The World of Higher Education The Year the Money Ran Out: Global Higher Ed Review
Jun 12, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Alex Usher, a higher education analyst and head of Higher Education Strategy Associates, sheds light on pressing global trends in academia. He discusses the effects of Trump's funding cuts on international research, the rising role of private education in various countries, and striking examples of massification in places like Uzbekistan and Dubai. Usher warns about systemic underfunding in Argentina and Kenya while predicting a shift toward austerity in global higher ed, emphasizing the need for international collaboration.
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US Science Cuts Ripple Worldwide
- Cuts to US science funding will hollow out global research capacity and many labs may simply stop functioning.
- Alex Usher warns lost academic positions likely go to industry, not other countries, reducing long-term global innovation.
Massification Outruns Public Budgets
- Rapid massification often outpaces public budgets and infrastructure, creating unmet promises.
- Usher highlights Uzbekistan, Dubai, Nigeria and Egypt as examples of explosive growth straining capacity.
Regulate Privates To Complement Publics
- Regulate private providers so they complement rather than undercut public systems.
- Learn from Malaysia and parts of Europe where private growth is managed to fill gaps responsibly.