More funding for better education in the Middle East and North Africa analyze the World Bank and the French Development Agency

A new report released on October 21st titled: Breaking Even or Breaking Through: Reaching Financial Sustainability While Providing High Quality Standards in Higher Education in the Middle East and North Africa, highlights the need to increase funding to meet the demands for more and better education opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

In a joint effort, the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) in partnership with the Marseille Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) have prepared that report, to study the dynamics of financing Higher Education (HE) systems in the MENA region, to provide models for funding the needed expansion, while preserving quality and ensuring equity of access.

Accordingly, the report highlights the need to diversity sources of funding and improve the efficiency in the use of current funds. Additionally, the report assesses that in order to meet the surging revenue needs of universities and other institutions of HE in MENA, non-governmental revenue from tuition and other fees, university entrepreneurial activities, external grants and contracts, the private sector and philanthropy are needed.

The report also examines a new way for the region to find additional resources by reaching out for philanthropic contributions. The endowment model used successfully by both private and public universities in the US, merits strong consideration as a mechanism for alternate funding for MENA HE

For further information visit: http://web.worldbank.org/.