Too much higher education is never enough
A jam-packed second edition of QS Insights' Asia supplement barely scratches the surface of what the region is up to.
If you're paying attention to higher ed headlines in the Anglophone world — and let's be honest, it's getting harder and harder to ignore them — you'll know that things are dour at the moment and threaten to get worse. In fact, you could argue that things have been this way for more than just a moment.
Higher education and international education are being deprioritised or actively combatted in some areas. You barely need to image that headaches this is causing university leaders.
For me, this makes this edition of QS Insights that much more refreshing. Our second Asia-focussed edition, which covers the Asia Pacific through to the Arab region, is packed with stories of countries that are not only prioritising education — both domestic and international — but are also demanding their universities do more. In some places, I can imagine university leaders are also experiencing headaches, albeit form having to choose which opportunity to seize first.
There are plenty of strategies (almost one a month, it would seem), but there’s also growth in investment, the implementation of new operating models not only for institutions but entire sectors, and emerging study destinations. It seems to be a golden period for plenty of destinations in Asia.
But, ultimately, this barely scratches the surface of what's happening in the region. You can learn more at both our Asia Pacific summit, in Bali in November, or our Middle East summit, in
If you’ve picked this up at one of our summits, firstly, thank you. However, you’ll notice the sheer size of this document. Online, the page numbers should give you an indication, too.
So, with that said, I won’t spend any longer on why you should read this edition, except to encourage you to make yourself comfortable and discover what Asian higher ed has to offer.
Stay insightful.
Anton John Crace is Editor in Chief of QS Insights. 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.