Analysis

In-depth analysis of trends, policies, and challenges in higher education worldwide.

CrossRoads Sign

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.