KS's Global Insights into Higher Education

Over recent months, a strong sense of elation has permeated social media platforms among professionals in higher education, spurred by the United States' remarkable surge in the influx of international students. This wave of enthusiasm primarily stems from the insights revealed in the Open Doors report. This comprehensive study has highlighted that the U.S. has made significant strides in its educational outreach, educating over a million international students—a substantial increase of 11.5% from the 2021/22 academic year. This figure accounts for 5.6% of the total higher education enrollment in the U.S., marking a noteworthy achievement in international student integration. A prime illustration of this triumph was observed in a post by EducationUSA, which extended commendations to the U.S. higher education system for its unprecedented recovery in attracting international students, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape. Simultaneously, South Korea's contribution to U.S. ...

In the summer of 2023, the educational discourse in South Korea was predominantly shaped by two terms: "CSAT killer questions" and "private education cartel." As time has progressed, we now approach the final stages of the 2024 university entrance exam cycle. The CSAT results unveiled a singular perfect score, sparking a spectrum of reactions ranging from criticism of the educational authorities’ obsession with eliminating challenging questions and their consequent failure in difficulty adjustment, to predictions of an inevitable increase in private education. Reflecting on the past eight months, the discourse initiated by concerns over killer questions was quickly amplified by the stigmatization associated with the term "cartel," effectively casting private education in a negative light. This adversarial perspective was well exemplified in a recent column titled "Creating a South Korea Without Private Education," penned by the director of an edu...

In my recent publication " Analysis of International Branch Campuses in Korea and Japan: Exploring Success Factors " in the Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education, my colleague Yiru Ke and I explored the dynamics of International Branch Campuses in South Korea and Japan by incorporating the Hickey and Davies' framework. However, this isn't just research; it's a journey through the intricate dance of building successful academic outposts abroad, guided by a methodology that blends the nuanced insights of the Modified Grounded Theory Approach with a series of in-depth conversations from over twenty leaders at the IBCs across these two nations. What emerges from this exploration are not just findings, but vivid stories of what it takes to thrive in the competitive arena of international higher education. It's about the art of fostering enduring partnerships, the steadfast support from parent institutions, the mastery of communication that build...