January 08, 2008

Privatization in the higher education systems

Privatization in Higher Education

January 7-8, 2008

The Samuel Neaman Institute
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Haifa, Israel

Sponsored by

The Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

Azrieli Center for Economic Policy (ACEP)
Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Bashaar – Academic Community for Israeli Society
Tel Aviv, Israel

United States-Israel Educational Foundation
Tel Aviv, Israel

The symposium is being organized and sponsored by the Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, the Bashaar-Academic Community for Israeli Society, the Azrieli Center for Economic Policy (ACEP), Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University and the United States – Israel Educational Foundation, (the Fulbright Commission for Israel) with the participation of the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities. The symposium is a spin-off of the activity of the Higher Education Forum, sponsored by Bashaar, the Neaman Institute and USIEF. The Forum has convened on a regular basis for the past two years, promoting dialogue on higher education policy issues between leading figures from Israel’s research universities and its academic colleges.

Developments in the Israeli higher education system over the past 15 years have created a situation of growing demand for higher education, which cannot be met by limited public sector budgets. These conditions provide an opportunity for private providers of higher education to increase their share of the education “market”. The symposium will provide a forum for open and free discourse on this situation and the policy challenges which it creates.

DAY 1 – Monday January 7

08:45 – 09:15	OPENING SESSION – view video Chair: Prof. Nadav Liron, Director, The Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel Welcome and Opening Remarks Prof. Yitzhak Apeloig, President, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel Prof. Elise S. Brezis, Director, Azrieli Center for Economic Policy, Bar-Ilan University, Israel Prof. Mordechai Shechter, Bashaar-Academic Community for Israeli Society, Israel Mr. Dan Vilenski, Chairman of the Board of Directors, United States-Israel Educational Foundation, Israel
09:15 – 10:00	Keynote Presentation – view video Prof. Sheldon Rothblatt, UC Berkeley, USA “What does it Mean to be ‘Private’? Notes from History”
10:15 – 12:15	SESSION 1, Part 1 – CURRENT TRENDS IN THE PRIVATIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION – view video Chair: Prof. Zehev Tadmor, Chairman of the Board, The Samuel Neaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel Prof. Daniel C. Levy, University at Albany, SUNY, USA “The Global Growth of Private Higher Education: Comparing Against U.S. Reality.” – presentation Prof. Guy Neave, Twente University, The Netherlands; Centro de Investigacão de Politicas do Ensino Superior, Porto, Portugal “Trends in Europe” Steven Stav, Director General of the Council for Higher Education and VATAT (the Planning & Budgeting Committee), Israel “Trends in Israel” – presentation Discussant: Prof. Sarah Guri-Rosenblit, The Open University of Israel Questions & Answers
13:15 – 15:15	SESSION I, Part 2 – CURRENT TRENDS IN THE PRIVATIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION – view video Chair: Prof. Moshe Kaveh, President, Bar-Ilan Unihttp://www.neaman.org.il/Neaman/news/event_item.asp?fid=835versity, Israel Prof. Jandhyala B. G. Tilak, Head, Department of Educational Finance, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, India “Current Trends of the Private Sector in Higher Education in Asia” – presentation Prof. Ali Dogramaci, Rector, Bilkent University, Turkey “Private University Initiatives in Turkey: The Bilkent Experience” – presentation Prof. Grant Harman, Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia “Australian Experience with Private Higher Education” – presentation Discussant: Prof. Guy Neave, Twente University, The Netherlands; Centro de Investigacão de Politicas do Ensino Superior, Porto, Portugal Questions & Answers
15:30 – 17:30	SESSION II – THE ROLE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HIGHER-EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE ECONOMY – view video http://www.neaman.org.il/Neaman/news/event_item.asp?fid=835 Chair: Prof. Rivka Carmi, President, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel Prof. Philippe Aghion, Department of Economics, Harvard University, USA – presentation “Economic Growth and the Financing of Higher Education” Prof. Hagit Messer-Yaron, Vice-President R&D, Tel Aviv University; Bashaar, Israel – presentation “Responsible Technology Transfer in Starving Universities” Prof. Uri Kirsch, Vice Chairman of VATAT (Planning and Budgeting Committee), The Council for Higher Education, Israel – presentation “Commercialization of Programs within Public Institutions – the View of VATAT” Discussant: Prof. Sheldon Rothblatt, UC Berkeley, USA Questions & Answers
17:30 – 19:30	SESSION III – EFFECTS OF PRIVATIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION ON SOCIAL NEEDS – view video Chair: Prof. Hanoch Gutfreund, Chairman, Bashaar; The Hebrew University, Israel Ranan Hartman, Chairman, Ono Academic College, Israel “The Social Responsibility of the Institutions of Higher Education in Israel” – presentation Prof. Elise S. Brezis, Director, Azrieli Center for Economic Policy, Bar-Ilan University, Israel – presentation “Effects of Privatization on the Quality of Higher Education” Prof. Thorsten Nybom, Deputy Vice-chancellor, Orebro University, Sweden “The Future Constitional Forms and Institutional Governance of European Universities – A Matter of politicized ‘Autonomy’?” Discussant: Prof. Yaacov Iram, Bar-Ilan University, Israel Questions & Answers
DAY 2 – Tuesday January 8

09:30 – 11:30	SESSION IV – THE GRADUAL PRIVATIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ISRAEL – view video Chair: Dr. Neal Sherman, Director, United States-Israel Educational Foundation, Israel Prof. Uriel Reichman, President, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Isael Dr. Raanan Har-Zahav, Advocate, Israel “Privatization of Higher Education and Constitutional Principles” Prof. Zvi Arad, President, Netanya Academic College, Israel “The Revolution of Privatization of Higher Education in Israel” Discussant: Prof. Gad Ariav, Tel Aviv University, Israel Questions & Answers
11:45 – 13:45	SESSION V – COMMERCIALIZATION OF PROGRAMS WITHIN PUBLIC HIGHER INSTITUTIONS – view video Chair: Prof. Moshe Many, President, Ashkelon Academic College, Israel Prof. Gabriel Motzkin, Director, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel “Non-Commercial Value in Higher Education and the Challenge of Commercialization” Prof. Eliezer Shalev, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel “Private Program within a Public Medical Faculty” Prof. Shoshana Arad, President, Ruppin Academic Center; VARAM, Israel – – presentation “The impact of the Privatization Process on the Higher Education in Israel” Discussant: Dr. Meir Zadok, Director, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Israel Questions & Answers
15:00 – 17:30	SESSION VI – PANEL REFLECTIONS ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION – view video Chair: Prof. Mordechai Shechter, University of Haifa; Bashaar, Israel Prof. Philippe Aghion, Harvard University, USA Prof. Morton M. Denn, City University of New York, USA Prof. Nehemia Friedland, President, Tel Aviv – Jaffa Academic College, Israel Mr. Gury Zilkha, Consultant, Higher Education, former Director-General of MALAG/VATAT Prof. Zvi Piran, Dean, Jerusalem School of Business Administration, The Hebrew University, Israel Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, Head, National Economic Council, Prime Minister’s Office, Israel Prof. Zehev Tadmor, Chairman, Samuel Neaman Institute, Technion, Israel Questions & Answers Closing Remarks