A partnership between Lehigh University and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center can serve as a model for other universities to emulate at a time when universities and startups have a unique opportunity to foster the kind of global collaboration that can bring countries together.

Sino-UK joint universities claim to provide students with invaluable intercultural skills that boost their employability, but research suggests that students in some joint programmes do not make lasting connections with international students, thus missing the opportunity to develop solid cross-cultural communication skills.

America’s abdication from leadership in the internationalisation of higher education does not come as a complete surprise, but the speed and magnitude of the decline are especially concerning and will have lasting implications for the United States and for the rest of the world.

Moves to decentralise the evaluation of academic publications in India aim to improve the quality of research, and the new approach offers a crucial chance to cultivate a more robust and equitable research publication system. But it could have the opposite impact if journals are not properly assessed.

Protests around medical training expansion are driven by underlying systemic problems. If these are not addressed, South Korea risks the decline of its world-class healthcare system and a brain drain just as its population needs it more.

The goal of undoing pandemic-related grade inflation is not to punish students for receiving higher grades during the pandemic measures, but to restore the validity of a university grading that accurately reflects student achievement and to prepare students for their next career step.

Will the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education eventually supersede regional conventions? In reality, the recommended approach is one of complementarity, where the benefit for a state might be maximised by ratifying both the relevant regional and global convention.

Germany and Ukraine face different pressures when it comes to academic freedom, but by discussing the challenges and opportunities and learning from each other’s successes and setbacks, countries can develop more equitable, inclusive and resilient higher education systems that advance scientific and societal progress.

A recent podcast series confirmed that despite its diversity, the international education community shares a common vision of how we should live together in a global world – a vision that embraces diversity and encourages the coming together of perspectives to tackle shared challenges.

Institutions in the United States need to adopt bold, innovative and sustainable strategies to prioritise international student recruitment. Success, however, requires more than just marketing abroad. It demands a nuanced understanding of global markets, a commitment to robust support systems and agility to adapt to shifting trends.

In order to respond to disruptive events and ensure learning, teaching and research are able to flourish, a higher education institution’s governance arrangements must be fit for purpose, based on principles of collegiality, transparency and responsibility and supported by sound systems of accountability.

Revisiting the polytechnic model is more than a nostalgic exercise – it’s a forward-thinking solution to an ailing system. By reintegrating polytechnics, the United Kingdom can create a resilient, inclusive and dynamic higher education system that prepares students for the evolving demands of the global economy.

Doctoral candidates often face uncertainty and enter a state of liminality, feeling caught between old beliefs and new insights, which can lead to discomfort and feeling ‘stuck’. To navigate this space, candidates benefit from a change in perspective supported by transformative learning.

A new study shows that increasing pressure to publish is leading to more retractions. In the light of this clear evidence, it is imperative that science evolves new metrics and measures which do not incentivise quantity and focus instead on quality research.

Student influencers, an emerging group of students on social media, are increasingly exploiting the gaps in higher education systems and are offering a new type of student-centred support via the #studytalk medium, with potential lessons for how universities understand and develop their own student support practices.

Governments are unlikely to increase funding for higher education given the pressure of competing demands on the public purse, making financial autonomy essential for universities. Although this situation is not ideal, it is achievable – but only if universities aren’t restricted by international student caps.

Preliminary survey results presented at a recent meeting of the Council of Europe Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity in Education show that students have limited knowledge of fraudulent phenomena, except for plagiarism, pointing to the need for more support, prevention and ‘protection’.

You might already know the story of the African Leadership University. It has smoothened, like a river rock polished by pitches to investors and prospective students, as well as TED and TEDx talks. The narrative is so compelling, it invites disbelief. It is still true.

The aim of the staff performance planning, development and review process is to create a positive culture of feedback and improvement. The overall result should yield benefits not only to the staff member and the organisational unit but to the university as a whole.

Universities are aware of a high prevalence of mental health problems among PhD students, but many lack clear guidance on how to stop this worrying trend. Fostering psychological capital, including resilience, plays a vital role in enhancing doctoral students’ well-being – more so than supervisor support.

Reframing international education as education tourism could help to keep our esteemed universities solvent through international tuition fees while subsidising the degree studies of domestic students of limited means, as more young people in developed economies opt for skills-based education delivered through industry.

Recent research shows that Malaysia represents a ‘realistic compromise’ as a study destination among Chinese doctoral students whose first choice – typically universities in Western countries – is unattainable. This shows the desirability and superiority of certain destinations over others with regard to student mobility.

Research suggests that students will use AI tools regardless of teachers’ preferences, making it essential that teachers and universities encourage students to use the tools wisely. This includes fostering critical thinking, promoting ethical behaviour and encouraging interaction in the classroom to strengthen social skills.

Improved grade conversion practices are necessary not only to enhance efficiency but to foster greater equity and transparency in higher education, ensuring that learning mobility remains a key pillar of the European Higher Education Area, benefiting students, universities and society at large.

Universities throughout the European continent need to focus on supporting their international graduates’ successful transition to the workforce back in their home countries and thereby ensure the far right does not hamper their ability and desire to internationalise now and in the future.

A recent study indicates that interdisciplinary research receives more attention from policy documents in almost all fields when compared with research focused on a single discipline and thus plays a significant role in facilitating the translation of scientific research into tangible policy outcomes.

Regular engagement with research and the researchers who are involved in the academic study of international student mobility can empower student mobility practitioners to stay informed, to foster continuous improvement and to make a lasting impact on the world around them.

Universities have a significant role to play in ensuring that those staff members who engage in international projects are sensitive to cultural practices that are different to their own and are aware of how their own culture influences their values and behaviours.

Academic setbacks are a natural part of the learning process, but they do not have to derail a student’s educational journey. With the support of a mentor, students can learn to overcome challenges, build resilience, and ultimately achieve their academic and professional goals.

Lebanon’s ability to maintain its competitive edge in human capital development in the region depends on a restructured higher education sector that is aligned with local requirements and emerging international higher education trends. This revitalisation process requires cooperation among all relevant stakeholders.

While they may not be fully apparent in the present moment, there are several undercurrents of trends in higher education that are likely to affect the direction of the sector in the years to come. Here, four of them are outlined.

As we evolve towards impact-seeking research, the Doctor of Business Administration or DBA will become of strategic importance for business schools and faculties. For individuals, the degree offers the choice of a career in industry as a reflective practitioner or a well-earned place in academia.

While the future looks bleak for Australian tertiary education right now, there is an opportunity to shift the narrative and conceive of students as ‘assets’ rather than costs by opening up a direct link between graduation and employment, thereby raising productivity and economic growth.

European University Alliances create a sense of belonging and unity. As such, they are much more than a project; they are a strategy for a future through which Europe can transform its societies and play its role as leader on the global stage.

Decision-making, a crucial element in organisational success in all organisations, including multifaceted institutions like universities, does not nor should not take place in a vacuum. It must harmonise with the mission, strategy, goals, policy, procedures and delegations set down by the individual institution.

Through knowledge diplomacy, universities will not only be able to engage more meaningfully with global grand challenges, but also change narratives around history and how these continue to influence geopolitical debates, narratives and perceptions, hopefully contributing to the decolonisation of geopolitics.

After Labour’s substantial election victory in the United Kingdom, vice-chancellors will have more confidence that their government understands the value of international partnerships and students. However, they will need more detail on the new government’s immigration and university finances approach before they can refocus on their higher purpose.

Do restrictions on international students in Canada and Australia and political developments on the home front mean universities in the United Kingdom can relax about international student numbers or do they need to rethink the post-study work route and encourage students to return home after graduation?

Governments in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom are calling for increased student recruitment agent regulation within international education. But is regulation the best path forward, or is demanding total transparency from all universities and agents regarding their relationships the better approach?

As part of the reform framework launched last year by Lebanon’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education which aims to organise and regulate the Lebanese higher education sector, several decrees, resolutions and circulars have been issued. However, the framework has some glaring omissions and oversights.

By studying the academic lineages of Nobel Prize winners, we can learn a lot about how they form relatively closely related and self-replicating groups and about good postdoctoral education.

Many early career researchers on fixed-term contracts are being exploited through their use as factotums, expected to carry out tasks for more senior staff at the expense of their own work. Universities need to address power imbalances between academic staff and rethink institutional ethics.

Without meaningful redress, the unpaid nursing practicum in Australia will continue to pose inequitable challenges for less privileged students and ultimately contribute to an unrepresentative nursing workforce with an insufficient breadth of skills and life experiences to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population.

It is recognised that distance learners in particular are more at risk of dropping out, lack regular connection with fellow students and struggle to feel a sense of community. Could Twitter (now X) offer that much-needed connection and community for distance learners?

The United Kingdom higher education sector has gone from doing fairly well during the pandemic when it comes to attracting international students to facing more immigration curbs ahead of the elections, with the risks this poses to the UK’s international reputation and university jobs.

The United Kingdom’s rejection of the European Union’s youth mobility plan in favour of bilateral discussions with old allies on the continent may be intended to showcase the UK’s status as a powerful sovereign state, but it leaves the education policy sector on the sidelines.

American science journalism is rife with disparities when it comes to which researchers’ names are mentioned in news stories. As science globalises and is produced by authors from non-Western countries, the way English-language media responds to non-Anglo-named scholars will only grow in importance.

International qualification provider Cambridge has established three global higher education advisory councils which cover its international reach across 160 countries and 10,000 schools. The councils’ aim is to ensure that Cambridge qualifications are adaptable and applicable to an ever-broader spectrum of international students.

Transnational education, or TNE, is not a quick solution to address revenue shortfalls because of dwindling public funds and international student recruitment at home. Successful TNE, in its different modalities, is a resource-intensive endeavour requiring long-term commitment. And it should be transformational, not only transactional.

While national and institutional initiatives for women in engineering in South Korea have had an impact, more work needs to be done at the ground level in higher education to address the barriers women face in accessing and succeeding in the discipline.

If universities were funded differently and students were considered an asset not a cost, huge revenue opportunities would open up and universities could avoid the default funding routes of either going cap in hand to government or raising student tuition fees.

Students don’t expect all teachers to be the same and they don’t expect them to be perfect. But they do want teachers who care about them as students, who care about the learning process and who care about their own self-development as a teacher.

Germany offers a relatively clear-cut pathway to job opportunities, something that is no longer a guarantee for international students in other major study destinations for political reasons. But analysis of surveys of international students’ experience shows both the strengths and weaknesses of the country’s universities.

The economic and political situation in Lebanon is bleak. However, the resilience of the academic tradition in the country, the strong reputation of its universities, excellent performance in international rankings and continuous creation of new initiatives prove that not all hope is lost.

New research released as part of a longitudinal study in England suggests that those students who will have to make repayments under the new student loans system who would not have before are more likely to be from marginalised groups or in precarious work.

Recent research that could inform future professional development suggests that good instructors of international students are able to create a learning environment that includes all students in deep learning without giving the impression that they are trying to accommodate certain groups.

A high percentage of students juggling work commitments alongside their studies marks a significant shift in the traditional university experience. Artificial intelligence stands poised to revolutionise this dynamic by offering innovative solutions to streamline tasks, optimise time management and enhance student outcomes.

Academic accreditation is about promoting and upholding the integrity of the academic profession and protecting the reputation of the higher education sector and its students and employers. Universities seeking accreditation need to ensure they are constantly reviewing their quality assurance processes.

Proclamations that ‘affirmative action is over’ in the United States betray the reality that there are, in fact, paths forward to ensure students’ racial identities are not erased from colleges’ admissions processes nor institutions’ broader efforts to achieve racial equality and diversity.

As the higher education sector embraces the potential of artificial intelligence, it is crucial to acknowledge the pivotal role of educators. AI is not replacing educators; they are being empowered to enhance learning. True potential lies in the synergy between human and artificial intelligence.

A new Higher Education Policy Observatory collects and standardises information on national higher education systems in nearly 150 countries in a freely accessible platform that allows researchers, leaders and policy-makers to compare different higher education systems, and develop or improve their own.

Singling out academics such as former Harvard president Claudine Gay in a politically motivated forensic scrutiny of their research records has a chilling effect on academic freedom and it detracts from efforts to address the more important systemic issues in research integrity.

Education should learn from artists who have embraced artificial intelligence rather than seeing it purely in negative terms. AI has the potential to make a major impact on many sectors of society over the coming decades. Some of these effects may be positive, others less so.

International students are coming under fire in the Global North as governments look to tighten immigration rules and despite the value they bring to higher education and society. Universities need to rethink how they respond.

A recent study suggests that female researchers make different publishing choices to their male counterparts, consciously rejecting publishers they consider unfair or exploitative. While rejecting journal prestige may be good for increasing marketplace competition, it could also come with career penalties.

Timely access to effective mental health services for students has never been more important. With the assistance of artificial intelligence and data intelligence, it is now possible to pre-emptively flag when an individual might be experiencing mental distress and offer the support needed.

It is vital for higher education institutions to consider how they can deliver the quality, diversity and flexibility students increasingly value and desire. The hard part, of course, is translating these discussions into tangible implementation and seeing genuine positive progress occur.

International higher education is traditionally driven by a Western agenda. Growing scholarly discussions around neo-colonisation, post-colonialism and decolonisation in relation to higher education internationalisation are promising contributions towards reimagining the field – but change is barely perceptible.

Putting international students at the core of immigration discussions, and reducing or removing their right to relocate with partners or children increase concerns for students’ mental health. By recognising the specific concerns of international students, universities can help to create a more supportive environment.

This year’s winners of Nobel prizes in the sciences highlight the ingredients that help shape the best science, from academic freedom to adequate funding – and that if universities fail to provide these, researchers may be drawn to organisations that provide a home for them outside of academia.

When knowledge comes with a price tag, it is locked behind financial barriers and risks transforming academia from a space of intellectual inquiry and public benefit into a marketplace where one’s financial means can dictate the breadth and depth of intellectual engagement.

International student mobility researchers need to ensure that their research not only gets before policy-makers but is read and used. The findings of a survey of international student mobility scholars and practitioners enabled a refined understanding of how effective policy briefs might be designed.

An opportunity to take American students on a short-term study course to the United Kingdom, aimed at providing a better understanding of higher education today, highlighted the benefits of study abroad opportunities – for those who have the necessary financial, administrative and legal resources.

While there is no expectation that American higher education institutions should automatically forgive what is owed to them by students who have dropped out, better attention and care should be given to the financial upheaval created for specific populations in recovering lost revenue.

With students looking for ways to fund their way through university and with employers keen for graduates with entrepreneurial skills, universities around the world would be wise to increase their support for entrepreneurship education and help to normalise it as a career path.

Universities in Britain need to get ahead of the politicians when it comes to visa clampdowns by providing the kind of data policy-makers take note of, proving that universities are good and responsible stewards who accept only international students with the requisite skills and intentions.

A former seasonal application reader urges universities in the United States to pay extra careful attention to admission processes and the way they are communicated to the public, particularly in the wake of the Operation Varsity Blues scandal and the more recent Supreme Court affirmative action ruling.

The 60-year history of the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning can be traced through several key research programmes that have helped shape higher education, from its burgeoning importance in the post-independence era to today’s calls for greater flexibility and student choice.

While the United Kingdom played a critical role in helping to shape global and European higher education, at a time when adherence to internationalisation, collaboration and scientific exchange is so badly needed, the UK appears to have decided to exit the world stage.

India has emerged as the second largest education ecosystem in the world after China. The country’s ability to deliver good quality education at a reasonable cost puts it in a unique position to become a destination country for internationalisation in the near future.

Future higher education systems around the world will need to proactively prepare for changes in demand as a result of variable demographic trends. This calls for a fresh approach that prioritises quality, relevance, equity and inclusion, supported of course by technological advancement.

It is hard to find any winners in the United States Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action at universities, which, in addition to changing the face of higher education, is likely to herald significant repercussions for industry and society as a whole.

The QS rankings system’s first ever basic formula overhaul adds a new alumni impact measure to its graduate employment rate metric, which reinforces the idea that great universities are for the few, preferably male, candidates who will make their careers in business and politics.

Students struggled with online learning during the pandemic. This was not only because of practical issues and the suddenness of the transition from face-to-face classes, but also due to the knock-on impact of anxiety about COVID itself, which affected them and their teachers.

UK student outbound mobility should be regarded as a positive for the United Kingdom and its partners, not just economically and educationally, but also reputationally. Transnational education or TNE development could help to promote this and aid universities in diversifying their student population and enriching the learning experience.

It is both a privilege and a responsibility to play a role in the validation of an academic’s submission for promotion. It is therefore vital that the institution concerned provides clear guidance to external international expert referees about the process at that institution.

A new book which marks the 10th anniversary of the Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation in Italy opens up opportunities for a meaningful conversation on the role of internationalisation of higher education as an intrinsic part of university practice and responsibility towards society.

Compared to other countries in Asia, such as China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore, which represent a rather saturated market for United Kingdom transnational education or TNE, Vietnam represents a growing opportunity for the UK due to its increasing GDP and limited local education provision.

Organisational change networks – including those that weave in and between colleges and universities of all types – exemplify the idea that so-called ‘weak’ connections between individuals who share a commitment to the transformative potential of undergraduate education can be major drivers of organisational change.

Given the growth in doctoral graduate numbers, not all graduates can be accommodated in traditional academic or research careers. Doctoral education needs to prepare future graduates for diverse options, not only in higher education but in business, government, the non-profit sector and self-employment.

Research shows that helping students, particularly first years, to feel a sense of belonging in the university environment sets them up for learning, persistence, success and well-being over the course of their degree – to the benefit of both the students and the institution.

PhDs are not necessarily a panacea for developmental challenges, but they can make valuable contributions to African society and economies, provided their education and training are designed and implemented to achieve expected outcomes – and governments are ready to create opportunities to utilise them.

Building cyber resilience in higher education institutions is a process that starts with a review of existing systems, requires investment in the areas that need it most, and can be maintained only through continued review and an ongoing commitment to cybersecurity from everybody.

Pressure on university instructors to ‘dumb down’ what they do in order to ensure a certain percentage of students complete their degrees instead of producing creative graduates who can think for themselves and solve problems comes with high costs for all stakeholders.

The World Bank has recommended that Africa produce as many as 100,000 PhD students in a decade. But that does not mean standard processes should be sacrificed on the altar of quantity. Africa needs quality PhDs, which takes time, effort, expertise, commitment and resources.

A report from the Belarusian Students’ Association, highlighting the persecution of students within Belarus and the discrimination they suffer beyond, urges the Czech Republic to resume issuing study visas for Belarusians and the European Commission to increase support for students fleeing persecution.

Academic research as a source of information is still trusted by a large proportion of people, which makes it vital that academic publishers around the world look at how to champion open research and empower experts to share their knowledge and perspectives.

Short-term changes in research and publishing-related policies in universities and long-term changes to the education system more broadly are needed in Pakistan to produce research that not only has the promise of global impact but is connected to and usable by communities.

Co-creation is one of the main megatrends across industries. It makes sense that a product, policy or framework is developed in collaboration with stakeholders and tailored to their context. So how can universities and policy-makers work together to co-create innovative higher education policy?