#Europe

Southeast Asian students are suddenly at the center of a global tug‑of‑war over talent. Governments from Australia to Norway are rewriting rules and budgets to pull in learners from ASEAN, while Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are rolling out ambitious targets and post‑study work routes to keep students in the region. A new report by DW synthesizes these moves and the intensifying competition for international enrollments, underscoring that Southeast Asia has become the third‑largest source region for outbound students globally. For Thai families weighing where to study, and for Thai universities deciding how to compete, the landscape is changing fast—and in their favor if they act quickly and strategically.

An extraordinary global competition has erupted for Southeast Asian students, transforming international higher education recruitment into a high-stakes diplomatic and economic battleground. Universities across continents are dismantling decades-old admission policies and launching multi-million-dollar campaigns specifically targeting ASEAN learners, recognizing Southeast Asia as the world’s third-largest source of mobile students. This unprecedented shift represents far more than simple enrollment competition—it signals a fundamental realignment of global academic power that positions Thai students and institutions at the center of a transformative opportunity. Recent comprehensive analysis reveals that governments from Australia to Germany are implementing radical policy changes, offering unprecedented scholarships, and creating entirely new pathways designed exclusively for Southeast Asian applicants. For Thai families contemplating international education and Thai universities seeking global partnerships, this moment presents both remarkable opportunities and critical strategic decisions that will shape educational trajectories for the next generation.

As protests against mass tourism flare up once again across Europe’s most visited destinations, the continent is experimenting with ambitious new strategies to strike a balance between tourism and residents’ quality of life. Policymakers, tourism boards, and local communities from Switzerland to Spain and Germany are rolling out innovative programs to fight overcrowding, preserve natural and cultural heritage, and rethink the very nature of travel in a post-pandemic age. The struggle underway in Europe offers vital lessons for Thailand, which faces its own battles with overtourism in places like Phuket, Chiang Mai, and the islands of the Andaman and the Gulf.

A powerful new wave of research and personal accounts is shining a spotlight on a persistent and striking divide: while European countries embrace children and families in nearly every sphere of life, American society remains hobbled by policies and attitudes that seem, at best, indifferent—and at worst, openly hostile—to children’s needs. The consequences reach far beyond inconvenience for parents, rippling through childhood development, public health, and even social cohesion.

This conversation about child-friendliness erupted once again following a viral first-person essay in Salon by a Philadelphia-based mother who described her travels through Berlin, London, and Dublin, highlighting the profound differences between Europe and the United States in daily life with children. Her observations draw attention to issues confirmed by social science research, expert commentary, and decades of comparative policy analysis.