Debating helps students advance their public speaking skills. But the benefits do not end there. From improving research skills and critical thinking, to better time management and empowering international students, rigorous debate preparations have a positive impact on many facets of student development. Andrew Smith and Caty Weaver explore the story for VOA Learning English.…

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would cancel President Joe Biden’s proposed forgiveness program. Supporters of the plan, which would forgive up to $20,000 for qualified applicants, say it’s crucial to alleviate the massive student debt burden. But opponents claim the program’s $500 billion price tag is excessive, and that it…

In 2015, roughly half of the Chinese students who planned to study abroad wanted to attend schools in the U.S. By 2022, this percentage had dropped to 30%, signaling a shift within the largest international student body in the U.S. Higher education professionals suggest that gun violence, rising anti-Asian racism, rocky U.S.-China relations and friendlier…

A group of Chinese international students studying in Washington has established an independent student union, hoping to provide a safe space and platform for other Chinese students and scholars at their university to express political dissent without harassment by pro-Beijing students and organizations. Students from George Washington University (GWU) call the organization Torch on the…

Consultant Iain Sloan’s recommendations for student recruitment are for the United Kingdom but could apply anywhere: Diversify beyond China and India, efficiently manage the visa process, focus on career guidance and not just academics and build hands-on curriculums. Weigh Sloan’s recommendations in the Times Higher Education. (April 2023) …

Millersville University President Daniel Wubah argues that U.S. colleges must forge closer relationships with schools elsewhere. U.S. institutions need the tuition that international students pay, and developing countries can build their economies by sending students abroad. Read Wubah’s op-ed in Forbes. (May 2023) …

The U.S. Department of Education released a College Scorecard based on student salaries, debt after graduation and racial diversity in teaching. This year’s reports analyze graduate programs for the first time and expand the data on earnings after undergraduate study. Read a summary by USA Today reporter Kayla Jimenez or check out the reports. (April 2023) …

In 2021, two Chinese graduate students at the University of Chicago were shot to death within 11 months of each other. Campus newspaper The Chicago Maroon took a look at students’ push for better safety and the school’s response. (April 2023)  …

The University News, the student newspaper at Saint Louis University in the U.S. state of Missouri, recently interviewed international students on their experiences at the school. Some students said that some U.S. systems, notably the health care and tax systems, were difficult to navigate. One student said she felt the school’s international support services tended…

Private colleges in the U.S. can be very expensive, and their costs have risen much faster than comparable public institutions. But few students pay the full “sticker price,” and a new survey suggests the savings are greater than ever. According to the National Association of College and University Business Officers, full-time, first-year students at private…

About a fifth of surveyed colleges have at least one mental health counselor embedded with a specific group, such as athletes or international students. Now, Virginia Tech is trying something new – counselors who live in the dorms with students, to build trust and provide around-the-clock support. Kate Hidalgo Bellows of the Chronicle of Higher…

Ahead of U.S. Supreme Court rulings on a pair of affirmative action cases this spring, students at the University of North Carolina are divided on the issue of affirmative action — the practice of factoring race in admissions to boost minority enrollment — and the role it should play in creating a diverse student body, Reuters reports. (April 2023)  …

Distressed parents of Kenyan university students stuck in Sudan converge in a house in Kenya’s Wajir County while they wait for news of their stranded children in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. The imminent end of a 72-hour cease-fire between Sudan’s warring forces has left many Kenyan parents extremely apprehensive, including Osman Mohamed. “My son is among…

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases that claim that the affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian American applicants. While the court has upheld the legality of such preferences in admissions three times, the past is no guide to the future – and colleges must now…

Harvard University said in a statement that former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had been appointed to dual fellowships at Harvard Kennedy School and to a concurrent fellowship at the Berkman Klein Center later in 2023.    “I am incredibly humbled to be joining Harvard University as a fellow — not only will it give me the opportunity to share…

Japan has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, and the number of 18-year-olds in the country has dropped by nearly half in the past 30 years. The result is shrinking enrollments, lowered standards, shuttered schools and economic pains as companies fight over a limited supply of young talent. As the U.S. ages, its…

A former Harvard University professor convicted of lying to federal investigators about his ties to a Chinese-run science recruitment program and failing to pay taxes on payments from a Chinese university was sentenced Wednesday to supervised release and ordered to pay more than $83,000 in restitution and fines. Charles Lieber, 64, was sentenced by Judge…

Almost every category of higher education in the U.S. has declining enrollments. But trade programs – short certificates that offer real-world skills like auto repair and industrial automation – are a hit. The Hechinger Report’s Olivia Sanchez looks at one program in Tennessee to discover why: students love the flexibility, practicality and high wages. Read…

Terrica Purvis squinted through goggles as her hands carefully guided a pipette full of indigo-tinted fluid into clear glass test tubes. It was the last chemistry lab of the winter quarter at Everett Community College. Purvis was working through the steps of what chemistry professor Valerie Mosser jokingly refers to as the “post-apocalypse survival” lab…

A survey of more than 1,000 global education agents from five continents found that there will be a surge in applications this year. However, students’ top concerns vary – Chinese students care most about rankings, while students from the Middle East and Africa worry more about costs. Dive into the research in this report from…

French! That’s according to writer Freddie DeBoer, who cites the hundreds of millions of French speakers across Africa. DeBoer argues that “safe majors” like business or computer science often suffer from high competition, low educational standards, volatile demand and susceptibility to artificial intelligence (AI). Furthermore, the idea of a “practical major” is meaningless, constantly changing…

The latest session of the U.N. Commission on Population and Development is happening this week in New York. Attendees have discussed how women and girls are still denied equal access to education, how aging in rich countries and high birth rates in poorer ones affect public schooling, and how the pandemic may have punched a…