In The News

Pisa Tests to Include “Global Skills” and Cultural Awareness

Andreas Schleicher June 1, 2016
Cross-border transactions – knowing how to deal with people of other cultures in equitable, sustainable ways – contribute to prosperity and security. The Pisa tests from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development may add global skills to the tests in math, reading and science by 2018. Education can help “children develop a reliable compass, the navigation skills and the character...

India’s Education Deficit

Nayan Chanda May 30, 2016
Education, acquiring an ability to combine and apply knowledge and skills, is a driving economic force for the 21st century, suggests India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The country must do more to prepare and employ its citizens, with more than half under the age of 30. “To employ its emerging young population, the country needs to create nearly a million jobs a month,” writes Nayan Chanda,...

No Handshake Exemption for Muslim Students, Swiss Canton Rules

May 26, 2016
Schools are the battleground for culture wars. A tradition in Switzerland – shaking a teacher’s hand as a sign of respect – has attracted global attention because of the conflict between gender equality and religious belief. Parents or guardians of students who refuse to shake a teacher’s hand can face fines of up to 5000 Swiss francs. The local school had tried to grant two boys, ages 14 and 15...

US Targets Spying Threat on Campus With Proposed Research Clampdown

Julia Edwards May 23, 2016
The US State Department has proposed barring international students from research projects and classes involving “information seen as vital to national security,” reports Julia Edwards for Reuters. “The new rule, which largely applies to company-sponsored research, threatens to shrink the pool of research opportunities available for US colleges, which have grown strongly in popularity among high-...

Is Globalization Really Fueling Populism?

Daniel Gros May 9, 2016
An angry populism – a belief that ordinary citizens, not elites, should control government while avoiding centrism and compromise – is on the rise in Europe and the United States. Daniel Gros questions the suggestion that the so-called losers of globalization are fueling such populism, suggesting the trends are not new. Inequality in education levels is not new, and workers with more education...

Recruiting Students Overseas to Fill Seats, Not to Meet Standards

Stephanie Saul April 20, 2016
Responding to budget cuts from state legislatures, US public colleges increasingly rely on international students who pay higher tuition fees. Some universities rely on recruiting agencies to target international students, some of whom may be poorly prepared. Reporting for the New York Times, Stephanie Saul describes Western Kentucky University’s deal with Global Tree Overseas, paying commissions...

International Students Find Roles in US Presidential Campaign

Paul Elish and Susan Froetschel March 22, 2016
The percentage of international students enrolled at US colleges and universities has climbed over the past five years, due to rising applications from overseas and declining enrollment by US students. College administrators encourage civic engagement for all students, and international students are following the US presidential race. “The election will determine the roles for foreign nationals...