Host Alex Usher speaks with Elizabeth Balbachevsky, associate professor at the University of São Paulo and former senior official in Brazil's Ministry of Higher Education, about the state of Brazilian higher education following Lula da Silva's return to power.

They discuss the achievements and limitations of Lula's third term, the growing dominance of online education, debates over racial quotas, and concerns about the quality of medical education. The conversation also explores the role students played in Lula's election victory, threats against universities during the campaign, and the challenges facing Brazilian higher education under a more conservative Congress.

Host Alex Usher speaks with Katherine Isaacs, a former professor of history at the University of Pisa and former vice chair of the Bologna Follow-Up Group of the European Higher Education Area, about Italy’s higher education system, its distinctive characteristics, and the challenges it faces.

They discuss the structure and funding of Italian higher education, the role of the state in university governance and academic careers, and recent reforms intended to address concerns about academic hiring and nepotism. The conversation also explores graduate employment outcomes, regional inequalities, and the ongoing brain drain as talented Italian graduates seek opportunities abroad.

Isaacs also examines the expansion of private and online universities, including how these institutions are regulated and quality-assured, and the growing role of lifelong learning in Italian higher education. She reflects on the system’s often-overlooked strengths, including its high academic standards and relatively affordable tuition, and considers how Italian universities might evolve over the next two decades.

👉 Episode Links:

• The Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area
• AlmaLaurea — Graduate Employment Data
• ANVUR — Italy's Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency
• Higher Education Strategy Associates | The State of Postsecondary Education in Canada 2026

Host Alex Usher speaks with Roger Smyth, a tertiary education consultant and former senior official at New Zealand’s Ministry of Education, about the country’s recent higher education policy changes and what the upcoming election could mean for the sector.

They discuss the government’s reforms to research funding, including a shift towards metrics-based assessment and greater centralization, the end of the fees-free tuition policy, and New Zealand’s relatively successful recovery in international student enrolments. The conversation also explores the government’s efforts to align research more closely with economic priorities, and the implications for funding in areas such as the social sciences and humanities.

Smyth also examines the higher education platforms of the major parties ahead of the November election, including competing proposals to reduce graduate student debt and the potential influence of smaller parties on international education policy. He considers whether a change of government is likely to bring meaningful changes to New Zealand’s higher education system, or whether the fundamental policy settings are likely to remain much the same.

👉 Episode Links:

• University Advisory Group — Final Report
• NZ Tertiary Education Strategy 2025–2030
• The State of Postsecondary Education in Canada 2026