Cintana Education (“Cintana”) and the International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), a member of the World Bank Group, today announced a strategic partnership to expand access to quality higher education around the world, with a particular focus on emerging markets. As part of the partnership, IFC has made an equity investment in Cintana.
The partnership brings together two organizations with shared ambition: building durable, high-quality higher education capacity in countries where demand outpaces supply. Approximately 270 million students are enrolled in higher education worldwide, according to UNESCO, across more than 20,000 universities globally — yet fewer than 10% of universities appear in any major global ranking. Meanwhile, working-age populations across many emerging economies are projected to grow significantly over the next decade, even as employers face widening skills gaps and accelerating labor-market change driven by artificial intelligence and other technologies. Quality higher education is one of the most powerful levers available to close those gaps.
Cintana partners with universities to strengthen academic quality, expand program offerings and support long-term institutional growth. Cintana works closely with its founding and anchor partner Arizona State University (“ASU”), which has been named the most innovative university in the United States for 11 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, and which Times Higher Education has ranked top ten in the world for global impact for 6 years running. ASU is also widely recognized as a leader in online learning and in the application of AI in higher education, helping inform collaborative initiatives throughout the partnership.
Together, Cintana and ASU have established the ASU-Cintana Alliance, a global network of universities that collaborate to expand educational opportunities and share resources. Members of the Alliance are also “Powered by ASU”, a designation that provides access to ASU degree pathways, faculty collaborations, research partnerships, teacher development, student exchange programs and more. Today, the Alliance includes 32 institutions across 27 countries serving more than 330,000 students across regions including India, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, Egypt, and Mexico. Several of Cintana’s current projects are new universities developed in partnership with governments and local industry to bring American-style higher education and ASU’s world-class programs to emerging markets — with affordable pathways allowing those students to complete their final year of study at ASU in Arizona and access opportunities to work in the United States.
Areas of potential collaboration between IFC and Cintana are expected to be wide-ranging and will be developed jointly over time. The parties anticipate exploring collaborations across each organization’s network of university relationships, joint engagement with governments seeking to advance national higher education priorities, and IFC as a preferred financing source for Cintana affiliate universities to support their expansion, infrastructure, and student access programs. Together, the two organizations see the partnership as a long-term effort to connect Cintana’s university platform with IFC’s global reach and relationships.
“We are excited to enter this new partnership with IFC,” said Douglas Becker, Founder and Chairman of Cintana Education. “IFC has a long history of supporting private capital that contributes to development outcomes, and I have seen firsthand the transformative impact they have. IFC’s presence on the ground across so many countries, and its relationships with governments and institutions will help us further pursue our mission of bringing world-class higher education to students who have not historically had access. We look forward to exploring a wide range of ways to work together in the years ahead.”
“Arizona State University is driven by the philosophy that excellence and access are complementary, not competing, goals,” said Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University. “Our partnership with Cintana Education extends that philosophy globally, enabling more universities to deliver high-quality education while developing solutions to the challenges facing an increasingly interconnected world."
"Expanding access to high-quality higher education is essential for helping countries build the skilled workforce needed to drive productivity, innovation, and economic growth," said Farid Fezoua, IFC Global Director for Equity, Funds & Venture Capital. "Cintana and ASU are demonstrating how technology-enabled education models can help universities expand access, enhance quality, and deliver workforce-relevant learning at scale. By combining digital innovation with world-class academic expertise, institutions can reach more students, strengthen outcomes, and better prepare graduates for the jobs of the future. Through this partnership, we aim to support universities that are widening opportunity and accelerating economic growth through skills development."
