NotaBene е електронно списание за философски и политически науки. Повече за нас
Today, higher education in many countries around the world relies on the support of private philanthropy. This dependence has increased over the decades and is the result of rising university costs and declining public investment. At the same time, students are increasingly attracted to science and engineering, and the industry needs rapid innovation. In this context, the question naturally arises as to why the rich donate to education. In most cases, the starting point for the philanthropist is his/her life experience, and sometimes charity is associated with gratitude to an institution but there are also cases in which philanthropists’ motives are not so obvious. The question remains whether the donation for education is motivated solely by a selfless desire for change in society, or there is something more in it. This article seeks an answer to this question.
Keywords: higher education, philanthropy, donation, universities, education financing.