#HigherEducation

Australia continues to cement its status as a global education powerhouse, attracting a growing number of international students who are not only seeking world-class degrees but also life skills, cross-cultural friendships, and a gateway to global careers. New research and updated reports highlight how universities, policymakers, and students themselves are evolving to foster a thriving environment—while navigating challenges in academics, cost of living, mental health, and migration rules (The Economic Times).

A surge of recent research and media reports has illuminated a worrisome trend: even as more young people enroll in university, many are struggling with basic reading and comprehension skills expected at the college level. The debate has intensified following the publication of several national surveys and firsthand accounts from professors across the United States, which paint a picture of declining literacy among today’s college students. This issue resonates far beyond American borders, carrying important implications for Thai higher education and the nation’s long-term competitiveness.

The passage from secondary school to university marks a profound transformation in family relationships—a reality increasingly recognized by Thai parents as their children head off to college. Recent discussions in international media, such as a feature in Business Insider about evolving parent-child dynamics when children attend university, are amplifying a topic that resonates strongly within Thailand’s own households. As more families engage with higher education, they are encountering new challenges—and opportunities—for connection, growth, and mutual understanding.

A new study has confirmed the suspicions of many young job seekers: Gen Z graduates are entering a job market far harsher than the one faced by their millennial predecessors. According to Kickresume, 58% of graduates in the past year are still searching for their first job, nearly twice the rate seen among millennials and Gen X at the beginning of their careers. The challenges are so severe that only 12% of recent graduates have secured a full-time position by the time they leave university—one-third the proportion seen in prior generations. This shift marks a fundamental break from the age-old assumption that a college degree guarantees a career path, and its ripple effects are being felt globally, including in Thailand, where young people are also facing rising uncertainty about their economic futures (Fortune).

A growing wave of concern is sweeping through universities worldwide as advanced AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude become the latest frontline in academic dishonesty, raising fundamental questions about the future and value of higher education. Recent reporting in Vox’s “The Gray Area” podcast and a deeply researched feature by a New York Magazine writer has brought the issue into sharp focus, revealing widespread patterns of AI-enabled cheating, mounting faculty frustration, and institutional inertia that have left many educators and students disillusioned or resigned (Vox).

A massive new study has uncovered detectable “AI fingerprints” in millions of scientific papers, revealing that artificial intelligence has quietly become a pervasive force in academic publishing. Researchers found that at least 13.5% of biomedical research abstracts published in 2024 showed evidence of being written with some assistance from large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini—raising fresh questions about research integrity and the future of scholarly communication (phys.org).

More college students than ever before are choosing to major in psychology, drawn by the field’s versatility and its promise to help understand both themselves and others. Yet, as the latest research and economic data reveal, this boom comes with a significant financial catch for graduates. While the degree opens doors to a host of industries, the starting and mid-career salaries for psychology majors often lag behind those of peers in more specialized or technical disciplines—a tension now under scrutiny for both Thai and global students making career decisions in today’s changing economy (Newsweek/MSN).

As Thailand advances its digital economy ambitions, a growing debate is unfolding in classrooms, recruitment offices, and government policy circles: What sets computer engineering apart from computer science, and which path offers Thai students and professionals the greatest opportunities? A recent report published by Regent University and analyzed by the Bangkok Post sheds light on this crucial topic, offering Thai learners, parents, and educators a nuanced understanding that may shape future career choices and the nation’s workforce development.

A recent nationwide study ranking America’s most and least educated metropolitan areas has revealed that several Texas cities are near the bottom of the list, underscoring growing concerns about regional educational disparities. Compiled by personal finance website WalletHub, the 2025 report compared the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on educational attainment and the quality of education, with four Texas metros ranking among the bottom 11 and one Texas city, Austin, placing prominently among America’s best-educated urban centers.

Universities across the globe must redefine their purpose to prioritize lifelong learning in an era dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), according to the president of Northeastern University, who warns that higher education risks becoming obsolete if it fails to adapt. Speaking during a keynote address at the event “Engineering the Future with Artificial Intelligence,” held at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, the Northeastern University president emphasized the urgent need for higher education to extend its focus beyond young students, highlighting the transformative impact of AI on both learning and society.

As artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT become increasingly integrated into education systems worldwide, much of the narrative has focused on a supposed crisis of academic integrity. Critics warn of students cheating en masse, forfeiting genuine learning, and entering the workforce less prepared than their predecessors. Yet, first-hand student perspectives reveal a more nuanced reality: the rapid embrace of AI in higher education is less about laziness and more about adapting to systemic upheaval, resource scarcity, and the lingering aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic (The Guardian).

Artificial intelligence is driving a dramatic transformation in higher education, pushing universities worldwide to shift beyond their traditional focus on young students and research to embrace lifelong learning for all. The latest research and expert commentary, highlighted by a keynote address from the president of Northeastern University, underscores a global pivot—one that is increasingly relevant for Thailand’s rapidly evolving educational landscape (Northeastern University; Forward Pathway). Amid the rise of generative AI and large language models such as ChatGPT, higher education institutions face mounting pressure to adapt, or risk obsolescence.

A mounting crisis in academic mental health is coming into sharper focus, with recent research revealing that “gruesome” workloads and escalating job demands are taking a heavy toll on university faculty worldwide—including right here in Thailand. An Australian-led analysis, as reported by Times Higher Education, highlights how non-stop workdays stretching over nine hours have become standard for many academics, eroding boundaries between professional and personal life and producing measurable declines in mental and physical health. This trend is mirrored by new, Thailand-specific data showing similarly alarming rates of burnout and stress among university lecturers, raising critical questions about the future of higher education and the well-being of those who deliver it.

California’s public colleges and universities are spending millions on high-tech solutions to catch plagiarism and artificial intelligence (AI) misuse, but mounting evidence reveals these investments may be rife with technological blind spots, privacy risks, and questionable educational value. As higher education worldwide faces a new era of “AI arms race,” the experience of the California system demonstrates how quick fixes may fall short, fueling new debates that resonate in classrooms from Bangkok to Berkeley.

As Thailand follows global trends in technology and education, startling new research from the United States points to a dramatic shift in what once seemed a guaranteed path to prosperity: a degree in computer science. After two decades of surging interest and swelling enrollments, the once-booming computer-science major appears to have peaked. For Thai students and families seeking the best choices for higher education and employability, the unfolding story in America offers timely warnings and vital insights.

A growing wave of international students vying to study in the United States are sanitizing their social media presence, fearing stricter scrutiny under freshly intensified US visa vetting policies. The phenomenon, increasingly visible among young people from Africa to the Caribbean, exposes not only new anxieties about digital footprints but also broader concerns about free expression and privacy in the age of algorithmic surveillance.

For many around the world, an American degree represents access to coveted educational, professional, and economic opportunities. In 2024, nearly 20,000 Nigerian students headed to US colleges, more than any other African nation, while the US consistently receives tens of thousands from China and India annually (scroll.in). But for the latest cohort, aspiring scholars like the Nigerian student identified as “Owolabi” are racked with uncertainty, not just about university offers, but about old Facebook posts, Twitter jokes, or even the memes they once shared.

The latest global rankings of the most educated countries, released by CBRE Research and widely reported in international media, have produced some unexpected results: the United States, long perceived as a leader, is now surpassed by several other nations, while Ireland emerges as the world’s top country for higher education attainment. Meanwhile, Thailand, although making strides in education, remains outside the top cohort, fueling discussions on the nation’s future competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven world [thinkstewartville.com][Visual Capitalist].

A rapidly escalating wave of academic dishonesty has gripped universities worldwide, with a recent UK study exposing a dramatic rise in students caught cheating with artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT. The findings, which reveal nearly 7,000 proven cases of AI-facilitated cheating between 2023 and 2024, spotlight an urgent challenge for educators not just in the UK but across the globe, including Thailand. Experts warn these figures are likely just the “tip of the iceberg,” suggesting that the true scope of technology-driven misconduct is far greater and largely undetected—potentially transforming how societies view and manage academic integrity (The Guardian).

Recent graduates in computer science—long regarded as having the most assured path to professional success—are confronting an unexpected reality: unemployment rates within their ranks are now among the highest for any undergraduate major, prompting a critical reevaluation of the “learn to code” mantra that has shaped global education policy and vocational planning over the past decade. According to a recent analysis based on the latest labor market report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the unemployment rate for new computer science (CS) graduates in the United States has ballooned to 6.1%, while those holding degrees in computer engineering fare even worse at 7.5% (Newsweek). This stands in stark contrast to the overall recent graduate unemployment rate of 5.8%, challenging assumptions not only in Western economies but also in rapidly digitizing societies such as Thailand.

A wave of skepticism is sweeping across the United States as a new generation of young adults—especially those from Generation Z—are increasingly questioning the value of a college degree. Recent research reveals that more than half of young Americans now view their college education as a waste of money, a significant shift with profound implications for individuals, educational institutions, and global workforce dynamics.

This generational disillusionment comes at a time when tuition costs have soared, student debt continues to climb, and the traditional advantages of holding a degree are increasingly in doubt. For Thai readers, these trends bear close watching, as they reflect global currents in higher education and could foreshadow developments in Thailand’s own educational landscape.

As the United States grapples with shifting immigration policies and intensifying global competition, the future of its 1.1 million international students—and the vast contributions they make—hangs in the balance. Latest developments, including a temporary suspension of new student visa appointments and heightened social media vetting, have left international students anxious and universities concerned about the long-term impact on the nation’s educational standing and economic strength (Al Jazeera).

Recent moves by the US government, particularly the State Department’s decision on May 27th to pause scheduling new student visa appointments, have intensified an atmosphere of apprehension among current and prospective international students. The policy comes in the wake of several other restrictions, notably expanded social media screenings. For international students—such as a junior at Georgetown University recently interviewed—these changes have fueled anxieties about deportation or sudden policy shifts that could jeopardize their studies and futures.

A wave of concern has swept through global education and tech circles as new research highlights an unexpected backlash against the widely promoted “learn to code” movement. Computer science, once championed as a surefire path to security and prosperity, has become a cautionary tale as recent university graduates face a sudden spike in joblessness, surpassing many of their non-technical peers and igniting deep conversations in Thailand about the future of digital education and the realities of the job market (Futurism).

Shares of IDP Education, the Australian-headquartered international student placement giant, plummeted as much as 48 percent after the company announced it was bracing for a steep decline in student placement volumes, warning investors that tightening government visa rules are upending the market for cross-border education Reuters, Investing.com. The warning, issued on June 3, reverberated not just through financial markets but across the global higher education sector—including Thailand, a country with a fast-growing cohort of outbound students and deepening ties to international universities.

Recent findings have upended long-held assumptions about the safest bets for employability among new graduates. According to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, college students majoring in nutrition sciences, construction services, and animal/plant sciences are enjoying the lowest unemployment rates in the nation—outperforming even the much-heralded STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. This data, tracking U.S. graduates aged 22 to 27, reveals how shifting workforce needs are redrawing the map for university-bound students in 2025 (Entrepreneur).