Opinion

Birkbeck, University of London

Birkbeck to open Bengaluru campus as India expands global higher education access

· By Joyce Lau

Birkbeck, University of London is set to establish its first overseas campus in Bengaluru after receiving UGC approval, marking a major step in India’s push to attract global universities. The campus will offer University of London degrees at nearly 60% lower cost than in the UK while maintaining the same academic standards, with additional plans for scholarships and AI-integrated teaching. The move is expected to expand access to international education in India and strengthen India–UK higher education collaboration.

Door with Closed Sign
Finance

Hampshire College closure reflects wider strain on small liberal arts colleges

· By Joyce Lau

Hampshire College’s closure reflects a wider crisis in small liberal arts institutions, where declining enrolments and financial pressures are forcing a wave of closures and mergers. Despite its experimental model, the college could not overcome structural funding challenges, mirroring cases such as Marlboro College. The decision highlights a growing sector trend toward managed “teach-outs” and raises questions about the sustainability of institutional diversity in higher education.

China Great Wall
Policy, International

China signals new phase in transnational education reform

· By Joyce Lau

China has unveiled a significant package of reforms to its transnational education (TNE) framework, aiming to streamline approvals, expand institutional flexibility, and deepen global partnerships. The changes suggest a shift from controlled expansion toward more strategic, quality-driven international collaboration.

CrossRoads Sign
International, Admissions

Choosing the “in-between” option: why students opt for international branch campuses in China

· By H. Yang

International branch campuses are often analysed as instruments of global higher education strategy. Less attention, however, has been paid to how students themselves arrive at the decision to enrol in them.

Graduation Cap Toss
Research

The PhD revolution: building a triple helix for the knowledge economy

· By H. Yang

By reimagining the doctorate as a shared enterprise rather than a solitary pursuit, a growing alliance between universities, industry and the state is reshaping what it means to earn a PhD—and what that degree is for.

Campus in Autumn
Research, Teaching & Learning

Industrial doctorates reshape PhD training as UK model tightens links with industry

· By H. Yang, R. Jeffrey

Engineering doctorate case study suggests doctoral education is shifting towards applied, industry-embedded knowledge production

University of Nottingham Trent Building
Admissions

China’s international branch campuses: engines of opportunity – or inequality?

· By H. Yang, M. Wu

China’s international branch campuses are expanding rapidly, promising global pathways and English-medium degrees. But new evidence suggests they disproportionately serve urban, affluent students, with family income emerging as a decisive factor in access. Rather than widening participation, these institutions risk reinforcing existing inequalities within Chinese higher education.

Globe on Desk
International

Internationalisation may offer a way through the crisis in global higher education

· By H. Yang

As COVID-19 halted student mobility, universities turned to internationalisation not as a strategy of expansion, but as a mechanism for survival—revealing both its untapped potential and its structural limits.