The World of Higher Education
Education & Explainer
About
The World of Higher Education is dedicated to exploring developments in higher education from a global perspective. Join host, Alex Usher of Higher Education Strategy Associates, as he speaks with new guests each week from different countries discussing developments in their regions. Produced by Tiffany MacLennan and Samantha Pufek.
Episodes
- Universities, Colonialism, and Indigenous Knowledge in Australia
James Waghorne, University Historian at the University of Melbourne, discusses the university's colonial history through case studies of race science, anthropology, and the harvesting of Indigenous human remains. He also explores reconcili…
- Chair to Chancellor: Lessons in Leading Modern Universities
Nicholas Dirks, drawing on experiences at Columbia and UC Berkeley, discusses leading modern universities amidst financial pressures, political scrutiny, and institutional constraints. He also explores challenges in academic freedom, campu…
- You Can’t Kill the U.S. Department of Education (But You Can Break It)
This episode features Alex Usher, Daniel Collier, and Michael Kofoed discussing the evolving role and uncertain status of the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration. They examine policy shifts, including changes to stu…
- Strategic Planning and System Design in Malaysian Higher Education
This episode discusses strategic planning and system design in Malaysian higher education. Alex Usher and Chang Da Wan examine national development plans and the new Higher Education Blueprint, covering policy pillars, governance, and chal…
- Branch Campuses, Fake Research, and the Future of Indian Universities
This episode of The World of Higher Education features host Alex Usher and Dr. Pushkar discussing the shifting landscape of higher education in India, including proposed regulations, funding challenges, and the rise of foreign branch campu…
- Zombie Universities and the Politics of Survival in South Korean Higher Education
Host Alex Usher and Jisun Jung discuss South Korea's higher education policy amidst declining youth population, including 'Zombie University' laws, international student strategies, the medical student strike, and AI initiatives.
- Liberty and Zhi: Chinese and Anglo-American Ideas of the University
Dr. Lily Yang discusses her book on Chinese and Anglo-American higher education, contrasting how cultural traditions influence understandings of the individual, equity, and the public good. The conversation covers differences in rationales…
- Why Iranian Students Keep Protesting
Host Alex Usher speaks with Saeid Golkar about Iran's university system, its centralization, ideological oversight, and the role of students in political dissent. They also cover Iran's scientific output and current challenges.
- Higher Education in Bulgaria: Rankings, Reform, and Demographic Pressures
This episode discusses the evolution of higher education in Bulgaria since socialism, focusing on the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, a unique national ranking system, and performance-based funding. The conversation also covers recent tuiti…
- Generation Z and the New Politics of Protest
Host Alex Usher interviews Donatella della Porta about the rise of youth- and Gen Z-led protest movements globally. They discuss how 'polycrisis' influences activism, the role of social media in mobilization, and the changing position of u…
- Higher Education Beyond the Public Good
Host Alex Usher speaks with Simon Marginson about his book "Global Higher Education in Times of Upheaval." They discuss topics including rising nationalism, China's scientific progress, and the challenges of neoliberalism and neocolonialis…
- Higher Education After Its Peak
In 'Higher Education After Its Peak,' host Alex Usher and guest Bryan Alexander, author of 'Peak Higher Ed,' explore the challenges confronting American higher education, such as demographic changes, public distrust, and the influence of A…
- Uzbekistan’s Higher Education Boom
The World of Higher Education podcast discusses Uzbekistan's higher education boom over the past decade. Rector Komiljon Karimov shares insights on the system's expansion, the involvement of foreign universities, and the challenges of qual…
- Authentic Universities: Choosing What Not to Be
Alex Usher and Frank Ziegele discuss the creation of authentic university missions and the importance of differentiation in higher education. They cover challenges, strategies, and the government's role in fostering diversity within educat…
- Royal Roads University: A Canadian University Without Tenure or Senate
In this episode, Alex Usher speaks with Royal Roads University President Philip Steenkamp about the institution's unconventional structure, including its lack of tenure and senate. They discuss its focus on mid-career professionals, market…
- What Is UNESCO’s Role in Global Higher Education Today
Noah Sobe, UNESCO
- The Annual Kelchen Review: The Top 10 U.S. Higher Ed Stories in 2025
In the final episode of 2025, host Alex Usher and guest Robert Kelchen discuss the top 10 issues in American higher education from the past year. Topics include state funding, the potential dismantling of the Department of Education, athle…
- Monsters in the System: Alex Usher on the Forces Transforming Higher Ed
Tiffany MacLennan interviews Alex Usher about his report on the forces transforming higher education globally. The discussion covers political, demographic, and technological impacts, as well as policy neglect, with insights into emerging…
- Funding, Free Riding, and the Future of Canadian Science
Alex Usher speaks with Rob Annan, President and CEO of Genome Canada, about the relationship between science and economic progress, government's role in funding research, and the shift towards utilitarian approaches. The discussion highlig…
- A Global Observatory for Higher Education Change: What We’re Learning
Professor Attila Pausits discusses the inaugural report from the Global Observatory on Higher Education Changes (GOHEC). The episode covers findings from the 2024 survey, including global trends, the impact of AI, and regional perspectives…
- Inside the Global Private Higher Education Sector with Dan Levy
Host Alex Usher discusses the global private higher education sector with Professor Dan Levy, author of 'A World of Private Higher Education.' They cover institution types, regional differences, and current trends, including surprising gro…
- Does England’s Newest Higher Education White Paper Actually Change Anything?
Alex Usher and Debbie McVitty discuss the UK Labor Party's white paper on post-16 education, covering the financial challenges universities face and the potential impact of the proposed reforms on the future of English higher education.
- Inside the Gaokao: China’s Defining Test with Ruixue Jia
This episode features Dr. Ruixue Jia discussing China's Gaokao, the university entrance exam. The conversation covers the Gaokao's history, its influence on social mobility and governance, and comparisons with American university admission…
- Access and Aftermath: What Racial Quotas Changed in Brazil’s Universities with Luiz Augusto Campos
Luiz Augusto Campos discusses Brazil's history of slavery, the implementation of racial quotas in higher education to address inequality, and their transformative effect on public universities, alongside ongoing challenges and future prosp…
- Capitalizing on College: Mission, Money, and Survival in Higher Ed with Joshua Travis Brown
Joshua Travis Brown joins Alex Usher on The World of Higher Education Podcast to discuss his book 'Capitalizing on College.' They explore the financial strategies, including Traditional, Pioneer, Network, and Accelerated models, that priva…
- Undoing Bologna: Russia’s Conservative Turn in Higher Education with Dmitry Dubrovsky
This episode of The World of Higher Education Podcast discusses the changes in Russian academia since 2000, including ideological control, reforms, and the recent move away from the Bologna Process, with insights from scholar Dmitry Dubrov…
- The Widening Gap: Income, College, and Opportunity with Zachary Bleemer
Alex Usher and Zachary Bleemer discuss Bleemer's research on the changing role of higher education in social mobility. Their findings indicate that higher education ceased functioning as a social elevator nearly 80 years ago, with lower-in…
- Crisis or Reform? Higher Education in Milei’s Argentina with Marcelo Rabossi
This episode examines the changes in Argentina's higher education system under President Javier Milei, with insights from Marcelo Rabossi. The discussion covers the effects of government spending cuts on public universities, faculty, and i…
- Higher Ed at the Ballot Box: Australia’s Election and the Accord with Andrew Norton
This episode discusses the Australian Universities Accord, including changes in student and institutional funding, new regulations, financial pressures on universities, and the impact of international student caps. The conversation also co…
- From Funding Formulas to AI: Pedro Teixeira on Higher Education’s Next Challenges
Alex Usher interviews Pedro Teixeira, a higher education scholar, about challenges facing the sector, including university funding reform, demographic shifts, and the influence of AI on education and employment.
- The Year the Money Ran Out: Global Higher Ed Review
Co-producer Tiffany MacLennan hosts Alex Usher to review global higher education stories of the year. They discuss topics including policy impacts, massification, private higher education, and university financial challenges, referencing e…
- Cut, Coerce, Control: What Trump Is Doing to U.S. Universities
Alex Usher discusses the Trump administration's actions against universities, including funding cuts and changes to student aid. Brendan Cantwell analyzes these tactics and their potential impact on higher education.
- Opening January 2026: Inside One of the Biggest University Mergers in Australia
The World of Higher Education Podcast covers the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, creating Adelaide University by January 2026. Vice Chancellor David Lloyd discusses the strategic planning, potent…
- Incremental Change or System Overhaul? An Update on Higher Ed Reform in NZ with Roger Smyth
Alex Usher talks with Roger Smyth about the current state of higher education policy in New Zealand. They discuss the University Advisory Group, government decisions, research funding changes, financial difficulties for universities, and t…
- Between Excellence and Relevance: The Regional University Dilemma
Alex Usher speaks with Dr. Romulo Pinheiro about the role of universities in regional economic development within peripheral areas. They discuss the strategies for balancing global academic excellence with local relevance and the importanc…
- Banking on Human Capital: How RBC Sees the Future of Talent, Innovation, and the Role of Post-Secondary Institutions
Host Alex Usher talks with John Stackhouse of RBC about the future of Canadian higher education, emphasizing the need for reform, human capital development, and aligning universities with labor market demands.
- Lean, Global, and Tuition-Free: The University of the People Model
Host Alex Usher interviews Shai Reshef, founder of University of the People, an online institution serving 150,000 students globally. The episode discusses the economics, technology, and volunteer efforts behind their tuition-free model an…
- Overskilled and Underused? What PIAAC Reveals About the Canadian Workforce
Host Alex Usher and Noel Baldwin of the Future Skills Centre discuss the Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), its findings on the Canadian workforce, global trends in adult literacy, and its implications for…
- Innovation Without Borders: Galileo’s Networked Approach to Better Higher Education System
Host Alex Usher and Nicolas Badré of Galileo Global Education explore the growth of private higher education in Europe, Galileo's business model, and its use of AI. They also discuss Galileo's new initiative, Copernia, which focuses on inn…
- “Anything Can Be Done With Anything”: Innovative Universities with Dara Melnyk
Dara Melnyk joins host Alex Usher on The World of Higher Education podcast to explore innovation in universities. They cover drivers of innovation, necessary structures and leadership, and how different institutions approach these challeng…
- The Learning Centred University with Steven Mintz
This episode features an interview with scholar Steven Mintz about creating a learning-centered university. Mintz explains the benefits of active learning, discusses challenges in implementation, and explores alternative learning models an…
- From Soviet Influence to Market Economy: Mongolia’s Higher Education Journey
This episode of The World of Higher Education features host Alex Usher interviewing Professor Dendev Badarch about Mongolia's higher education system. They cover the transition from Soviet influence to a market economy, the growth of priva…
- Connecting Universities in a Divided World: International Association of Universities’ Mission
In The World of Higher Education, Alex Usher discusses the International Association of Universities (IAU) with Secretary General Hilligje van 't Land. They cover the IAU's evolution, its role in addressing global higher education challeng…
- Why Boycott? Maya Wind on the Case Against Israeli Universities
Host Alex Usher talks with Maya Wind about her book 'Towers of Ivory and Steel' and the arguments for boycotting Israeli universities, exploring ethical considerations and institutional complicity.
- Students on the Frontlines: The Ongoing Protests in Serbia with Jim Dickinson
This episode of The World of Higher Education features Jim Dickinson discussing Serbian student movements and their historical role in politics. The conversation addresses the current protests, their origins, and their influence on anti-co…
- Data, Decisions, and Disruptions: Inside the World of University Rankings
Host Alex Usher talks with Duncan Ross, former Chief Data Officer for Times Higher Education Rankings, about the complexities of university rankings. They cover data challenges, geographical expansion, ethical considerations, and the devel…
- The Great Brain Race, 15 years later with Ben Wildavsky
On the World of Higher Education podcast, host Alex Usher and author Ben Wildavsky revisit "The Great Brain Race" to discuss the globalization of higher education, student and faculty mobility, university rankings, branch campuses, and the…
- Colombia's Higher Ed Utopia or Illusion? Insights with Javier Botero
Host Alex Usher talks with Javier Botero about recent higher education developments in Colombia, covering free tuition, student assistance, and institutional challenges. Botero shares insights on financial and political hurdles affecting h…
- The Governance of European Higher Education: Convergence or Divergence? with Michael Shattock
Michael Shattock joins host Alex Usher to explore European higher education governance, contrasting British, French, and German models and their state-university relationships. The discussion, drawing from Shattock's book, highlights ongoi…
- Beyond the Rhetoric: Mexico’s Higher Education Reality with Alma Maldonado Maldonado
Host Alex Usher and researcher Alma Maldonado explore the current state of higher education in Mexico, discussing the transition to President Claudia Sheinbaum, potential impacts of Morena’s policies, budget cuts, and the future of both pu…