BEYOND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE: LEGAL STATUS AND OWNERSHIP AS DETERMINANTS OF INSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENTIATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
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Abstract
This paper examines how legal status and ownership contribute to the differentiation of higher education institutions (HEI), using the Portuguese higher education (HE) system as an empirical context. It aims to move beyond the conventional public–private dichotomy by demonstrating that legal status and ownership are key variables in explaining the diversity and behaviour of private HEI. The study adopts a qualitative research design based on documentary analysis, combining two analytical axes: legal-institutional mapping and ownership mapping. The analysis draws on official and institutional sources, including the Portuguese Official Gazette, the Justice Portal, and the SABI database, covering the period from 2004 to 2021. This allows for both cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. The findings reveal that private HE is characterised by a high degree of organisational heterogeneity, with multiple legal forms of ownership coexisting. This diversity stems directly from the legal framework governing the sector. The study also shows that ownership in HE should be understood as a system of control rather than merely a formal property relationship. A central finding is the pivotal role of the founding entity in the Portuguese private HE sector, where institutions generally lack autonomous legal personality and effective control is exercised by founding entities that establish and own them.
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