When I arrived in the U.S. as an international student 33 years ago, the world felt open. Studying abroad wasn’t just about earning a degree — it was about challenging ideas, expanding…
On my recent visit to India, a high school counselor shared the story of one of her bright students, who seemingly is caught in an agent’s web and is considering…
I’ve been traveling across India for the past two weeks—just as I have for the last 15 years—visiting high schools, speaking with students, engaging with counselors, and connecting with school…
2+2, 3+1, or even the new and improved 3.5+1.5… regardless of how you add it up, the math ain’t mathing.
Those of us in international education share a common purpose:…
Standardized tests have long been sold as the great equalizer—a clean, quantifiable measure of merit. A simple solution to a complex question: Who deserves access to higher education? But anyone…
“The secret to life is to waste time in ways that you like.” Ah, such profound wisdom from a great philosopher. Was it Socrates, Confucius, or maybe Nietzsche? Nah, today's profound…
I landed in Lawrence, Kansas, in January 1992 with $92 in my pocket and a deal with my father—if he funded my first two semesters of tuition, I’d figure out…
Written by Girish C. Ballolla
Founder & CEO – Gen Next Education
As I walked the halls of the AIEA conference last week, surrounded by international education leaders from around the world,…
I still remember the first time I heard the term "bully pulpit." What a weird way to describe the presidency, I thought. To me, a pulpit was a place of influence, where leaders…
“You, my friend, have gumption,” said Jim Long, Director of the Kansas Union at the University of Kansas. Gumption? As someone for whom English is a fourth language, it sounded almost…
As we drove past the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus in Bangalore a couple of weeks ago, I was transported back to the summer of 1991, when I would…
In 2009, I had my first encounter with the devastating consequences of unchecked education agents. A group of students from Hyderabad, India, arrived in Minneapolis, MN, with dreams of earning…