Open Society Foundations HIGHER EDUCATION The Open Society Foundations’ commitment to higher education is rooted in our founder George Soros’s earliest philanthropic efforts. $63.6M 2020 EXPENDITURES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION 5.3% PERCENTAGE OF GLOBAL EXPENDITURES 45.0% AVERAGE ANNUAL CHANGE IN EXPENDITURES SINCE 2016 Explore our full expenditures by theme and region OUR WORK George Soros’s first ventures into philanthropy focused on higher education: he started a scholarship program for Black students living under apartheid in South Africa in 1979, and in the 1980s funded academic exchanges and visits abroad for academics and students in his native Hungary when it was still under Communism. Starting to Build a More Open World 1979 Supporting Higher Education on a Global Scale 2020 Explore our history and timeline Today, our engagement in higher education issues has expanded considerably, to a broad effort to support the development of universities and colleges that are well governed, inclusive and responsive, and which promote academic freedom. Elizabeth Kamundia, an expert on disability rights and recipient of the Open Society Disability Rights Scholarship in Galway, Ireland on November 21, 2012. © Andrew Testa/Panos for the Open Society Foundations Responding to COVID-19 Closedowns aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus have had a devastating effect on students—from the very youngest to those at universities and college—as well as on their teachers and on academic research. We are supporting efforts to ensure that all students have access to the technology that enables them to keep learning, while also working to make sure that the crisis does not lead to technology companies exploiting their role in the crisis. Scholarships Since the 1980s, the Open Society Foundations have funded more than 20,000 scholarships for young people to study in both the United States and Europe, including at Central European University, an independent institution George Soros established in 1993. Central European University in Budapest, Hungary on October 26, 2018. © Akos Stiller for the Open Society Foundations Strengthening Academic Institutions Over the past decade, the Open Society Foundations have provided $8 million in support to the Al Quds Bard College in East Jerusalem’s Abu Dis neighborhood, with a particular focus on the Master of Arts program in teaching and critical thinking. The Open Society Foundations helped establish the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, which opened in 1998 and is now one of the most highly regarded higher education institutions in Kyrgyzstan. Three students talk during Open House Day at American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on February 4, 2017. American University of Central Asia Supporting Knowledge Production The Foundations also provide funding for courses at the Women’s Studies Institute at Birzeit University in Ramallah, one of the first academic institutions in the Middle East to focus on the study of gender. Palestinian students attend their graduation ceremony at the Birzeit University in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 24, 2018. © Shadi Hatem/ZUMA/Newscom Access to Higher Education for Refugees As part of its program to provide access to study opportunities for refugees, our Higher Education Support Program promotes innovative models of access to university education for refugees in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in Kenya. Students in a school at the Kakuma refugee camp in northwest Kenya. © Tom Pilston/Panos Pictures/Redux Promoting University Integrity and Academic Freedom In Ukraine, the national foundation helped universities establish an independent external testing system for admissions—aimed at combating the paying of bribes for student places—that now operates across the country. READ MORE VOICES Lessons from 25 Years of Open Society in South Africa—and Dreams for the Next 25 Years For more than a quarter of a century, the Open Society Foundations have been dedicated to South Africa, proudly supporting its nascent democracy and civil society movements. NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | ALEXANDER SOROS VOICES Ukraine Fights Its Shortfall of Trust in Education An ambitious effort is underway to strengthen the country’s educational institutions and change incentive structures to address corruption. APRIL 24, 2017 | ANDREAS SCHLEICHER VOICES The University That’s Educating—and Empowering—Women from across Asia Critical thinking reigns at the Asian University for Women, where students get the kind of education usually found at small liberal arts schools. JANUARY 25, 2017 | ALEX BOOKBINDER Read more from this theme: Higher Education Subscribe to updates about Open Society’s work around the world By entering your email address and clicking “Submit,” you agree to receive updates from the Open Society Foundations about our work. To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy. VOICES Read the latest from our staff, grantees, and partners about how we’re working around the world to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. Learn more HOW WE FUND Every year the Open Society Foundations give thousands of grants to groups and individuals that work on the issues we focus on—promoting tolerance, transparency, and open debate. 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