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Overview
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EdInvest was initiated in 1998 as an “. . . on-line investment information forum on private sector development in education.” It began with initial funding from the World Bank Development Marketplace as a joint venture between CfBT and IFC’s Health and Education Department. It has subsequently received financial and in-kind support from both IFC and CfBT.
In its first decade of operation, EdInvest was involved in a wide range of activities, including offering consultancy, hosting conferences and seminars, and conducting research relating to the development of private education. Its primary purpose was the creation of an information portal for data on private education at all levels. This took the form of regular newsletters and reports.
EdInvest is physically located in IFC headquarters in Washington, D.C. and managed by Suzanne Roddis.
The purpose of EdInvest is to provide an information portal for global developments in private education.
EdInvest is not limited by education level or geographic focus in its approach. Reports and briefings will address basic, vocational/technical, and higher education levels with the primary emphasis on developments in emerging economies. Clearly, lessons can be drawn from practice in developed economies and appropriate findings from these countries will also be addressed. Broad questions that EdInvest will examine include:
What lessons can be learned from the early entrants in private provision?
How are governments regulating private provision to ensure quality and enable providers to contribute to national education objectives?
What models of provision are proving most successful?
How are Public Private Partnership arrangements evolving?
Which countries are most open to private sector development?
What trends are emerging in relation to a wide range of issues, including foreign direct investment, philanthropic engagement or multilateral support for private sector provision?
The primary emphasis of EdInvest is that of serving as a focal point for developments in private education through their aggregation and dissemination of information. As such, key activities and outputs are:
A regular Newsletter that will feature brief country reports, synopsis of recent research, or perspectives on emerging issues or developments.
A regular News in Brief providing updates on breaking news on private education globally.
A Key Resources listing which identifies websites that track developments in private education as well as education more generally.
A Reference Library that aggregates current research relating to the broad themes of private education.
Online Discussions will be facilitated on key themes drawing upon the experiences of leading practitioners, investors, and commentators.
In addition to these outputs, EdInvest will work in conjunction with IFC, CfBT, the World Bank and others in facilitating and organizing seminars and conferences in various regions. These events may be virtual (i.e. video conferencing or via the Internet) or face-to-face.
If you would like to receive regular updates on EdInvest activities, please send an email to Edinvest@ifc.org.
The outputs of EdInvest have a range of potential audiences. It will be of particular interest to individuals who are interested in learning more about private education in various countries or those who might be relatively new to private education and are interested in learning more about major issues, such as, emerging regulatory contexts. Individuals with experience in the private sector will find it of interest in terms of tracking new developments and identifying potential partners or competitors. Where possible, case studies will illuminate areas of best practice. An indicative list of the target audience includes:
governments and policy makers
private sector providers
potential and existing private sector investors
International multilateral organizations with an interest in education (e.g., UNESCO, OECD, USAID, etc.).
Academic researchers and education commentators, and
Consultants to the private education sector.
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| Contacts |
Suzanne Roddis
EdInvest Manager
International Finance Corporation
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
MSN F9K-907
Washington D.C., 20433
USA
Email: Edinvest@ifc.org |
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