Choosing a university degree has never been straightforward. Students and parents have always asked which courses and majors offer the best returns and lead to secure careers. But now the age of generative artificial intelligence, bringing powerful new tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, has made those decisions much more complex. In New Zealand and elsewhere, students are […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
No degree is AI‑proof. But delaying specialisation may offer students an edge
Why geopolitics is deciding the future of universities today
For decades, educational institutions benefited from a rarely questioned notion: the world was moving toward greater integration and cooperation. International student mobility was growing, research collaboration was flourishing across borders, and academia was operating within a global marketplace of talent and ideas. Even as governments vied for economic and political influence, higher education was considered […] … learn more→
In the United States, universities are struggling to reverse the decline in reading.
Anyone who has recently spent any time on an American college campus has probably heard professors lamenting their students’ reading habits—or rather, the fact that they hardly read at all anymore. And these complaints aren’t simply nostalgia for a bygone golden age. Reading—not just any kind of reading, but reading long, complex, and demanding books— is rapidly disappearing from […] … learn more→
Even the government agrees Job‑ready Graduates has failed. Here’s what should replace it
By 2027, just under one third of Australian university students will be paying more than A$18,000 for a single year of full-time study. This makes a standard three-year arts degree at this rate more than $54,000, compared with a nursing degree, which will be less than $15,000. The discrepancy is a result of the Morrison government’s Job-ready Graduates […] … learn more→
‘It just got too hard’: how Year 12 subject cuts are affecting students’ access to uni
Look This month the ABC reported student enrolments at a central Queensland public high school had fallen by 12.5% over a 15-month period. The school, which is also facing teacher shortages, has had to cut senior subjects as a result, meaning even more students are leaving to attend private schools in search of more opportunities. Our ongoing study has […] … learn more→
How can universities better protect students and staff from antisemitism?
This week, the royal commission into antisemitism has heard repeated accounts from Jewish university staff and students about antisemitic incidents on Australian campuses. Many have described feeling let down by their institution’s response. Australian National University student Liat said she was regularly called a “baby killer and genocide supporter” by protesters in the wake of Israel’s actions in Gaza. In 2024, University of […] … learn more→
More than 50% of Australian university assignments used AI. How should unis respond?
Last week, the US software company Turnitin revealed 53.6% of Australian tertiary education submissions run through its system used some form of AI in the period from October 2025-April 2026. The company, whose plagiarism-detection technology is widely used in universities, also reported 10% of these submissions contained more than 80% AI-written content. Meanwhile, separate data from AI safety […] … learn more→
Experiential and ‘work‑integrated’ learning aren’t the same — and it matters for higher education
Experiential learning programs are ubiquitous in post-secondary education. Formalized in the mid-20th century, experiential learning is defined by the Association for Experiential Education as a teaching philosophy that engages learners in direct experience and focused reflection. My research has looked at the changing ways that universities and others have spoken about the purposes of experiential learning in Canada. […] … learn more→
People do read your thesis
That tweet is back. You know the one. A PhD thesis, it says, is the only book in the world read cover to cover by exactly three people: the author, the proofreader, and the examiner. The screenshot of the tweet gets thousands of likes every time it resurfaces. I always wonder how many of those […] … learn more→
College is unaffordable for many Americans – but don’t just blame rising tuition
As more Americans consider whether a college degree is worth it, the rising cost of attending a college or university is often at the forefront of their minds. The average college tuition more than tripled between 1980 and 2022. Most of that increase appeared after 2000. When adding in housing, food, books and other costs, the total amount to attend Brown University, Tulane University, the University of […] … learn more→
