Paper Title
Intra-Africa Transnational Private Equity Investment in Private Higher Education Institutions: A Case of Consolidating Transnational Education

Abstract
Intra-Africa transnational education, especially among private higher education institutions, is fragmented and virtually nonexistent. The paper aims to expose how private higher education institutions have been acquired and organized into a group of institutions for transnational education across the African continent. Drawing on evidence from the Honoris United Universities case study, the paper demonstrates how a private equity firm created a consortium of seven private institutions of higher learning across nine African countries into a transnational partnership of collectively connected institutions. The case study offers an alternative to understand systems and structures for organizing transnational education among private education institutions. The fragmentation of private higher education institutions in Africa presents a huge opportunity for consolidating and coordinating the sector into an academic formidable force. Transnational investments in educational institutions within Africa can promote intra-continental trade, transfer of knowledge and cultural exchanges. Index Terms - Honoris United Universities, intra-Africa, private equity, private higher education institutions, transnational education