150K fewer international students this fall? That’s what one analysis predicts. - Ben Unglesbee, Higher Ed Dive

A sharp drop in foreign enrollment could cost colleges $7 billion in revenue and 60,000 jobs, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.  International enrollment at U.S. colleges could drop by as much as 150,000 students this fall unless the federal government ramps up its issuing of visas this summer, according to recent projections from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The financial consequences could be severe. A 30% to 40% decline in new foreign students would lead to a 15% overall drop in international enrollment and, with it, a potential loss of $7 billion in revenue for colleges and 60,000 higher education jobs, NAFSA estimated. The organization attributed the projected decline to various Trump administration actions, including travel bans and an earlier suspension of visa interviews. NAFSA called on Congress to direct the State Department to expedite processing for student visas. 

https://www.highereddive.com/news/international-student-decline-fall-2025-projection/756500/

What to make of the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan - Sorelle Friedler, Brookings

Last week, the Trump administration revealed its AI Action Plan. President Donald Trump first directed high-level officials to develop the plan in one of his early executive orders on January 23, 2025, seeking to create a roadmap to “sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.” Amid its development, over 10,000 public comments were submitted, resulting in three pillars of development to advance American AI leadership: innovation, infrastructure, and global influence. According to the plan, achieving the goals under these pillars will require building AI infrastructure, leading AI diplomacy among the government, creating quality jobs through AI for American workers, designing systems free from ideological bias, and preventing AI misuse by malicious actors. In this piece, scholars from across Brookings unpack the contents of the plan and discuss its implications in the U.S. and abroad. 

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-to-make-of-the-trump-administrations-ai-action-plan/

"AlphaGo Moment" For Self Improving AI... can this be real? - Wes Roth, YouTube

]This podcast discusses a new research paper from China titled "AlphaGo Moment for model architecture discovery" [00:05]. The paper introduces ASIArch, an AI system that autonomously innovates its own architecture, claiming that humans are the bottleneck in AI research [01:12, 01:21]. ASIArch reportedly conducted almost 2,000 autonomous experiments, discovering 106 innovative linear attention architectures, and the researchers claim to have established the first empirical scaling law for scientific discovery, suggesting that increased computation can lead to better architectures and more innovation [02:54, 03:31]. The research found that a small number of approaches yielded the majority of breakthroughs, with a significant contribution from the AI's own experience [08:29, 09:42]. While the implications are significant, some experts have expressed skepticism regarding the methodology [15:30, 15:56]. The research is open source, and the general trend of self-improving AI research is growing [17:18, 17:32]. [Gemini 2.5 Flash assisted with generating the summary of the this podcast]

https://youtu.be/QGeql15rcLo?si=y5INogOU2DcCKa_D

AI in the University: From Generative Assistant to Autonomous Agent This Fall - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Education

We have become accustomed to generative artificial intelligence in the past couple of years. That will not go away, but increasingly, it will serve in support of agents. “Where generative AI creates, agentic AI acts.” That’s how my trusted assistant, Gemini 2.5 Pro deep research, describes the difference. By the way, I commonly use Gemini 2.5 Pro as one of my research tools, as I have in this column, however, it is I who writes the column. Agents, unlike generative tools, create and perform multistep goals with minimal human supervision. The essential difference is found in its proactive nature. Rather than waiting for a specific, step-by-step command, agentic systems take a high-level objective and independently create and execute a plan to achieve that goal. This triggers a continuous, iterative workflow that is much like a cognitive loop.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2025/08/05/ai-university-assistant-autonomous-agent

OpenAI launches Study Mode in ChatGPT - Maxwell Zeff, TechCrunch

OpenAI announced Tuesday the launch of Study Mode, a new feature within ChatGPT that aims to help students develop their own critical thinking skills, rather than simply obtain answers to questions. With Study Mode enabled, ChatGPT will ask users questions to test their understanding and, in some cases, refuse to offer direct answers unless students engage with the material. OpenAI says Study Mode is rolling out to logged in users on ChatGPT’s Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans starting Tuesday. The company expects to introduce Study Mode to its Edu subscribers, which largely consists of young people whose school administrator’s have purchased a plan for the entire student body, in the coming weeks.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/29/openai-launches-study-mode-in-chatgpt/

Researchers create ‘virtual scientists’ to solve complex biological problems - Hanae Armitage, Stanford

Stanford Medicine researchers created a team of virtual scientists backed by artificial intelligence to help solve problems in their real-world lab. There may be a new artificial intelligence-driven tool to turbocharge scientific discovery: virtual labs. Modeled after a well-established Stanford School of Medicine research group, the virtual lab is complete with an AI principal investigator and seasoned scientists. “Good science happens when we have deep, interdisciplinary collaborations where people from different backgrounds work together, and often that’s one of the main bottlenecks and challenging parts of research,” said James Zou, PhD, associate professor of biomedical data science who led a study detailing the development of the virtual lab. “In parallel, we’ve seen this tremendous advance in AI agents, which, in a nutshell, are AI systems based on language models that are able to take more proactive actions.”

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/07/virtual-scientist.html

The need to reinvent universities for the learning society - Patrick Blessinger, University World News

The traditional boundaries between and among post-secondary institutions are transforming. The university is no longer the exclusive owner of knowledge. The disciplinary silos continue to erode as interdisciplinary learning continues to grow. Learning is no longer a one-time activity; now it’s a continuous practice. The need for accessible, applicable, skills-based learning paths is reshaping the relationship between post-secondary institutions, civil society and learners. Every university has to shift away from its traditional role as knowledge gatekeepers to become learning facilitators so that learners are able to gain knowledge and skills in a world increasingly characterised by risk, uncertainty and complexity.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250711132629137

Six Tactics to Get Better Results From AI - Ethan Mollick, et al; Knowledge at Wharton

Achieving valuable results from AI is as much about the quality of your prompts as the capabilities of the tool. You can be a more effective “human in the loop” by refining your ability to formulate clear, specific, and context-rich queries, and obtain more useful solutions and actionable insights as a result. Here are six key tactics — grounded in Wharton research — to help you create more effective AI prompts for business applications.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/six-tactics-to-get-better-results-from-ai/

The Rise of AI Will Make Liberal Arts Degrees Popular Again. Here's Why - Jessica Stillman, Inc.

If the decline is clear, so are the reasons for the fall. Given the huge financial cost of most college degrees, many students want theirs to lead directly to gainful employment. Many struggle to see how studying philosophy or comparative literature will get them a job. STEM and business degrees seem a much safer bet. What’s driving the revival of his long dormant liberal arts-honed critical thinking skills? AI, he explained: “The technical skills are being provided by the machine, or by very competent people in other parts of the world who have really nailed the technical skills at a relatively low cost. I’m going to go back to curiosity and empathy. Really, really understand the audience that you’re dealing with and anticipate those needs beforehand.”

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-rise-of-ai-will-make-liberal-arts-degrees-popular-again-heres-why/91206953

Using artificial intelligence in sustainability teaching and learning - Walter Leal Filho, Eundeok Kim, Jaluza Maria Lima Silva Borsatto & Carla Bonato Marcolin, Environmental Sciences Europe

By means of a set of case studies and a survey from 45 countries, it examines the current use of AI as a tool towards sustainable development identifying some areas where action is needed. The results show that the integration of AI in SE has the potential to significantly enhance the learning experience by providing personalized instruction and facilitating interactive simulations that deepen students' understanding of complex environmental issues. In addition, AI tools can increase student engagement through personalized learning paths and real-time feedback, fostering a more interactive and immersive educational environment that encourages critical thinking and problem-solving.

https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-025-01159-w

University promotes benefits of online learning with new campaign - Adriana Doria, WOOD-TV

Higher education continues to navigate a changing environment trying to find ways to differentiate themselves. Many are leaning into online learning courses.  Davenport University recently launched a new campaign, Online: On Your Time, which the university said is aimed at breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions. “We really see that more and more students are looking for the flexibility that online courses can offer,” Davenport University’s Director of Marketing Kate Barch told News 8.  The university launched a campaign with a release, stating: “Davenport prioritizes the student experience. 

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/university-promotes-benefits-of-online-learning-with-new-campaign/

Are misperceptions about higher education’s cost causing adults to skip college? - Danielle McLean, Higher Ed Dive

Around three-fourths of adults say college is unaffordable, though most “significantly” overestimated the cost of attendance, a recent survey found. A large majority of U.S. adults say the cost of attaining a college degree is more expensive than it actually is — a perception that may cause some to forgo education beyond high school, according to a May report from Strada. Among adults , 77% say college is unaffordable, according to Strada’s November 2024 survey of over 2,000 people. And 65% somewhat or strongly agreed that college is prohibitively expensive, regardless of how motivated the student is. But most people significantly overestimated the cost of attending both two- and four- year public institutions, the report found. 

https://www.highereddive.com/news/college-affordability-misperceptions-strada-survey/752553/

The learning organization: How to accelerate AI adoption - Bob Sternfels and Yuval Atsmon, McKinsey

The rapid rise of gen AI highlights a workplace reality: Front lines often embrace new tech much faster than managers do. Here’s how to overcome organizational blocks to transformative ideas. The dizzying speed at which AI technology is evolving makes it nearly impossible to keep up with the many new ways that it could transform how people work. Yet for most organizations, the gap between what’s possible and what’s implemented is steadily widening. A 2024 McKinsey Global Survey found that nine in ten employees used gen AI for their work, and 21 percent of them were heavy users.1 But while employee enthusiasm was high, the formal adoption of AI tools across most organizations lagged behind: Only 13 percent of surveyed employees considered their organization to be an early adopter.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-learning-organization-how-to-accelerate-ai-adoption

Americans Recognize Nuances of Higher Ed’s Value - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed

New data shows that confidence in higher education is on the rise and most Americans, regardless of party affiliation, share a similar vision for what colleges should prioritize. A group of university students are seen from behind walking outside on campus as they make their way to class. Most Democrats and Republicans believe higher ed should equip students to become informed citizens and critical thinkers. “Increasingly, higher ed is being cast as elite, expensive and not connected with everyday Americans,” said Sophie Nguyen, senior policy manager with the higher education team at New America, the left-leaning think tank that published its annual Varying Degrees survey on Wednesday. “There’s a significant disconnect in the narrative about what higher ed is” and how it’s perceived.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/academics/2025/07/17/americans-recognize-nuances-higher-eds-value

States, nonprofits look to capture quality of non-degree credentials - Alcino Donadel, University Business

As states cash in on the potential of non-degree credentials to become a more significant engine for economic mobility, new frameworks are emerging to ensure these innovative programs pass muster. There are over one million credentials offered in the U.S., 60% of which come in the form of badges, licenses, certifications and apprenticeships, according to a 2024 report from Credential Engine. However, at least a third of today’s short-term credentials fail to offer earners any significant wage increase, per Lumina Foundation. “We now know that states are spending about five and a half billion dollars on short-term credentials and looking to spend more,” said Kermit Kaleba, strategy director for credentials of value at Lumina. “How do they know if the investments they’re making are leading to the kinds of labor market outcomes, job outcomes that they want? How do they know employers are finding the talent that they want?”

https://universitybusiness.com/states-nonprofits-look-to-capture-quality-of-non-degree-credentials/

How higher education is coping with surging budget deficits - Alcino Donadel, University Business

Budget cuts—followed by tuition increases and staff layoffs—at Duke, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and Harvard universities midway through the spring semester sent shockwaves through the higher education community as the sector copes with challenging deficits. Their struggles proved to be the canary in the coal mine for further announcements from more than a dozen colleges and universities through the summer. “This is a day of loss for all of us,” wrote four executive leaders from Boston University as they announced 120 staff layoffs last week. “Over the coming months, there will be many efforts to reshape and reimagine the university in its most efficient and vital form.”

https://universitybusiness.com/how-higher-education-is-coping-with-surging-budget-deficits/

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap - Mark Muro and Shriya Methkupally, Brookings

Artificial intelligence is transforming the U.S. economy, yet regional disparities in talent development, research capacity, and enterprise adoption are stark, and not yet fully understood.  AI activity remains highly concentrated, with the Bay Area alone accounting for 13% of all AI-related job postings.  However, the recent boom in generative AI and agentic systems is beginning to widen the geography of AI activity to a broader set of emerging metro areas. To fully harness the power of AI, the U.S. should combine supportive national strategy with “bottom–up” economic development by regions.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/mapping-the-ai-economy-which-regions-are-ready-for-the-next-technology-leap/

The Impact of ChatGPT on Students' Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis - Zhiwei Liu, Haode Zuo, Yongjing Lu; JCAL

 The findings reveal that ChatGPT has a moderately positive impact on students' academic achievement, with an overall effect size of g = 0.577 (95% CI [0.395, 0.759], p < 0.001). Further analysis of moderating variables indicates that no significant differences are observed across educational levels, role-setting, or learning approaches. A greater effect is observed in the social sciences compared to other disciplines; an intervention duration of 5–10 weeks has a larger impact on academic achievement compared to other durations; sample sizes ranging from 21 to 40 participants exhibit a larger impact on academic achievement than other sample sizes; ChatGPT is more effective in supporting the learning of declarative knowledge compared to procedural knowledge; the combination of traditional classrooms with ChatGPT is more effective than using ChatGPT in a flipped classroom; compared to generating code, using ChatGPT to generate text has better academic achievement.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcal.70096?af=R

AI is helping students be more independent, but the isolation could be career poison - Tara García Mathewson, CalMatters

Students don’t have the same incentives to talk to their professors — or even their classmates — anymore. Chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have given them a new path to self-sufficiency. Instead of asking a professor for help on a paper topic, students can go to a chatbot. Instead of forming a study group, students can ask AI for help. These chatbots give them quick responses, on their own timeline. For students juggling school, work and family responsibilities, that ease can seem like a lifesaver. And maybe turning to a chatbot for homework help here and there isn’t such a big deal in isolation. But every time a student decides to ask a question of a chatbot instead of a professor or peer or tutor, that’s one fewer opportunity to build or strengthen a relationship, and the human connections students make on campus are among the most important benefits of college. 

https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2025/07/chatbots/

Being a high-performer CEO isn’t enough. True leadership involves empathy - Fast Company

In this landscape, CEOs are increasingly being measured by their ability to generate financial returns. But true leadership requires hitting more than financial targets. The most effective leaders understand that long-term success depends on balancing financial acumen with empathetic leadership. Those who fail to adapt risk becoming transactional managers rather than transformational leaders. Understanding this shift and defining one’s leadership approach is more critical now than ever.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91313195/being-a-high-performer-ceo-isnt-enough-true-leadership-involves-empathy

I tried a ‘mindful browser’ that promises to help reduce stress—here’s why I’ll keep using it - Renée Onque, CNBC

Busy work days are often stressful and exhausting, especially when you’re sitting at your laptop for hours at a time. So when I came across a new browser created to help reduce stress, I was pretty intrigued. The creators of the Opera Browser, founded in the 90s, developed a new “mindful browser” called Opera Air that aims to lower stress and improve focus while working. The browser, launched early this month, is available for download on MacOS and Windows.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/28/i-tried-a-mindful-browser-that-promises-to-help-reduce-stress.html