Education and Philanthropy in the Middle East and North Africa

• In Event: Philanthropy in Education in the Global South

Proposal

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there has been rapid growth in the number of philanthropic organisations over the past 15 years, in particular in the education sector. However, there is still very little research that takes a detailed look at what exactly philanthropic organisations are doing within the sector. This paper explores philanthropic activity in the education sector across 11 MENA countries. Using data from 65 philanthropic organizations, it examines key funding characteristics, activities and beneficiaries in order to identify regional similarities, differences and challenges. The chapter begins by identifying the three main types of philanthropic organizations in the region, with relation to funding models. It then explores how each of these funding models impacts decisions relating to activities and beneficiaries. In doing so, it identifies emerging processes and discourses in regional higher education policy in particular. The chapter concludes with a discussion of current challenges and suggests directions for future research.

Author

• Marvin Erfurth, Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research & University of Muenster