Global University of Life

15/09/2026

The 2027 rankings show which universities deliver the strongest student experience 🎓🔥

15/09/2026

"I taught myself to read, I’m not sure exactly when, as if it were something as natural as walking. I have often wondered whether the ability to read is built into our brains as a potential skill, or whether perhaps we inherit it from our ancestors who learned to read during their lives, in which instance I suspect it would only go a few generations back. In my case this ability was definitely to do with the fact that I was brought up among books – my dad ran the school library, and I dug around in them from early childhood. They weren’t books for children at all. One of my favourite early books was a collection of partisan songs. I knew how to sing them, so reading with understanding came to me naturally and easily. Among the hundreds of volumes eagerly borrowed by the pupils there were also art books and encyclopaedias. I can boldly say that encyclopaedias were my favourite literary genre throughout my childhood – my first “constellation” reading matter."

When did you learn to read?

Olga Tokarczuk tells us about how learning to read opened up a new world for her: https://bit.ly/3cQzHcB

15/09/2026

Ranked: The Cost of a College Degree Around the World 🎓

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-cost-of-a-college-degree-around-the-world/

13/09/2026

10/09/2026

Global student test scores have officially reached an all-time low.

According to the newly released 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), student performance across industrialized nations has plummeted to its lowest average ever recorded.

Since 2015, reading scores across OECD countries have dropped by 28 points—the equivalent of roughly one and a half years of learning. While mathematics scores also saw a substantial 22-point drop over the same period, educators are increasingly concerned about reading, which serves as the foundational pillar for all academic progress.

Experts attribute this steady downward spiral not merely to pandemic-era disruptions, but to structural issues, including soaring screen times, falling rates of reading for enjoyment, and rapid digitization.

In the United States, the findings are equally alarming, with 15-year-olds earning their lowest math and reading scores in over two decades. The U.S. recorded a sharp 14-point nosedive in reading since 2022 alone, representing approximately seven months of lost learning.

Only 65% of American students reached basic proficiency in math, reflecting deep systemic issues that are leaving youth ill-prepared for a modern, tech-driven economy. As dissatisfaction with K-12 schooling reaches new heights, the results act as a stark wake-up call for educational leaders and policymakers who must urgently pivot from digital-first distractions to evidence-based learning strategies.

source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2026). PISA 2025 Results: Students' Reading and Mathematics Performance Declined Sharply Across the OECD.

05/09/2026

HOW TO WRITE PHD THESIS FASTER

☆ Learn writing tools early
Here are some research tools for researchers & PhD students:

1. Literature Search and Discovery:
- Google Scholar
- PublMed PubMed
- Scopus
- IEEE Xplore
- Web of Science

2. Writing and Editing:
- Overleaf
- Microsoft Word
- Grammarly
- Hemingway Editor
- QuillBot
- ChatGPT

3. Reference Management:
- Zotero
- EndNote
- Mendeley
- RefWorks
- Paperpile

4. Data Analysis & Visualization:
- Excel
- RStudio
- Jupyter
- Tableau
- Spss
- Matlab

5. Plagiarism Checking & Integrity:
- Grammarly
- Duplichecker
- Turnitin
- PlagScan
- Copyscape
- Unicheck
- Plagtracker
- PaperRater

6. Productivity and Discovery:
- Notion
- Evernote
- Trello
- Asana
- Clockify
- ProofHub
- Coda

Including:
- Al-Powered Search Engines
-Literature Mapping (Graph-Based)
-Mind Mapping and Visual Note taking

04/09/2026