Welcome back to the fifteenth edition of The Fifteen (fifteen squared?). The ongoing story in the world of higher education is Trump’s persistent attacks on the sector; the new element is the extent to which other countries are trying to take advantage of the situation to lure American academics abroad. We also note some big policy moves in Algeria and Ethiopia, more unrest in Serbia, a scandal in India, some shock good news on higher education funding in Austria, and more!

1. Big institutional changes afoot in Europe: Germany has been exploring restructuring the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which is currently responsible for both research spending and education administration, which would see education move to a different ministry. Don’t split research and teaching, the new German government warned. (Times Higher Education). Meanwhile, France is abolishing its independent High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education, for largely specious reasons. France Universités dénonce l’irresponsabilité des arguments qui ont conduit au vote de l’Assemblée nationale en faveur de la suppression du Hcéres. (France Universitiés)
2. On the continuing saga of the US vs elite higher education, the main story is that Harvard has decided to be the one to yell no pasaran! When the Trump administration sent the university a letter asking for ludicrous concessions affecting all aspects of institutional autonomy, the university published it and told the government to go pound sand. Harvard’s response here. The Trump administration backed down, saying the letter was sent in error: Trump Officials Blame Mistake for Setting Off Confrontation With Harvard. (New York Times) But then the administration decided that it was so offended at Harvard having published the letter that it would try to dock the university another $1 billion. Trump threatens to cut another $1 billion in Harvard funding, WSJ reports. (Reuters)Harvard’s legal team is basically saying, “fight me.” Harvard Plans to Use Trump’s Haste Against Him as It Fights Funding Cut. (New York Times)
3. Staying in Washington: The U.S. government (but not the Department of Education, because that’s being abolished) is resuming collections—including Treasury offsets of tax refunds and federal benefits, and wage garnishments—on some 5.3 million defaulted student loans. ending a 5-year pause begun during COVID. Fewer than 40% of borrowers are current on their student loans. Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection, Education Department says. (Associated Press)
4. The line up of countries trying to coax American scientific talent to leave the country amidst the current chaos is lengthening. Here in Canada, the Liberals have promised $100m/year to coax “top international” scientific talent (they say, global, they mean America). Now we see similar schemes popping up in the Netherlands. Netherlands launches fund to lure top scientists, like those fleeing the U.S. (NL Times) Norway: Norway launches scheme to lure top researchers away from US universities. (The Guardian) Australia: Australia to woo US’s ‘smartest minds’ disfranchised by Trump research cuts. (The Guardian) Germany: Kann Deutschland US-Forscher abwerben? (zdf Heute) The government of France is doing the same: ‘Choose Europe!’: Macron invites scientists to work in France amid US funding cuts. (France 24)meanwhile, U. Aix la-Chapelle, the French university that kick-started the poaching trend, is reporting that it has received over 300 applications for its 20 spots Nearly 300 scientists apply for French academic program amid Trump cuts in U.S. (NPR). And Sweden has come up with a twist on this idea, by suggesting that it is US institutions, not academics, who might want to set up shop in the Nordic country. Professor: US universities could be coaxed to open campuses in Sweden. (Sverige Radio)
5. Big news in international language politics: Algeria is switching the official language of its universities from French to English. Université algérienne : l’anglais va remplacer le français dès septembre prochain. (observ Algérie)
6. More from the running battle between academia and government in Serbia. In February, the government slashed tuition fees and raised salaries in an attempt to stop protests. Serbia: Union organizing results in more funding, lower tuition fees, and fairer salaries in higher education. (About Education International) But when revising the law, the government slipped in a poison pill by limiting the time academics could spend on research. Serbia’s academics outraged over limits to research, disappointed by EU response ( Science Business) Cue yet more protests, and fears that the whole academic year might be wiped out. What will happen to the academic year at universities in Serbia? (Serbia Monitor)
7. Armenia has been trying to unite its fractured higher education system (60 institutions for a population of 3 million), in part by bringing them together in a single locale known as “Academic City.” Centralised Academic City receives international backing. (University World News) However not everyone is convinced this is a smart – or even financially feasible. Ambitious Academic City project raises concerns over feasibility and vision. (Civil Net)
8. China’s Ministry of Education has fast-tracked approval of 29 new university majors—in areas from semiconductors and AI to low-altitude aviation, carbon neutrality, and geriatrics—to urgently cultivate talent amid trade-war pressures in a bid for greater technological self-reliance. China fast-tracks university majors in ‘extraordinary’ push to counter trade war impact. (SCMP)
9. The long-announced €1.2 billion in cuts to higher education and research in the Netherlands finally passed the Senate and are now law. Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) and institutions like Tilburg and Radboud are launching launch a lawsuit against the government’s unilateral suspension of 2022 grant agreements that gave them this money in the first place. Senate passes €1.2 billion in higher education cuts; Universities planning lawsuit. (NL Times)
10. Nine Australian universities are slashing about A$650 million from their budgets and axing over 2,200 jobs as falling domestic and international enrolments force another round of sweeping cost cuts. Thousands of jobs face the axe as unis slammed again. (Financial Review)
11. Exception to the rule alert! Austrian universities are about to see a big increase in their funding: Österreichs Universitäten plötzlich im Geldregen. (Kronen Zeitung)
12. Two big stories out of Ethiopia: first, education ministry has frozen all professorial promotions after uncovering abuses of the national policy, including predatory publications and rigged reviews, and is demanding a transparent overhaul of the system. Professorship conflicts: Promotion policies vs practice. (University World News). And second, the country is introducing a national service requirement for students before graduation. Ethiopia to Introduce Mandatory National Service Year for University Students. (Borkena)
13. Over the past decade, the World Bank and partners have invested US$ 729 million in more than 80 African Centres of Excellence at 50 universities across 20 countries—enrolling 90,000 students and producing 108 improved crop varieties, pioneering disease-genetics research, and some 200 patents. Centres of Excellence take stock of a decade’s science yield. (University World News)
14. There is a serious crisis in scientific fraud in India. India’s retraction crisis casts shadow over science research. (Times of India) Might this have something to do with an unhealthy obsession with rankings? India’s higher education at a crossroads: Chasing global rankings or reviving teaching under NEP 2020? (The Hindu)
15. Guess which country is climbing up the ladder of countries able to attract big international student populations? Top marks if you said Turkey. Türkiye sees sharp surge in international students: Report. (Hürriyet Daily News)

The chaos rocking U.S. higher education seems to be spreading beyond America: Countries from Germany to Algeria are restructuring ministries and campuses, cutting research programs, while just about everyone competes to recruit or retain American academic talent. We’ll keep tracking these shifts in our next issue. Thanks for reading The Fifteen.