Page 64 - EW August 2025

International News

UNITED STATES part-funding his presidential library, and many law firms
Varsities buckling under have agreed to do pro bono work for the administration.
“For universities, it is not just the attacks on their curricu-
lums and diversity programmes, it is also the fact that the
administration’s increasingly aggressive immigration poli-
cies are reducing the number of international students who
want to study in the US, which is having a significant impact
on income,” says Andrew Moran, professor of politics and
international relations at London Metropolitan University.
He also warns that the courts — seen by some as a poten-
tial saviour from threats to higher education — are increas-
ingly losing their ability to enforce their decisions, and that
judges become progressively conservative as cases work
their way up the court system.

CHINA
AI research pre-eminence
Penn University: cave-in concessions
CHINA LED THE WORLD IN ARTIFICIAL intel-
MORE ELITE INSTITUTIONS WILL BEGIN mak- ligence research in 2024, producing the largest vol-
ing concessions to the Trump administration as ume of publications after developing a “nationwide
the president strengthens his position via new leg- innovation ecosystem”, according to a new report.
islation and increasing influence over the courts, according Despite rising geopolitical tensions, China is also the
to experts. top AI research collaborator of the US, UK and European
Harvard University — which was praised for leading the Union. The study, DeepSeek and the New Geopolitics of
“fightback” against “overreach” by Donald Trump — is re- AI: China’s Ascent to Research Pre-eminence in AI, is pub-
portedly in discussions to make a deal that could finally lished by research technology company Digital Science and
end its months-long dispute with the president. The move authored by its chief executive, Daniel Hook.
comes as Trump passed his “big, beautiful bill” that includes The analysis used global data from its Dimensions da-
measures to hike taxes on the endowments of the wealthiest tabase, covering research publication and collaboration
universities. The Supreme Court has also cracked down on trends from 2000 to 2024. It says that AI research has
lower-level judges blocking the president’s orders, restrict- grown at an “impressive rate” globally, expanding from
ing universities’ ability to use the courts to fend off attacks. just under 10,000 publications in 2000 to 60,000 in 2024.
Ryan Enos, professor of government at Harvard, told China was found to be “the pre-eminent world power in
Times Higher Education that it is “almost inevitable” that AI research,” leading not only by research volume but also
more and more institutions will try to appease the Trump by “citation attention, and influence,” with its lead over the
administration as times goes on. “This is how authoritar- rest of the world growing rapidly over the past seven years.
ians win: they make it hard on individuals to pay the cost In 2024, China’s publication output in AI research matched
of resistance.” the combined output of the US, UK and EU, while its share
The White House also recently agreed to restore $175 of global citation attention exceeded 40 percent.
million (Rs.1,522 crore) in federal grants to the University China is also said to have the largest AI talent pool, with
of Pennsylvania after it made concessions around trans 30,000 active researchers and a large student and postdoc-
athletes. Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of history of toral population, supporting what the report calls a “nation-
education at Penn, has accused leaders at the university of wide innovation ecosystem”. The report highlights that 156
capitulating and losing “its own soul” in the process. “Even Chinese institutions each published more than 50 AI papers
though I’m critical of Penn for caving, I understand that we in 2024, contrasting with the more clustered research hubs
are in a very real way depending on these dollars. Penn also in the West.
has a $23 billion endowment so it’s a little hard to shed a Alongside academic research, China also dominates AI-
tear for Penn…I guess I’m more worried about universities related patents. Patent filings and company-affiliated AI
that are less wealthy than we are,” he told THE. In early research shows China outpacing the US tenfold in some
July, Penn removed trans swimmer Lia Thomas’ individual indicators, according to the report, reflecting the country’s
swimming records and promised to apologise to athletes ability to translate research into innovation.
who may have lost to her. The release of the DeepSeek chatbot in January 2025
Likewise, Trump’s attacks on media companies have is cited as one example of China’s emerging capabilities.
led to a form of compromise, with out-of-court settlements “The emergence of DeepSeek is not merely a technological

64 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2025