Resolving the public–private good binary in higher education using Ubuntu philosophy
Mutanga O.
2025Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
Higher Education
2025
The debate over whether higher education is a public or private good is primarily shaped by Western epistemologies and neoliberal paradigms, which commodifies education. This framing neglects relational and communal perspectives, such as Ubuntu philosophy, which views education as an interconnected process fostering individual and societal flourishing. This paper explores how Ubuntu philosophy dissolves the public–private dichotomy by offering an integrated vision of higher education that supports personal aspirations while serving the broader social good. Using Zimbabwe as a case, referencing other Southern African contexts, the paper examines how neoliberal agendas have influenced postcolonial higher education policies. While acknowledging critiques of Ubuntu, particularly concerns about social conformity and individual autonomy, the paper argues that a well-theorised Ubuntu-based approach can create a more equitable higher education system. Instead of merely incorporating indigenous knowledge into exclusionary structures, Ubuntu philosophy reimagines the foundations of knowledge production, governance, and access. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for integrating Ubuntu-based principles in higher education, such as participatory governance, shared responsibility funding models, and broader success metrics beyond economic outcomes. The paper contributes to global debates on inclusive, equitable, and sustainable higher education.
Communitarianism , Decolonisation , Higher education , Indigenous knowledge , Neoliberalism , Public–private good , Shared good , Southern Africa , Ubuntu , Zimbabwe
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