Welcome back to another issue of The Fifteen. Read stories from expanding higher education markets like Egypt, India, and Nigeria, as well as from ones facing some different challenges, such as Lithuania, Korea and Italy, plus: important news out of the increasingly beleaguered American higher education sector. Happy reading.
1. In 2008, the Lumina Foundation set a goal of 60% attainment rate for post-secondary education in the US by 2025. Today 55% of American adults hold some type of higher-ed credential and Lumina is announcing a new goal of 75% by 2040. The Lumina Foundation Sets a New Big Goal for Higher Education. (Forbes)
2. Newly approved Education Secretary McMahon describes ominous sounding ‘final mission’ for US education department. Linda McMahon lays out Education Department’s ‘final mission’ (Politico)
3. A French university has announced program to hire US academics fleeing US funding cuts. French university welcomes U.S. scientists ‘threatened’ by funding cuts. (CTV Global)
4. Applications to study in the UK are up for the first time since 2023; a bright spot for the country as financial issues continue to plague anglosphere universities. UK: Study visa applications and issuances on the rise in 2025. (ICEF)
5. Across Europe, the declining birth rates of the past few decades are starting to have a major impact on higher education enrolments. Two stories this week, from Lithuania Lithuanian universities lose 65,000 students in 14 years. (LRT)
and Italy Università in crisi, -415.000 laureati entro il 2041. Sud in caduta libera. (QuiFinanza), where there are fears of some universities becoming “extinct.”
6. Here is a thoughtful critique of Nigeria’s recent enthusiasm for opening new universities when the old ones are badly funded. FG’s Curious Obsession with New Universities. (This Day)
The government approved eleven new private universities in Nigeria this past week. FG Okays 11 New Private Universities in Nigeria. (This Day).
7. Egypt is creating 12 new state universities, and they will be big, with 98 faculties between them. This is a big deal. Egypt launches 12 new national universities for 2025/2026. (aharmonline)
8. The relationship between higher education and immigration is becoming fraught in much of the world, but Bulgaria is taking it one step further, with the government accusing one private university as being an outright front operation for illegal immigration into the EU. Private university in Bulgaria ‘functions as a covert illegal immigration scheme’ (TVP World)
Bulgarian University Exposed as Migrant Trafficking Hub, Not an Educational Institution. (novinite)
9. Argentinian President Javier Milei’s inflation busting efforts have hit public services hard, and universities have seen a loss of real income of about 30% in the last year. Argentina. El primer año de Javier Milei las universidades cierran con un 30% menos de presupuesto. (Resumen Latinoamericano)
Unsurprisingly, that has led academic staff to declare labour action. Las universidades públicas convocaron a un nuevo paro contra el desfinanciamiento de Milei. (Elagora), Argentina || Frente universitario realizará paro de 48 horas. (Gobierno Bolivariano)
10. India’s University Grants Commission has introduced a number of reforms in an attempt to meet the country’s rapidly expanding demand for higher education. These include holding multiple admissions cycles per year and establishing multiple entry and exit points for students pursuing a degree. Not everyone is enamoured of the moves. Latest reforms could signal the end of HE as we know it. (University World News)
11. Korea has some of the highest rates of R&D expenditures in the world, so it is something of a surprise to learn that the country’s recent PhD graduates have an unimaginably high unemployment rate. Unemployment among PhD holders in South Korea reaches record high. (VN Express)
12. Budget woes in Estonia, so the government is responding by cutting merit-based scholarships. Government budget cuts end universities’ performance-based scholarships. (ERR)
13. Two weeks ago, we noted the creation of a new “student party” in Bangladesh to contest the forthcoming election, though it already seems the new group is a just a new student group. Scuffles as ex-student coordinators float new student group. (The Financial Express),
14. Australia’s opposition party promises to make things much worse for universities if it comes to power, by introducing much tougher student visa policies. Australia’s Coalition pledges strict student caps to tackle “immigration mess” (The PIE)
15. The new(ish) coalition government in South Africa is having trouble agreeing on a budget. Predictably, that is creating some difficulties for universities: Postponed Budget could exacerbate woes for South African students and universities. (Daily Maverick)
We’ve had a great time putting on the AI-CADEMY conference in Calgary this week. Thanks to all for attending.
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