U.S. and Non-U.S. Scholars

Fulbright New Century Scholars Program
Overview • Previous NCS Programs • NCS Scholar List • NCS Brochure • 2007-2008

Pillay, Paramasvaran

• Visiting Professor
  
• University of the Witwatersrand
  
• Department of Education, School of Public & Development Management
  
• South Africa

Dr Paramasvaran (Pundy) Pillay is a Visiting Professor at the University of Witswatersrand, Johannesburg in the Faculty of Education and the School of Public and Development Management. He is an Economist with research interests in education, particularly higher education, labour markets, poverty and public finance.

Previous positions include being Senior Economist at RTI International; Executive Director of the Sizanang Centre of Research & Development, a not-for-profit research agency in Pretoria; Head of the Policy Unit, Office of the President, South Africa; and Director, Financial & Fiscal Commission, South Africa.

As a consultant he has worked extensively in Africa and Asia including South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Zambia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iran.

Select Publications

• Financing Education in Uganda – the Post-UPE Dilemma, Perspectives in Education, Vol. 24 (2), June 2006
• ‘Human Capital Development and Growth: Improving Access and Equity in Education and Health Services’, Development Southern Africa, Vol.23 (1), 2006.
• National Policy & a Regional Response in South African Higher Education, with N. Cloete, S. Badat, & T. Moja, David Philip Publishers & Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Skills Requirements of Specific Economic Sectors, HRD Review 2003, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria 2004.
• ‘GATS and Higher Education – Implications and Possible Ways Forward for SADC countries’ in GATS and Higher Education in SADC. eds. Pundy Pillay, Peter Maassen, and Nico Cloete.  Centre for Higher Education Transformation (CHET), Cape Town, 2003.

Access and Equity in Higher Education: Assessing Financing Policies - A Comparative Study of six African Countries

This research project will examine the state of higher education financing in a comparative study of six African countries and suggest models of financing that can halt and reverse the process of decline in a large number of higher education institutions in these countries.

The research path proposed here envisages analyzing a sample of countries in Southern and East Africa:  Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. The sample provides scope for the analysis of interesting and varied experiences as well as potentially useful comparative analyses relating to, for instance, the small country experience (Lesotho Vs Namibia); regional experience (Kenya Vs Uganda; South Africa Vs Zambia); and declining economy experience (Zambia).

The project will first analyze the current state of higher education financing in the sample of chosen countries. Second, the project will look at what is needed to design effective financing models for each country within the context of its specific economic and social conditions, and its available resources. Consideration will be given, inter alia, to the following: One, the role of the state in tertiary education financing and an appropriate state funding model for the sector. Two, the role of the private sector, including households and business. Three, the potential of and scope for a national loan and grants scheme. Four, the role of donor financing.

In developing appropriate financing models for the sample countries, an important first step would be to distil lessons from the international experience. An important output of the project would be to highlight both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ practices in the sample countries as well as in other African countries whose experiences have already been documented.

In summary, the aim of this project is to document and critique current higher education financing practices in the sample countries, suggest appropriate funding models, and draw broader lessons for sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.