Universities and Inclusiveness: An Overview

Abstract

This concluding chapter gives an overview of social inclusiveness at universities in the 11 countries covered in this book. Which are the most important obstacles for young people to do higher education studies, why do such obstacles remain, and what, if anything, is being done about it? One interesting aspect of the country studies is the difference when it comes to the role of private universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs). In some countries enrolments in private universities are quite sizable, at par with public universities. In other countries private higher education is nil or negligible. There are as a rule tougher access criteria at private HEIs than at public HEIs. This goes above all for tuition fees that can be very high at private HEIs, which means that most families cannot afford to send their children to private schools. It is true that the higher tuition is often justified by the quality of teaching being considered better in private HEIs, but this is not always the case. The chapter also discusses which facilities are available to students to finance their studies: government and other stipends, and/or loans at preferential conditions.

The author gratefully acknowledges important contributions to this overview by Thiago Renault, Carlos Aguirre, Galia Figueroa, Rodrigo Arocena, Bitrina Diyamett, Glenda Kruss, Ngoc Tran Ca, Valentina Poliakova, Anda Adamsone-Fiskovica, and Birgitte Gregersen.