Public opinions and scholarly discussions often describe higher education as being in a ‘crisis’. The crisis in higher education is not new; it has existed across time and contexts, with different problematizations of certain phenomena (Tight, 2024). The scope and depth of the higher education crisis also vary from philosophical questioning of the existential issue of higher education to practical matters that people experience. Such discussion on the crisis often brings political debates, asking the public whether higher education is the source of the crisis or the solution to the crisis.

Some crises have always existed in higher education, and they survived by finding gradual solutions and bringing positive changes; some crises are too fundamental and severe and need immediate remedies to prevent them from causing existential issues in universities. When Anatoly Oleksiyenko explained the situation of Ukraine’s higher education during the war, the term ‘crisis’ raised a fundamental question of human being and human society’s existence, and the role of education. However, there was also resilience and connections in national and global education, which shows the hope to overcome the crisis.

The climate emergency in education has also been widely discussed. Marcia McKenzie criticised the lack of emergent actions for the climate crisis due to the social, cultural, and political environments. She showed the promises and pitfalls of international policies for sustainability in education and urged educators and policymakers on how to act across boundaries. Technological development is another source of crisis, threatening the value of current higher education but, simultaneously, a solution to the crisis in higher education by widening access and providing individualised and tailored learning. One of the most interesting episodes of FreshEd was the ChatGPT interview with Will Brehm about Generative AI in Education. Despite the unlimited possibility of technological support in learning and teaching in higher education, there are growing concerns about ethical issues in overly relying on technology. It also involves problems of privacy, data security, and biases in many scholarly activities. The development of technology and artificial intelligence will bring many questions about the existence of classrooms, campuses, or teachers in education.

In the latest dialogue, Anthony Welch also mentioned the urgent higher education crisis caused by declining enrolment due to demographic cliffs in advanced countries. It is unsurprising to see the projection of how many universities will be closed down in the coming years due to the extremely low birth rate in many countries. Universities will be closed, merged, and programmes will be suspended, and students will lose their home universities. The governments will have to find financial solutions to overcome such a crisis. Some of them rely on new financial sources, such as recruiting more international students; however, the discussion on international students brings a new perspective of understanding the higher education crisis due to the political environment.

Anthony Welch’s description of the latest policy of Australian higher education on international students explicitly shows the complexity of the higher education crisis. The crisis started with concerns caused by the Australian government’s latest policy to cap foreign student numbers. Australia’s international education is known as the fourth-biggest industry in the country; it is evident that the new policy will affect new enrolments of international students, leading to economic loss. Despite the expected damages to its reputation as the international educational hub, the government’s bold action is due to the political pressure it has been facing regarding migration. Public criticism of the rising cost of living forced the government to act, targeting migration policies and international students’ entry into the country. The situation vividly shows how the migration issue has become highly politicised in countries like Australia and affects the whole higher education sector in the country.

The crisis of politicising education is not only in the Australian case. Michael Apple, a distinguished curriculum scholar, explains how common-sense notions of democracy and the social functions of education can be misinterpreted and misused politically, using the case of the USA, especially during Trump’s presidential campaign. Politicians mobilise ideologies for political purposes, and the public quickly chooses the emotional decision over fact-based rational decisions.

Acknowledging multiple crises does not bring immediate solutions. Some may say that we overuse the notion of crisis. Others may feel that higher education has evolved by adapting to the crisis and meeting the needs of a changing society. However, noticing various challenges in higher education and bringing them to the dialogue are the first steps to consider the possible solutions based on various viewpoints.

January 3, 2025