- 9, 16 & 23 December 2025
Introduction
Hosted by The Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE), this webinar series provides an international platform for scholars and academics to discuss issues related to the value of higher education in the contemporary society with rapid social, economic and political changes. Universities are increasingly influenced by the growing impact of geo-politics, the call for AI and STEM in education and pressure to meet economic purposes. This webinar series critically examines diverse topics/issues related to the purposes and roles of university education, and how universities across different parts of the globe respond to the complexity of changes highlighted above.
Session
The Political Economy of Higher Education in Early America ｜9 December 2025
Date: 9 December 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (UKT) / 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm (HKT)
Format: In-person at the Seminar Room E (Department of Education), University of Oxford or online on MS Teams, registration required
Speaker(s):
- Adam R. NELSON, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Abstract:
This presentation will consider the political economy of higher education in early America, from the mid-eighteenth through the early-nineteenth century. It notes the various ways in which higher education was commodified and commercialized in that period and the strategies that institutions used to bolster their "market position." It concludes with thoughts on the relationship between liberalization and polarization in the "modern" political economy of American higher education.
For more detail, please visit the website HERE.
Growing Impact of Geopolitics on Higher Education: The Role of Liberal Arts Education and Transdisciplinary Studies in Asia ｜16 December 2025
Date: 16 December 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (UKT) / 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm (HKT)
Format: In-person at the Seminar Room E (Department of Education), University of Oxford or online on MS Teams, registration required
Speaker(s):
- MOK Ka-ho, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Abstract:
Higher education development is increasingly influenced by the complex context of growing impact of geopolitics, the intensified pressure for addressing economic purposes and the call for AI and STEM in education and skill formation. This webinar critically examines the role of liberal arts education in nurturing caring professionals with a strong emphasis on transdisciplinary studies orientation and whole-person development. This webinar invites dialogue from participants to critically discuss the importance of repurposing university education to address the complex changes facing the humanities.
For more detail, please visit the website HERE.
The Mobility of Students from China to UK Amid the Geopolitics Dynamic ｜23 December 2025
Date: 23 December 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (UKT) / 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm (HKT)
Format: In-person at the Seminar Room E (Department of Education), University of Oxford or online on MS Teams, registration required
Speaker(s):
- SHEN Wenqin, Peking University
Abstract:
Since the 1980s, the transnational mobility of university students has expanded dramatically, fueled by the twin engines of neoliberalism and liberal internationalism. From the 1990s onward, China emerged as the dominant source of international students for major Western destinations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Yet, in the current era of geopolitical realignment and intensifying U.S.-China competition, the overseas mobility of Chinese students faces unprecedented disruption. This presentation tackles the critical questions arising from this new reality: How will the UK adapt its international student policies in response? How are Chinese students recalibrating their decisions in light of these shifts? And what new patterns will characterize the flow of Chinese students to the UK? Drawing on a rich dataset of nearly 400 interviews conducted since 2020, this research reveals how geopolitical tensions are reshaping study abroad opportunities and driving strategic destination shifts—including a notable pivot from the United States to the United Kingdom.
For more detail, please visit the website HERE.
Booking
Register to attend on MS Teams.
*You do not need to register if you are attending in-person*
Contact Us
For enquires, please contact us at gs-event@hsu.edu.hk.