QS Insights Magazine
Issue 22 October 2024
Research Diplomacy
Contents
The power of prompts
How prompt engineering in AI can boost international student engagement?
Paying for university in the UK
Can universities help release some of the financial pressure before students begin to turn their back on higher education?
Off the beaten track
What new study destinations are attracting the eyes of international students?
How important is building an online personal brand for graduates?
How important is building an online personal brand for graduates?
Reflection with purpose
Have you recognised the ‘spots of time’ that have made you who you are?
The evolution of interdisciplinary learning
Busier lives, algorithmic echo chambers and tight focus on a single discipline are at odds with students’ desire to engage with diverse topics.
Research diplomacy
The role of higher education in a new geopolitical era.
Will Japan’s merging universities emerge triumphant?
For decades universities in Japan have merged together impacting recruitment and reputation, many more aspire to for survival or growth.
Shaping tomorrow: How Dubai’s new university will redefine education in the Arab Region
Shaping tomorrow: How Dubai’s new university will redefine education in the Arab Region.
QS World University Rankings: Latin America & The Caribbean 2025
The latest results from this year's Latin America and the Caribbean rankings.
Diplomatic immunity
It's something we all have to deal with, even if we wish we didn't.
It’s not unusual to hear at some point during a conference on international education that one of the hidden benefits of the sector is its ability to foster soft diplomacy. A student travels to a different country, build an affinity with it, which later in life translates to economic or political advantage.
Either the student comes back to visit occasionally, or they are in a position of influence that might benefit the host. Even more simply, the connections and friendships developed mean a network that spans the globe.
What you tend not to hear as often, however, is the hard diplomacy in practice to get research collaboration over the line. It gets hinted. There are always “challenges”, “concerns”, “difficulties”, “barriers” and other euphemisms, but people rarely say go in to details.
In this edition, we decide to get into the weeds of what research diplomacy means and how institutions practice it. Perhaps unexpectedly, the truth about many partnerships is that they involved more than just two parties, with third-party organizations working to create frames that aim for equitable outcomes.
But, the message is clear. Despite the headaches it can cause, good practice in diplomacy can lead to results that are more than the sum of their parts.
Intentionality is also a key theme of the October edition of QS Insights Magazine. We find out about a new programme for managers to build in mindfulness and reflection into their studies and work. We also consider how prompt engineering will play a larger role and what universities should be doing to help students and graduates.
The past months have seen us talk a lot about elements that may dampen international student numbers in traditional destinations, UK, US, Australia and Canada. With globally mobile student numbers expected to grow, we look at where else they may go instead.
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
Clients Service Specialist Khushboo Singh
Contributing Writers Dr Ashwin Fernandes Julia Gilmore Julie Hoeflinger Gauri Kohli Chloë Lane
Laura Lightfinch Rohan Mehra Seb Murray Niamh Ollerton Tomer du Sautoy Gordon Scott
Events Technology Manager Loh Lu Han
Marketing and PR Serena Ricci Mak Leeson
Cover Adobe Firefly, with additional modifications
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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.