More than a dozen US colleges have announced hiring freezes and cost-cutting measures amid uncertainty about federal policy changes. Harvard, MIT, Notre Dame, and several others have frozen faculty and staff positions to preserve financial flexibility. The University of Washington's provost, Tricia Serio, has emphasized the need for proactive planning to protect against potential funding cuts. Emory University President Gregory Fenves has also taken steps to reduce expenses, citing a "significant disruption" to finances.
https://apnews.com/article/college-jobs-education-department-nih-trump-antisemitism-af96e181e7958998a0fca0c8bb462b1eThe US Department of Education is investigating 45 colleges and universities for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs. The list includes major public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State, and Rutgers, as well as prestigious private schools like Yale, Cornell, Duke, and MIT. Seven specific institutions are being investigated for awarding "impermissible race-based scholarships" or segregating students on the basis of race, including Grand Valley State University, Ithaca College, New England College of Optometry, the University of Alabama, the University of Minnesota, the University of South Florida, and the University of Tulsa School of Medicine.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/nation-world/more-than-50-universities-face-federal-investigations-trump-anti-dei-campaign/507-b48569d9-e5b2-46ab-9469-69b95f184823More than 50 US universities are under investigation over concerns about their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, according to a warning issued by the US Department of Education.
https://krcgtv.com/news/nation-world/more-than-50-universities-under-department-of-education-doe-investigation-after-warning-over-dei-diversity-equity-inclusion-practices-race-exclusionary-civil-rights-illegal-discrimination-education-secretary-linda-mcmahon-phd-project#The US Education Department has launched an investigation into partnerships between colleges and the PhD Project, a nonprofit that aims to increase diversity in business degrees. The department claims that some of these colleges are engaging in "race-exclusionary practices" by limiting eligibility based on race. Seven colleges, including Arizona State, Yale, and Grand Valley State University, are under scrutiny for awarding "impermissible race-based scholarships" or segregating students by race. The investigation is part of a broader expansion of a 2023 Supreme Court decision that bars colleges from using race as a factor in admissions, except in certain circumstances.
https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/mit-among-50-universities-facing-federal-investigations-part-trumps-anti-dei-campaign/EYPUJJFGZBCTBCJ6BEIUCIRKZI/The federal arts funding body has released its review into the governance and decision-making process that led to the controversial withdrawal of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino's contract as Australia's representatives at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The review, conducted by Blackhall and Pearl, will focus on developing recommendations for robust policies and processes to prevent similar decisions in the future. Hundreds of artists and curators have signed an open letter calling for Sabsabi and Dagostino's reinstatement and the immediate standing down of Creative Australia's CEO and chairman.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/review-into-controversial-dumping-of-biennale-artistic-duo-to-avoid-key-question-20250314-p5ljmb.htmlThe session ended with a collaborative tone, emphasizing the importance of aligning AI adoption with educational institutions' broader goals. This suggests a focus on strategic planning to ensure effective integration of AI in education.
https://opengovasia.com/2025/03/13/exclusive-ai-meets-academia-innovating-the-path-to-educational-excellence/The Beijing Municipal Education Commission plans to introduce innovative teaching methods using AI companions and assistants to facilitate human-computer dialogue learning. This move aims to cultivate AI talent by collaborating with universities and secondary schools, including developing "advanced AI education courses". The introduction of new AI models like Alibaba's QwQ-32B and the powerful agent Manus has boosted optimism in the sector, following President Xi Jinping's recent talks with Chinese tech tycoons.
https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2025/03/14/beijing-to-roll-out-ai-lessons-for-primary-secondary-studentsThe Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom2) has urged the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to collaborate on revising the senior high school curriculum, citing concerns that K-12 graduates are not job-ready or college ready as promised when the K-12 system was introduced in 2013.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/03/15/news/national/edcom-pushes-collaborative-curriculum-revision/2073675The UAE's GEMS For Life programme has made higher education more accessible through nearly Dh1 billion worth of scholarships, available to students across 47 schools in the UAE and Qatar. The programme, in collaboration with global universities and admission platforms, allows students to create a single profile detailing their academic achievements, interests, and aspirations, which is then reviewed by multiple universities who extend offers.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/education/uae-students-scholarships-reverse-university-admissions