Education Publications

Jan 4, 2021

How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Advance Post-Secondary Learning in Emerging Markets

Tertiary and vocational learning is widely recognized as critical for all countries’ economic success. While progress has been made toward achieving the 4th United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) by 2030—“Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning for All”—a 2019 UN report shows that some 750 million adults are functionally illiterate. These statistics illustrate the enormous challenge of adequately preparing the workforce for rapid technological change that will require continual reskilling. Although machines with artificial intelligence are likely to replace millions of workers across the world, AI also has great potential to enable workers to keep up with technological change and remain employable. This note attempts to illustrates how AI can support post-secondary learning across the entire tertiary and vocational education sector in emerging markets.

English | 8 pages—January—Note 97 | IFC 2021

Aug 27, 2020

Creating Markets in Senegal: Country Private Sector Diagnostic

Addressing the constraints for greater private sector development will stimulate good jobs, growth and post COVID-19 recovery in Senegal. To do so, this CPSD identifies economywide policies and key interventions in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Education, Tourism and Housing.

English | 102 pages | 2020 IFC

May 11, 2020

Case Study: Coursera

An Agile Company Partners with the Best Universities to Rapidly Scale Higher Education and Lifelong Learning

English | 32 pages | May 2020

Feb 5, 2020

Ashesi University

Ashesi University was established to develop entrepreneurial and ethical leaders with the skills to tackle Africa’s pressing challenges and the integrity to shun corruption. Since opening in 2002, Ashesi has taken on a leadership role to promote quality tertiary education and to encourage more centers of excellence in Africa.

Dec 18, 2019

Case Study: Tec de Monterrey

English | 42 pages | December 2019

Nov 27, 2019

Case Study: Javeriana

Ranked one of Colombia’s top five universities, IFC has supported Javeriana since 2016 through our investment and advisory services. Rector, Father Jorge Humberto Peláez-Piedrahita, S.J., described their philosophy as follows: “We do not want to mass produce brilliant professionals simply to meet the needs of the market. We do much more—we take students and form them into global citizens.”

English | 30 PAGES | November 2019

Nov 29, 2018

Digital Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa

Spotlight on Ghana

English | 170 pages | 2019 IFC

Apr 12, 2018

Eurasia University

Xi’an Eurasia University provides high-quality, employment-focused private education in Shaanxi, China and is changing the perception of privately-run tertiary education in the country. With an education philosophy to maximize the employment potential of its students, Eurasia is committed to offering a combination of an applied curriculum and student-centered learning with hands-on industry experience. In 2016, 85 percent of students secured a job prior to graduation.

Apr 5, 2018

Case Study: Byju's

How a Learning App is Promoting Deep Conceptual Understanding that is Improving Educational Outcomes in India.

Mar 26, 2018

Case Study: ADvTECH

How the Largest Education Group is Increasing Access to Quality, Affordable Higher Education

Jan 31, 2018

Luminus

Luminus Education is committed to transforming technical and vocational education (TVET) in Jordan and advancing the Education 4 Employment philosophy. Based in the region with the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, Luminus offers high-quality, market-oriented programs and recognizes that equipping Jordanian youth with vocational skills is important for both economic and security reasons.

Oct 19, 2017

Case Study: Ser Educacional

Efficiencies Help Expand Affordable Higher Education with Positive Financial Returns in Brazil

Sep 16, 2016

Bridge International Academies

Bridge International Academies is an education organization founded in 2008 in Kenya, and grown to serve almost 100,000 students in over 470 locations in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and India. The company offers affordable, low-cost education to primary school children in underserved, low-income communities. The schools employ low-cost technology to provide teaching content to its teachers and to monitor the delivery of the content and teaching techniques on a real time basis. The company reaches more than 40 million customers in 15 countries in Africa and Asia. This case study is in the 2016 Built for Change report which features companies that are employing unique strategies to integrate people living at the base of the pyramid into the companies’ business operations.

Mar 31, 2016

Case Study: Ideal Invest

Ideal Invest: Making University Accessible through Student Loans in Brazil

English | 37 Pages | 2016, IFC

Mar 23, 2016

Case Study: Laureate

Laureate International Universities (Laureate) offers higher education degrees in Mexico, in an environment where there is a significant, unmet demand for college degrees and yet, private universities face a highly competitive market to expand their services. This study relies on data collected directly from the field, including a college graduate’s survey, an employer’s survey, and in-depth interviews to Laureate former students.

English | 2 Pages

Feb 29, 2016

CASE STUDY: Closing the Skills Gap for Global Tourism Jobs

CCA and ASHA: Empowering Culinary and Hospitality

Aug 1, 2015

Faculdade Mauricio de Nassau

Mauricio is a leading forprofit provider of undergraduate, graduate, and technical education programs in northern and northeastern Brazil. Founded in 2003 with one campus in the city of Recife in Pernambuco state, FMN now operates nine campuses across five states. FMN was one of the top 15 post-secondary education providers in Brazil in terms of sales in 2010.

Apr 30, 2015

Affordable Higher Education in Mexico: Implications for Career Advancement and Social Responsibility

Apr 30, 2015

Case Study: Uniminuto

UNIMINUTO: Bringing Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Jobs to Marginalized Communities in Colombia through Tertiary

English | 54 pages | 2015 IFC

Mar 3, 2015

Student Finance: Learning from Global Best Practice and Financial Innovations

Feb 28, 2015

CASE STUDY: Student Finance

Learning From Global Best Practice And Financial Innovations

Dec 1, 2013

Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (Uniminuto)

Uniminuto is a rapidly growing not-for-profit tertiary education institution, established in 1990 in Bogotá, Colombia. Uniminuto offers affordable, high-quality technical, technological and university education. Its largest presence is at the principal Bogotá campus where 30% of its students attend school. Its national network reaches nearly 82,000 students in 48 locations in over 35 municipalities, with over 50% of its students enrolled in distance learning programs.

Aug 1, 2012

Duoc UC

Duoc UC is a non-profit, private institution of higher education with 13 campuses in Chile. Over 71,000 students enrolled in Duoc UC programs in 2012. 74% of students are the first in their families to receive higher education. Duoc UC focuses on affordability, with program costs significantly less than comparable university programs, and employability, with 80 courses relevant to labor markets. As a result, 81% of Duoc’s surveyed alumni are employed, most in the fields they studied.

Aug 1, 2012

Ideal Invest S.A.

Ideal Invest is the largest private student loan provider in Brazil with a portfolio of $65 million, having served over 24,000 students at 265 institutions in 24 states. More than 60% of students receiving loans are women, 62% of students come from families with less than $1,500 per month in household income, and 66% are the first in their families to go to college.

Aug 1, 2012

Trustco Finance

Trustco Finance (Pty) Ltd. provides education loans to students enrolled at the Institute for Open Learning (IOL)—the largest private distance-learning tertiary education institution in Namibia. Trustco Finance is located in Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, and has five branch offices and 50 staff. From 2005 to 2011, Trustco Finance registered over 55,000 loans. As of 2011, the company’s gross education loans amounted to $33 million. Typical loan amounts range from $125-$2,500, with repayment terms ranging from 12 to 60 months and averaging 29 months.