country.

[edit] Portugal

Main article: Higher education in Portugal

The oldest non-state-run university, the Universidade Católica Portuguesa - UCP (Catholic University of Portugal), a catholic private university (concordatory status) with branches in the cities of Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Viseu, and Figueira da Foz, was founded before the others, in 1967, and officially recognized in 1971. UCP offers some well-recognized degrees and is reputed for law and business management degrees it awards at its Lisbon and Porto branches. After the Carnation Revolution of 1974, in the 1980s and 1990s, a boom of educational private institutions was experienced in Portugal and many private universities started to open. Most private universities had a poor reputation and were known for making it easy for students to enter and also to get high grades. In 2007, several of those private universities or their heirs, were investigated and faced compulsory closing (for example, the infamous Independente University closing and the Moderna University scandals) or official criticism with recommendations that the state-managed investigation proposed for improving their quality and avoid termination. In the mid-2000s, within the Bologna process, a reorganization of higher education was started which included more stringent regulations for private education and expanded state policies with regard to private education quality assurance and educational accreditation. In general, the private higher education institutions were often considered the schools of last resort for underachieving applicants who didn't score enough points in the admission examinations to enter the main public institutions. Nearly open-admission policies have hurt private universities' reputation and the actual quality of their alumni. Without large endowments like those received, for example, by many US private universities and colleges which are attractive to the best scholars, researchers and students, the private higher education institutions of Portugal, with a few exceptions, do not have neither the financial support nor the academic profile to reach the highest teaching and research standards of the top Portuguese public universities. In addition, the private universities have faced a restrictive lack of collaboration with the major enterprises which, however, have developed fruitful relationships with many public higher education institutions. Most Portuguese private universities specialise in a limited number of fields, most often in the social sciences and humanities.

[edit] United Kingdom

The private university/public university split does not fit the United Kingdom university system very well. British universities have institutional autonomy, which is well respected as it has developed over centuries, but in the first half of the 20th century they came to rely on the government for most of their funding. The only two universities which are wholly privately financed are University of Buckingham and Richmond University, both of which have a low profile within the UK and cater largely to overseas students^[12] (although Richmond University does not itself award UK degrees).

[edit] United States

In the U.S., most of the prestigious universities and colleges, including the universities belonging to the Ivy League, are private, operated as nonprofit organizations. While most liberal arts colleges are likewise private, there are also some public liberal arts colleges. Some private universities are closely affiliated with religious organizations (e.g., the University of Notre Dame) and some are directly operated by religious organizations (e.g., Brigham Young University).

The private higher education sector in the United States also includes proprietary or for-profit institutions, which are operated as businesses by individual owners or corporations.

Like government-operated institutions, private universities are eligible for educational accreditation, but some private universities (primarily religious institutions and proprietary colleges) are not accredited (see list of unaccredited institutions of higher learning), and their degrees are not formally recognized. Some are simply diploma mills.

Private universities are not limited by the restrictions on government action in the same way that public universities are. For example, religious institutions can expressly forward their religious beliefs and teach that other religions are incorrect. Private universities also generally have a freer hand in setting admissions policies than public institutions. E.g., universities in the Ivy League historically based their selections on many factors other than academic performance, including "lineage," "character", and "personal" characteristics.^[13] In recent years, however, many private universities have been making an effort to appeal to and recruit academically talented students from underprivileged backgrounds.

The U.S. system of education has also been exported to other countries. Private universities such as the American University in Cairo and the American University of Afghanistan typically offer a liberal arts curriculum to their students.

• Laureate Education
• Public university

[edit] References