Towards a conceptual framework for equality in higher education partnerships

The quest for equality and equity in higher education partnerships is intensifying. Stakeholders, including donor organisations, higher education leaders, and academics, seek a suitable theoretical framework for entrenching equality and equity in externally funded consortia, partnerships and networks. Using legal and social sciences methods and drawing on an online survey of senior international officers and interviews conducted at four institutions as select case studies, we propose a four-dimensional understanding of substantive equality rooted in partnership values as a theoretical framework for equality in higher education partnerships. We demonstrate that it has the potential to transform the discourse and practice of higher education partnerships by ensuring fair resource allocation, affirming the equal worth and dignity, enhancing stakeholder decision-making and transparent communication between institutions and promoting diversity as a driver of transformation. We draw from the legal concept of substantive equality and empirical data collected within a broader study to develop a framework for equality in higher education partnerships based on Fredman’s four-dimensional conception of substantive equality, which we adjust by adapting the dimensions of equality for the higher education partnership context and amplifying them with the notion that equal partnerships require a value foundation. We conclude with an argument explaining why the infusion of a substantive conception of equality in the partnership discourse can contribute to achieving fair partnerships.