Today's global economy requires a highly skilled labor force that is prepared to compete on the world stage. Studies from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Brookings Institution, and the Conference Board have all identified building and maintaining a highly skilled workforce as a national and local imperative. If America is…

Over the past decade, policymakers and business leaders across New England have been concerned that the region's slower population growth and loss of residents to other parts of the country will lead to a shortage of skilled labor--particularly when the baby boom generation retires. Prior to the Great Recession, the concern was that an inadequate…

Since New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) began publishing tables and charts exploring "Trends & Indicators" in New England higher education more than a half-century ago, few figures have grabbed as much attention as college "enrollment" data. These local, state, regional and national data go beyond simple headcounts of students going to…

Since the start of the global financial crisis a little over two years ago, many concerns have been raised on how it might affect funding to higher education and whether or not it might hasten moves toward greater cost sharing. While, globally, some steps have been taken in this direction, in most countries, hard decisions have yet to be taken on…

Thanks to its dedicated teachers and committed students, Massachusetts leads the nation in student achievement and classroom innovation. Massachusetts has made education its top priority because it's the path to a more fulfilling life, a more rewarding career and a richer society. The author has personally experienced the transformative power of…

The constant flow of alarming economic and business news, rapidly declining endowments and potential disruption to the student-loan industry have all beaten down optimism about higher education's financial and strategic outlook. Universities large and small have announced budget cuts, layoffs, salary freezes, capital spending slowdowns and other…

New Englanders have been well-served by the region's higher education legacy. They tend to be better-educated and more prosperous than the rest of the nation, and the cultural life in their cities and towns is exceptionally rich. But New England dares not rest on its laurels. The growing demand for even greater levels of educational attainment in…

What does it really take to shape a generation of well-rounded young people who will support their families, strengthen their communities, and uphold the values of a civil society? New insights about when and where learning takes place reveal the connection between a child's summer experiences and his or her success in school and beyond. In so…

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) exemplifies the engagement work at the forefront of Australia's efforts to move its universities into a central role in addressing the global economy. QUT not only has devoted much discussion to how a university might stimulate the creative economy (or, as they call it, "creative industry"), but has also…

New England and the nation as a whole is facing intensifying global competition and rapidly growing demands for a skilled workforce. In addition, significant increases in spending by students and taxpayers have not moved the needle: the percentage of adults with a college degree has changed little over the past decade. New England must act now to…

The United States has long been a world leader in education, innovation, high-tech employment, and research and development (R&D). Its future status, however, is not secure. This is the conclusion of more than two dozen reports in recent years from a variety of groups of business leaders, educators and government officials. In this article, the…

Before long, microfinance was, if not a household word, at least a popular term among economists and aid workers denoting a strategy of trying to improve the circumstances of disadvantaged populations by making loans as small as $25 to support microenterprise. At the same time, globalization, diversification and civic engagement were gaining…

From the hierarchical, governmental, industrial, military model of the 20th century, society is moving rapidly toward a globalized, interactive market. This new order is tailor-made for regional development but also challenges regions to think and act strategically in a world of weakened central governments and growing international currency…

Campus-based public policy institutes with local, state, and regional orientations may play a profound role in shaping New England's future by addressing a variety of issues, including achieving quality in public schools, access to health care and other social services, job creation, environmental protection and creation of livable communities,…

New England is experiencing globalization at a rapid pace, including enrollment of foreign college and university students. If the area is to reap the economic and cultural advantages of foreign enrollment, it must maintain a hospitable climate for both foreign trade and foreign students. This process can be enhanced by the admissions and alumni…