QS Insights Magazine
Issue 19 July 2024
Meet your AI recruiter
Contents
The reputation challenge
Universities understand the value of reputation, but, according to a recent QS survey, many struggle to build it.
British higher ed post election
With a change of government, what can British universities expect?
Security in research
There's growing tensions between national security and research agendas.
At odds
What happens when a city's intled policies conflict with national policies?
Beyond the rainbow
After Pride month, we explore how universities can move beyond allyship.
What does the future hold for online learning?
Predictions for online education haven't quite worked out yet.
The innovation trap
The pursuit of improvement can lead to innovation for its own sake.
The price of innovative science
Where has creativity in research gone?
Business education for change
Setting up tomorrow's leaders to tackle global problems.
Meet your AI recruiter
Debating the merits of human recruiters vs. AI chatbots.
It’s time to take the reins
Universities must maintain control with AI and research.
India’s academic ascent
Exploring the data behind India's rise in the QS World University Rankings.
Economic success through higher ed internationalisation
An exclusive interview with Kazakhstani Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek.
Like a bee to honey
Why storytelling is a major part of CASE president Sue Cunningham's daily work.
Meet QS ImpACT's Top Photograph of the Year winner
Ismaila Damilare captured the Science Festival at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Business education for change
Setting up tomorrow's leaders to tackle global problems.
Why are universities struggling with AI integration?
Academics agree it’s essential for universities to incorporate generative AI into the curriculum, though only a small percentage have.
QS World University Rankings: Europe 2025
Explore the latest results of the Europe Rankings.
QS Best Student Cities 2025
Find out the results of the 12th edition of the QS Best Student Cities ranking.
Trust exercise
Letting people know they're interacting with AI is one step. What if they could understand how it works?
During a coffee break at the 2023 EduData Summit in San Fransisco, I was chatting to author Dr Jonathan Reichenthal. He’d just delivered his keynote, “Data culture eats data strategy for breakfast”, and we were discussing some of the points he had raised.
As it was May 2023, we were only six months into gen AI mania, and inevitably, our conversation turned to predictions of what the future of AI and its use in data might look like. Eventually, as we discussed AI’s use in data analysis for work, Dr Reichenthal mentioned the idea of a person setting up their own AI replicant that could respond to other people. Particularly through text and email, it might be possible to create an avatar with such fidelity that differentiation was next to impossible. Possibly, he joked, all email correspondence would be done by AI, with humans none-the-wiser.
While it was only brought up briefly, the idea of interacting with an AI without being aware of doing so seemed like some sort of violation. It turns out I’m not alone. Since ChatGPT’s explosion just over a year and a half ago, other AI tools have become popular, and those who it’s forced on aren’t always happy. I’ve come across countless stories of people booting AI assistants from meetings, or refusing to speak or interact unless it’s removed.
How exactly using an AI tool to annotate a meeting is different from recording it, I’m not exactly sure. The former elicits a lot more hostility than the latter, and I tend to agree. So does the EU, incidentally, which recently introduced its AI Act that specifies people should be aware when they are interacting with AI.
With AI now becoming a very credible way of recruiting students, the QSIM team wondered how this may impact prospective students’ perspectives of their interactions with a university. Selecting an institution has, for a long time, relied on human interaction and connection. Could the benefits of AI recruitment be outweighed by the downsides of reputation loss?
Therefore, this edition of the magazine has decided to go a step further. We will not only let you know that AI is being used for recruitment, but we’ll introduce you to it. We speak to educators implementing chatbots and other AI tools into their recruitment process, and find out the work involved in setting it up and maintaining it.
You may also be surprised to find at times, there’s no AI at all. Several institutions have opted out of AI recruitment, for now at least, for very justifiable reasons. The cost of set up and maintenance is once reason, but others include the breadth of courses offered, the risk of mistakes, and many more.
Also inside, we ask whether there’s such a thing as too much innovation, and why some breakthroughs in education peter out. Likewise, we explore whether online education has peaked. Those working in research might be struggling to get their creative juices flowing, and we ask whether this is a symptom of technology and AI, a fault in current funding models or something else.
The past month has been busy in the world of politics, and we also explore what the UK election results might mean for the country’s higher education sector. Elsewhere in the world, some national policies to restrict the flow of international students clash with regional and city policies to attract more students. We dive into the realities of these tensions.
This is our largest edition of QSIM so far, and one that we think hits a number of vitally important topics. There is plenty to explore and we hope you enjoy.
Anton John Crace
Anton is Editor in Chief of QS Insights Magazine. He also curates the Higher Ed Summits, EDS and Reimagine Education conference at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. He has been writing on the international higher ed sector for over a decade. His recognitions include the Universities Australia Higher Education Journalist of the Year at the National Press Club of Australia, and the International Education Association of Australia award for Excellence in Professional Commentary.
Contributors
Editor in Chief Anton John Crace
Deputy Editor Afifah Darke
Content Manager Khushboo Singh
Contributing Editor Claudia Civinini
Contributing Writers Julia Gilmore Nick Harland Julie Hoeflinger
Gauri Kohli Chloë Lane Laura Lightfinch Seb Murray John O’Leary Niamh Ollerton
Technology Manager Loh Lu Han
Marketing and PR Serena Ricci Mak Leeson
Cover Adobe Firefly, with additional modifications
Magazine contact Publications @qs.com
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The QS Insights Magazine is a monthly, online and print publication that highlights trends within the international education sector.
The online edition is emailed to our network of academics and university leaders worldwide. A limited number of selected copies of the print edition are also sent to university leaders around the world and distributed at QS events.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of QS Quacquarelli Symonds.