Higher Ed Today is a podcast hosted by Anna Esaki-Smith and Eddie West, exploring the biggest stories shaping higher education in the U.S. and around the world. Each episode features the hosts' analysis of the latest news and trends, with university leaders, policymakers and other experts joining the conversation when their insights can deepen the discussion.
Listeners will get thoughtful analysis, insider perspectives, and smart conversations that cut through the headlines to explain what today's developments mean for students, families, universities, and the future of higher education.
Higher Ed Today Episode 6: Why Arguments about the Benefits of International Student Enrollment often Don't Move the Needle
In this episode we barnstorm through arguments and counterarguments - advocacy for and against international student enrollment growth - underpinning the current regulatory flux in the U.S. (Duration of Status, OPT, and CPT) And we explore specifically why the former often fail to move the needle - relevant not just to the States but also to other leading host destinations who struggle with social license.
We also channel a classic moment from a classic film, Animal House!
13 Oct 2026
Higher Ed Today Episode 5: Outbound U.S. students
Chinese President Xi Jinping has invited 100,000 young Americans to visit, study and participate in exchanges in China. But how many will take him up on the offer? In this episode of Higher Ed Today, we explore what’s behind China’s push to attract young Americans, the opportunities and challenges of studying abroad, and whether more U.S. students will look beyond American campuses for international experiences.
Could outbound student mobility become a much bigger trend in American higher education?
29 Sept 2026
Higher Ed Today Episode 4: Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
At last count well over 100,000 international students in the United States were engaged in Curricular Practical Training, aka CPT. Essentially an internship experience, CPT gives students the opportunity to gain real world work experience, and in many cases also earn income to defray the cost of their U.S. education. But this August the U.S. Department of Homeland Security drastically restricted CPT eligibiity via a successions of broadcast announcemnets, a move that seemed to many to come from out of left field.
In Episode 4 we discuss the importance of CPT to international students and the U.S. colleges and universities which host them, and why this crackdown has felt like a carpet being pulled out from beneath their feet.
10 Sept 2026
Higher Ed Today Episode 3: Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Hundreds of thousands of international students in the United States are productively engaged in what's called Optional Practical Training, or OPT. The ability to avail of OPT as a post-university graduation benefit is a powerful draw for prospective students from overseas, given the concrete work experience they gain, and the associated earnings potential. But, OPT is in the Trump Administration's crosshairs, with rumors suggesting that as much as a $100,000 fee could be required of a student or employer for OPT approval in the future or, worse yet, that the opportunity could be scaled back or eliminated altogether.
In Episode Three we discuss OPT: its prospects, its allure and its criticisms. We hope you'll have a listen!
11 Aug 2026
Higher Ed Today Episode 2: Duration of Status
The U.S. looks to be eliminating "duration of status," or the ability of international students to remain in this country for as long as they need to complete their academic programs. With a likely limit of a four-year stay, what will the impact be on international student interest in American universities?
5 Aug 2026
Welcome to Higher Ed Today!
Welcome to the first episode of Higher Ed Today. In this introductory episode, we explain what the podcast is about: candid conversations about the biggest issues shaping higher education, from admissions, international students, enrollment pressures and AI, to the financial and political forces transforming colleges and universities. We won't shy away from difficult topics, including challenges such as the current unwelcoming environment for international students in the U.S. and what policy changes mean for institutions and students. Our goal is to cut through the noise with honest analysis, practical insight and discussions that matter.
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