STEM Education Initiatives

Children are natural-born scientists, constantly observing, questioning, and experimenting with the world around them. But how do we harness this innate curiosity to foster real cognitive development? The answer lies in visual experiments—powerful learning tools that go far beyond textbooks. When kids see an experiment unfold before their eyes, it transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences, strengthening their ability to think critically, solve problems, and develop logical reasoning. Unlike passive learning, visual experiments engage multiple senses, reinforcing memory retention and deepening understanding. They stimulate both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, encouraging creative thinking alongside analytical skills. Moreover, these hands-on experiences cultivate perseverance—when an experiment doesn’t work, children learn to analyze, tweak, and try again, instilling resilience and a growth mindset. Studies consistently highlight that children who engage in visual learning activities show significantly higher retention rates, enhanced comprehension, and a stronger interest in STEM subjects. From a simple baking soda volcano to mesmerizing magnetic field patterns, these experiments act as stepping stones, helping young minds grasp complex scientific principles effortlessly. The impact doesn’t stop at intelligence—collaborative experiments promote teamwork, communication, and confidence, essential life skills for the future. As educators and parents, integrating visual experiments into a child’s learning journey isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. By making science come alive, we’re not only shaping smarter thinkers but also inspiring the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders who will drive the future of technology, medicine, and engineering. Feel free to share your thoughts 💭 #whatinspiresme

There is a fundamental shift in learner and learning expectations with recognized credentials at the heart of the change. In my recent Engineering the Future Workforce podcast conversation with Jessica Silwick, CPA, MBA, CAE, COO of ABET, we explored how quality-assured credentials are creating new pathways into STEM careers while maintaining rigorous standards. Jessica emphasized aligning learning outcomes with industry needs and involving stakeholders in the design process to ensure credentials deliver real value and impact. Learners want their efforts in microcredentials to be fully recognized, integrated with their program of study and credit bearing. A recent article by Adil Husain titled “The Quiet Credential Takeover”, discusses the strong student demand for credit-bearing microcredentials. It notes 94% of students want microcredentials to count toward their degrees (up from 55%). That demand pushes engineering education to become more flexible, accessible and responsive to industry needs. This will open doors for talent through stackable, bite-sized learning opportunities. As Jessica noted, “the traditional one size fits all degree model is giving way to more flexible pathways that reflect how people actually learn and work.” Credentials allow learners to "create a trajectory for themselves, their families, and their communities" - especially those who may not fit the traditional education model. At Siemens Digital Industries Software, we're proud to partner with ABET to help shape these new standards. Together, we're working to ensure that whether through degrees or credentials, learners gain qualifications that are trusted by employers and recognized globally. The future demands both technical excellence and essential professional skills. Through thoughtful assessment and continuous improvement, we can cultivate adaptable, lifelong learners while addressing evolving workforce needs. See the comments for the related blog with links to our full conversation. Let me know what else you're learning about learning shifts.

The global study abroad market is shifting on multiple fronts - destination preferences, program choices, and delivery formats are all changing simultaneously. Recent data shows students are spreading their applications across more countries. Germany, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand are seeing strong growth alongside the traditional US, UK, and Canada pipeline. This isn't replacement - it's diversification. Students want options that balance quality, cost, visa stability, and career outcomes. What's driving program selection? STEM fields are dominating interest: AI, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Business Administration, Environmental Science, and Public Health are pulling the highest application volumes. These aren't just trending topics. They're fields with clear job demand, competitive salaries, and skills that transfer across borders. Students are choosing programs that connect directly to employment. Sustainability-focused degrees - especially those centered on climate change and green technology - are also gaining traction. This reflects both student values and market realities, as these sectors are expanding rapidly worldwide. How education is being delivered Hybrid and online formats are now standard at many international institutions, not backup options. AI-powered learning tools and immersive tech like VR are being integrated into coursework, making distance learning more interactive and outcome-driven. This gives students flexibility without sacrificing quality. It also allows institutions to reach students who may not be ready to commit fully to on-campus study immediately. What this means for stakeholders For institutions: expand beyond your home country marketing. Students are comparing 8–10 destinations now, not 3–4. Highlight employability data, program-industry links, and flexible delivery options. For recruiters and advisors: guide students through these newer markets with facts. Germany's free tuition, Ireland's tech sector links, Australia's post-study work clarity-these details matter. For students: more choice is good, but requires more research. Match your field of interest with the country's job market strength. An AI degree in Germany or a sustainability program in New Zealand can offer better ROI than a generic degree in a saturated market. The study abroad landscape is broader and more competitive. Students who align their program choice with market demand and destination strengths will see the best outcomes. ------------- At ForeignAdmits, we are ensuring that students and our counselling partners are ahead in doing discovery of right fit options and able to seamlessly navigate the study abroad journey without any hassles be it Admissions or Financing or Visas with our process expertise and personalized experience driven by AI. If you wish to explore what a 21st century study abroad process looks like & aim to reduce uncertainties for tour students, Let's Chat! #studyabroad #trends #overseaseducation

🇪🇺 EU Council Recommendation on Human Capital (2025) The European Commission has proposed a major Council Recommendation on Human Capital, setting the EU’s priorities for skills, education and training for 2026–2027. https://lnkd.in/dWf6wVVX Here are the key takeaways ⬇️ 🌍 Why it matters ▪️Human capital is a strategic asset for EU competitiveness, innovation and resilience. ▪️Skills shortages are a critical constraint for green, digital and industrial transitions. ▪️Education & training systems must adapt faster and more strategically. 🔑 Key Messages 1️⃣ Skills shortages across Europe ▪️Persistent gaps in health, ICT, manufacturing, construction, transport, green skills. ▪️Growing demand for AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors and renewables. ▪️Faster, more flexible pathways to skills are essential. 2️⃣ Digital & green transitions accelerate skills needs ▪️AI and decarbonisation require STEM skills at all levels, from technicians to engineers. ▪️The EU must expand capacity in VET, higher education and lifelong learning. 3️⃣ Basic skills & inclusion ▪️High levels of underachievement in maths, reading and digital literacy. ▪️Stronger focus on early learning, personalised support and tackling disadvantage. 4️⃣ VET & apprenticeships ▪️Work-based learning delivers strong outcomes — but VET still faces image and gender-balance challenges. ▪️More STEM pathways, more female participation, and stronger industry partnerships are needed. 5️⃣ Teachers & trainers ▪️Shortages across many countries, especially in STEM. ▪️Need for stronger incentives, better training, and improved career attractiveness. 6️⃣ Lifelong learning ▪️Adult learning still far below EU targets. ▪️Stronger incentives for employers and clearer, more accessible pathways for adults. 7️⃣ Investment & skills intelligence ▪️Investment gaps remain significant. ▪️Better skills forecasting, evaluation and data are critical to guide reforms. ✔️ What the EU recommends ▪️Fast-track recognition of qualifications in key sectors ▪️Boost VET and apprenticeships, especially in STEM ▪️Strengthen basic skills, digital skills and AI literacy ▪️Expand lifelong learning with support for low-skilled adults ▪️Improve teacher supply and retention ▪️Reinforce skills intelligence and evaluation ▪️Target investment toward green/digital skills infrastructure 💡 Bottom line ▪️To secure Europe’s competitiveness and inclusiveness, the EU is calling for bold, targeted and collaborative action on skills. ▪️Education and training systems must become more agile, more inclusive and more aligned with strategic industrial needs. EU Employment and Skills Cedefop Eurofound European Training Foundation EfVET European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) European Vocational Training Association - EVTA EUproVET EURASHE eucen CoP CoVEs UNESCO-UNEVOC International Labour Organization OECD Education and Skills WorldSkills International

THE NEW PATH FOR CHINA’S YOUTH - AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WORLD A quiet shift is underway in China. More middle-class families - once fixated on sending their children overseas - are now choosing to keep them at home. Why? Because the stakes have changed. Geopolitical risks, rising costs, dwindling job prospects abroad, and a growing national confidence have all reshaped what ambition looks like in China. Parents in the first tier cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen are steering their children away from international curricula and foreign universities - toward China’s top institutions and strategic industries like AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing. This isn’t a small trend. It’s structural: The number of Peking University students going abroad fell 21% between 2019 and 2024, Tsinghua a 28% drop, and Beijing Institute of Technology: down 50%. And fewer F-1 U.S. visas are being applied by Chinese nationals - 18% fewer in 2023 vs. 2019. Meanwhile, China is investing billions into domestic R&D. The Ministry of Education has expanded funding for high-tech disciplines, while companies like Huawei, Tencent, and Baidu are becoming magnets for top homegrown talent. Let’s not forget: For decades, foreign-educated Chinese students were a major input into America’s innovation engine. In 2019, 43% of U.S. STEM PhD graduates were foreign-born - and nearly one-third were Chinese. Many went on to work at Google, Meta, Apple, or start companies in Silicon Valley. That pipeline is shrinking. And here’s what’s more telling: In 2020 alone, China produced over 3.6 million STEM graduates - more than 4 times the number from the U.S. (~820,000). By end of this year (2025), China is projected to account for nearly half of all STEM graduates globally. China is also attracting talent. From 2009 to 2018, the number of foreign students in China more than doubled, reaching over 492,000. Beijing and Shanghai are the top destinations - especially for STEM and language studies. Let that sink in - they’re graduating multiple times more STEM talent than the U.S., while also building appeal as an education destination. The Chinese are building their own ecosystem: • A self-sufficient talent pipeline • Homegrown R&D • National tech champions for the long game For business leaders outside China, this raises an urgent question: Are you prepared to compete with a generation raised not to integrate with the West - but to outperform it? Understanding Chinese ambition - how it thinks, plans & competes - is no longer optional. It’s a strategic necessity. I am Kenny Lim, consultant & China-Mindset expert helping companies navigate Chinese competitors, stakeholders, strategy & culture. #LBFAlumni member at #SkyHighTower. Follow me > https://lnkd.in/gGtT7yNd

"2024 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition" = AI Section The report explores the current and emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in teaching and learning, focusing on the transformative role of AI in higher education. It highlights the social, technological, economic, environmental, and political impacts of AI: 1. Social Trends: AI influences communication, socioemotional skills, and social norms, offering opportunities for improved accessibility but also risks of loneliness and distorted self-perception.    2. Technological Trends: AI is reshaping pedagogy by facilitating personalized learning, boosting engagement, and enhancing assessments, but it also raises concerns about misuse and ethics. 3. Economic Trends: AI's impact on productivity and workforce skills is significant, creating both job opportunities and displacement risks. 4. Environmental Trends: While AI can combat climate change and promote sustainability, its adoption raises concerns about energy consumption and carbon emissions. 5. Political Trends: AI plays a growing role in governance and political processes, creating opportunities for efficiency but also risks such as misinformation and reduced trust in institutions. Key technologies and practices include finding appropriate uses for AI, supporting AI fluency, ensuring equitable learning environments, protecting data privacy, and addressing misinformation and mental health challenges. The report concludes with potential scenarios for the future of higher education: growth driven by workforce needs, collapse due to political challenges, constraint from data restrictions, and transformation through individualized learning approaches. ---  Tensions and Contradictions 1. Balancing Innovation and Equity: While AI can personalize learning and enhance accessibility, it risks widening the digital divide and leaving behind those without access to technology or digital literacy skills. 2. Productivity vs. Displacement: AI's potential to automate tasks and boost efficiency contrasts with concerns about job displacement and the need for workforce reskilling. 3. Sustainability Challenges: AI's promise in addressing climate change is contradicted by its own growing carbon footprint, raising questions about its environmental cost-benefit. 4. Autonomy vs. Control: The integration of AI in political and governance processes can enhance decision-making but also leads to concerns about misuse, misinformation, and reduced human agency. 5. Ethics and Regulation: The rapid pace of AI development often outstrips the creation of ethical guidelines and regulations, leading to uncertainty and risks of misuse in education and beyond. These tensions highlight the need for strategic planning and policy-making to ensure that AI's benefits are maximized while its challenges are mitigated. https://lnkd.in/eHhaGDVt

Designing and testing a bridge can be a game changer in an Integrated Design and Physical Science unit. By following a structured design process and applying science and engineering principles, students engage deeply with both fields. Creating and testing a bridge model allows students to see how theoretical concepts translate into real-world applications. Carefully scaffolding this project while addressing important standards ensures that students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills incrementally. This approach not only enhances their understanding of structural design and material properties but also makes learning more engaging and effective by connecting theory to practice. #STEMEducation #EngineeringDesign #PhysicalScience #HandsOnLearning #InterdisciplinaryEducation #InnovativeTeaching #StudentEngagement #DesignProcess #SciencePrinciples #EngineeringPrinciples

As the NIH, DOE, NSF and other federal agencies change overhead rates, rewrite solicitations, reorganize, and face large potential budget cuts, academics are wondering anxiously about the future of research in the US. What I want to bring to the fore is that every pathway to a high-quality US STEM workforce is at risk. Measures of STEM quality from our K-12 system have long been weak and are mainly declining. The number of new STEM teachers is declining strongly. What has been keeping the US at the technological forefront? Let's focus on specific occupations: software development and computer software engineering. Around 800,000 of the private sector workers with these occupations have Bachelor's degrees, and they are mainly from the US. There are also substantial numbers (nearly 500,000) with Master's and Doctoral degrees, and they are mainly born abroad. The graphs below illustrate the pathways by which they came to the US. They mainly came to the US to study - nearly twice as many came to study as came on temporary work visas such as H1B. At the Master's level, the most common funding support came from family gifts and loans (let's celebrate worldwide faith in American opportunity). At the PhD level, Fellowships and Research Assistantships/Teaching Assistantships (TA/RA) paid for almost everyone (let's celebrate federal/academic partnerships making this possible). The uncertainty at US research universities caused by changes in overhead rates of the main funding agencies (NIH, NSF, DOE), and about the granting of visas to foreign students place the future of foreign students in the US and the funding of PhDs in doubt . New flows of people at the Master's and PhD level will be difficult to sustain at current levels. Is that a problem? Do we think US companies will remain at the forefront with many fewer young people from abroad and at home with the highest levels of education? The business community, judging for example by the lack of coverage in the Wall Street Journal of federal STEM funding changes, is not showing signs of concern. Data from the National Survey of College Graduates from 2021, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation. May this superb survey survive NSF reorganization.

📊 The European Commission presented its European Semester Spring Package this week! As Executive Vice-President Roxana Minzatu underscored, this marked a key milestone: for the first time, all Member States received targeted recommendations on education and skills as part of the #UnionOfSkills initiative launched earlier this year. 📘 23 Member States received guidance on improving basic skills and education quality 🧪 11 were advised on strengthening STEM education 👩🏫 13 received recommendations related to the teaching profession The Commission’s policy guidance places the strengthening of human capital at the core of Member States’ reform and investment strategies. Investing in education and skills is essential for Europe's long-term competitiveness, prosperity, and social cohesion. To meet both current and future challenges, we must prioritise inclusive, high-quality education and raise skill levels across all sectors. The facts speak for themselves: 📉 Basic skills are declining across the EU 🧮 Nearly a third of young Europeans struggle with basic math 💻 Around 50% of adults still lack basic digital skills 🎓 Participation in adult learning remains far below the 60% EU target for 2030 At the same time, labour and skills shortages – especially in high-skill sectors – are rising. By 2035, over half of all new jobs will require high-level qualifications. Yet Europe faces a shortage of STEM graduates, a decline in basic competencies, and mounting pressure to ensure the teaching profession remains attractive and well-supported. This year’s recommendations address these realities head-on, placing a strong focus on equipping people with the skills they need to succeed in a world of transformations. Key priorities include: ✅ Investing in lifelong learning and widening access for underserved groups ✅ Making education systems more responsive to labour market needs ✅ Enhancing the attractiveness and quality of the teaching profession ✅ Supporting underachieving pupils with targeted basic skills initiatives ✅ Prioritising STEM education to meet evolving skills demand ✅ Promoting upskilling, reskilling, and mobility across sectors and borders The Spring Package closely aligns with three forthcoming initiatives under the #UnionofSkills umbrella, namely the Action Plan on Basic Skills, the STEM Education Strategic Plan, and the EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda. Together, these reforms will provide timely and targeted support to Member States, complementing national efforts to build resilient and future-proof education systems. Europe’s strength lies in its people, and investing in skills and education is not only a social imperative, but a strategic necessity for Europe’s future. With the right reforms and targeted investments, we can unlock the full potential of Europe’s workforce and ensure that no one is left behind. 🔗 Links to the full European Semester package here: https://europa.eu/!v67JJ7

🌱 The Power of Experiential Learning: Because Worksheets Don’t Build Empires! 🌱 Let’s face it: handing students a worksheet is easy—but showing them how science, math, and history work together? That’s unforgettable. Experiential learning doesn’t just get students thinking; it gets them doing, questioning, and maybe even failing forward. Imagine this: 🧪 Math & Science Fusion: Picture students learning about density by mixing up “mystery potions” (a.k.a. different liquids) in science. They measure mass and volume in math and discover density in the process—no magic wands required, just good old curiosity and collaboration. 🌎 History & Geography Synergy: Take history off the page by mapping ancient trade routes. Students chart the Silk Road, discovering how geography influenced historical events. Geography, history, and maybe a sprinkle of drama as they debate whether they’d actually survive the journey! 👉 Why experiential learning? It’s like upgrading from black-and-white TV to 3D: students are immersed, concepts are tangible, and learning sticks. Plus, it builds collaboration and problem-solving skills that actually matter in the real world. For school heads and educators ready to trade out monotony for mastery, I offer tailored experiential STEM programs to boost engagement and connect the dots across subjects. Let’s give students an education they can feel—not just memorize. #ExperientialLearning #STEM #BeyondTheTextbook #SchoolLeadership #LearningByDoing #RealWorldSkills