When the University Leaves, What’s Left? This Wall Street Journal piece titled College Towns Face Boom and Bust takes a hard look at Macomb, Illinois — once a thriving college town built around Western Illinois University — and the slow unraveling that happens when enrollment drops, jobs disappear, and students no longer fill the streets,… Continue reading A must read from the Wall Street Journal on the Boom and Bust of College Towns

By Liang Cheng, Yang Song and Xiaodong Wu In an era where complexity defines our greatest challenges—from climate change to AI governance—universities are reimagining the purpose and practice of graduate education. Increasingly, they’re moving beyond traditional disciplinary silos and toward programs that equip students to lead in a world where agility, collaboration, and cross-sectoral thinking… Continue reading The Rise of Dual and Interdisciplinary Degrees: A New Era in Global Higher Education

Blog post by Xiaodong Wu, Global Nexus Education Introduction Standardized testing has long been a gatekeeper in higher education admissions. From the SAT and ACT in North America to the Gaokao in China, the CSAT in South Korea, and the A-Levels in the UK, these exams have served as shorthand for academic ability and college… Continue reading Rethinking Standardized Testing: Are Universities Breaking Up or Recommitting?

Blog post by: Liang Cheng and Yang Song In an era defined by disruption, complexity, and opportunity, universities across the Pacific Rim are being called upon to rethink their mission and reimagine their role in society. This imperative took center stage at the recent APEC University Leaders’ Forum (AULF), hosted in Jeju, South Korea, alongside… Continue reading AI for the Public Good: Reimagining Higher Education Across the Pacific Rim

An update on the UN Human Development Report by members of the Global Nexus Senior Management Team This report highlights a significant slowdown in global human development, marking the smallest increase in progress since 1990. It emphasizes the growing disparities between countries with low and very high Human Development Index (HDI) scores, reversing previous trends… Continue reading The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released its 2025 Human Development Report on May 6, titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI.”

By Yang Song and Liang Cheng In April 2025, Harvard University took an unprecedented and principled stand by refusing to comply with a sweeping set of mandates issued by the Trump administration. These demands, tied to billions in federal funding, included eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, conducting ideological audits of faculty, enforcing new… Continue reading Harvard’s Stand: A Defining Moment for Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy

By Yang Song, Liang Cheng and Rob McLay As economies become more dynamic, diverse, and driven by digital developments, the gap between higher education offerings and labour market needs has become increasingly evident and urgent. Although governments are still investing independently in both sectors, there’s a rising acknowledgment that isolated policies can no longer adequately… Continue reading Bridging the Divide: Why Higher Education and Labour Market Policies Must Work Together

By Yang Song, Liang Cheng and Rob McLay

By Liang Cheng and Yang Song Introduction: A Changing Global Education Landscape For decades, international students have viewed the United States as a premier destination for academic excellence, research innovation, and professional opportunity. U.S. universities—bolstered by globally recognized faculty, top-tier facilities, and robust graduate pathways—have long attracted students from every continent. However, in recent years,… Continue reading Shifting Currents: Understanding the Decline in International Student Enrollment at U.S. Universities

By: Liang Cheng and Xiaodong Wu As the global workforce undergoes rapid transformation, universities are challenged to rethink their traditional structures and approaches. Once viewed as the gateway to career success, higher education institutions must now confront a stark reality: the skills they historically prioritized may no longer suffice. From automation and AI to sustainability… Continue reading Universities and the Future of Work: A Call for Bold Adaptation