The World of Higher Education Podcast Listen now →

The World of Higher Education Podcast Listen now →

Category: Podcast

What Is UNESCO’s Role in Global Higher Education Today

In the wake of World War II, the nations of the world thought seriously about the relationship between education and peace. One of the outcomes of that thinking was the creation of the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations – UNESCO, for short – whose founding charter states: “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. And, since higher education was part of that mandate, that arguably

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January 8, 2026 No Comments

The Annual Kelchen Review: The Top 10 U.S. Higher Ed Stories in 2025

Hi everyone. I’m Alex Usher, and this is the World of Higher Education Podcast. This is our last podcast for 2025, and as usual, our Christmas edition comes from the University of Tennessee with Robert Kelchen, our favourite guest from the United States. He’s here to talk about the top 10 issues in higher education in the U.S. over the past 12 months. He needs no introduction; this episode needs no introduction. It’s a great annual favourite. Robert, welcome. The

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December 11, 2025 2 Comments

Monsters in the System: Alex Usher on the Forces Transforming Higher Ed

Hello and welcome back to the World of Higher Education Podcast. I’m your host this week, Tiffany MacLennan. Today, we’re doing something a little bit different. With this podcast, as you know, we look at some of the major stories shaping the higher education sector around the world. This year, that reflection has also taken form, not just as a podcast, but as a written report as well. A global year-end review that examines how politics, demography, finance, and technology

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December 4, 2025 No Comments

Funding, Free Riding, and the Future of Canadian Science

Ever since World War II science — that is, state funded science — and economic progress have been seen to go hand in hand. And for the most part, governments have been happy to let scientists themselves decide where much of the money goes. But things have been changing lately, and not just in the United States, where the Trump administration has awarded itself the right to involve itself in any science award for any reason. Several countries, notably Australia

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November 27, 2025 1 Comment

A Global Observatory for Higher Education Change: What We’re Learning

As you know, this show is dedicated to a global perspective on higher education; one that tries to encompass the entire globe. But covering the entire planet is difficult. There are a lot of countries out there, and there are very few trends which are truly universal. That means you need to track lots of developments and policies that are overlapping, complicated and contradictory — and that’s hard! I know — I’ve been writing our World Higher Education, Year in Review publication (out on

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November 20, 2025 No Comments

One Thought to Start Your Day

One Thought to Start Your Day is our founder and CEO Alex Usher’s popular daily blog, brimming with up-to-the-minute insights and informed opinions on today’s higher education industry.

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