“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…
What do Hamdi Ulukaya, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Mike Krieger, Noubar Afeyan, Sergey Brin, and Girish Ballolla have in common? They all came to the U.S. as students, armed with…
India is poised for something extraordinary. Its population of 1.4+ billion, half of whom are under the age of 30, offers an unparalleled advantage in a world where developed economies…
There are days when everything feels surreal, like life has taken on this dreamlike quality that’s both exhilarating and disorienting. Traveling around India, especially in Bangalore, amplifies that feeling. The…
Welcome to the first edition of My Next Thought—this weekly newsletter is a space to cut through the noise, explore emerging trends, and provide actionable insights for international education professionals.…
A Year of Impact and Innovation As I reflect on 2024, I’m struck not only by the meaningful milestones we’ve achieved this year but also by the incredible journey we’ve…