Alex Usher
@alexusherhesa.bsky.social
Higher Education. All of it. All around the world. Also: snark, sumo, Winnipeg Jets triumphalism and bitching about Toronto FC.
I blog here: https://higheredstrategy.com/blog/
I podcast here: https://worlded.transistor.fm/
I blog here: https://higheredstrategy.com/blog/
I podcast here: https://worlded.transistor.fm/
Super-excited about the bits of the Review's Terms of Reference that have been censored..
November 25, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Super-excited about the bits of the Review's Terms of Reference that have been censored..
Canadian professors by selected age ranges, 1971-2021
November 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Canadian professors by selected age ranges, 1971-2021
Scale map of Shanghai Jiaotong's Minhang campus. 2.5 km long, 1.25 km deep.
November 15, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Scale map of Shanghai Jiaotong's Minhang campus. 2.5 km long, 1.25 km deep.
I so desperately want these two stories to be related.
November 7, 2025 at 11:57 PM
I so desperately want these two stories to be related.
1) January is going to be a blast.
2) Incredibly proud of our team.
2) Incredibly proud of our team.
October 28, 2025 at 10:35 AM
1) January is going to be a blast.
2) Incredibly proud of our team.
2) Incredibly proud of our team.
When are you home?
October 26, 2025 at 7:10 PM
When are you home?
What the absolute fuck
October 26, 2025 at 4:13 PM
What the absolute fuck
Have decided I am now a sun devil
October 24, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Have decided I am now a sun devil
Man, seems like everyone is heading for the Gulf
October 20, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Man, seems like everyone is heading for the Gulf
This is now a cool photo
October 16, 2025 at 9:09 PM
This is now a cool photo
And final take, real change in public expenditure on higher education 2018-2023. As you can see the lens you choose to look at change over time really does matter. Note that the fall in Argentina is all *before* Milei took office. That's how bad inflation was.
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
And final take, real change in public expenditure on higher education 2018-2023. As you can see the lens you choose to look at change over time really does matter. Note that the fall in Argentina is all *before* Milei took office. That's how bad inflation was.
Same data, Real change in public expenditures on higher education, only charting the difference over a shorter period of time, 2013 to 2023. UK is still godawful. Korea looks amazing. The idea that India has expanded enrolment by 50% (+16M students) on a mere 8% growth in funding is...wild.
October 9, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Same data, Real change in public expenditures on higher education, only charting the difference over a shorter period of time, 2013 to 2023. UK is still godawful. Korea looks amazing. The idea that India has expanded enrolment by 50% (+16M students) on a mere 8% growth in funding is...wild.
Real change in public expenditures on higher education, 2008 to 2023, selected countries that actually publish the damn data. UK is worst here, but note this does not include RAB (projected future loan forgiveness, basically). If RAB is included...UK would still be last.
October 9, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Real change in public expenditures on higher education, 2008 to 2023, selected countries that actually publish the damn data. UK is worst here, but note this does not include RAB (projected future loan forgiveness, basically). If RAB is included...UK would still be last.
On that note I have been looking at global patterns of enrolment data. If you Turkiye out of the equation there has basically been zero increase in enrolments inside the OECD for about a decade now (and Turkiye is now in reverse as well). Outside OECD still seeing around 4%/year growth.
October 8, 2025 at 11:08 AM
On that note I have been looking at global patterns of enrolment data. If you Turkiye out of the equation there has basically been zero increase in enrolments inside the OECD for about a decade now (and Turkiye is now in reverse as well). Outside OECD still seeing around 4%/year growth.
The thing to remember about what's going on in Argentinian higher education is that the erosion of public transfers to universities via inflation is something that long predates Milei.
(budgeted public transfer to universities in billions of 2024 pesos)
(budgeted public transfer to universities in billions of 2024 pesos)
October 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM
The thing to remember about what's going on in Argentinian higher education is that the erosion of public transfers to universities via inflation is something that long predates Milei.
(budgeted public transfer to universities in billions of 2024 pesos)
(budgeted public transfer to universities in billions of 2024 pesos)
China, public higher education expenditure, in billions of 2024 yuan.
Unimaginable increases pre-2017? You bet. Dead in the water since then? Also yes.
Unimaginable increases pre-2017? You bet. Dead in the water since then? Also yes.
October 6, 2025 at 12:24 AM
China, public higher education expenditure, in billions of 2024 yuan.
Unimaginable increases pre-2017? You bet. Dead in the water since then? Also yes.
Unimaginable increases pre-2017? You bet. Dead in the water since then? Also yes.
Big 7 European countries, change in real public funding since 2008 (2008=100).
tl; dr - Poland good, UK bad
tl; dr - Poland good, UK bad
October 6, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Big 7 European countries, change in real public funding since 2008 (2008=100).
tl; dr - Poland good, UK bad
tl; dr - Poland good, UK bad
Polish public higher education spending in billions of 2024 zloty. These guys know what they are doing.
October 5, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Polish public higher education spending in billions of 2024 zloty. These guys know what they are doing.
Mexican federal government spending on higher education, in billions of constant 2024 pesos. Nasty
October 5, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Mexican federal government spending on higher education, in billions of constant 2024 pesos. Nasty
The major reason tuition is free in Scandinavia: absent that, the ROI on education would be negative.
September 28, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The major reason tuition is free in Scandinavia: absent that, the ROI on education would be negative.
Well now this is a heck of a graph
September 25, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Well now this is a heck of a graph
"Yes, Canada got screwed over in the Global War for Talent. But for one brief moment, Conestoga had seven campuses, one of them named after John Tibbits"
September 24, 2025 at 1:58 PM
"Yes, Canada got screwed over in the Global War for Talent. But for one brief moment, Conestoga had seven campuses, one of them named after John Tibbits"