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Curated by Project Syndicate

Education: The Brain Gain

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Education does not benefit only its recipients; it has a profound impact on national economic outcomes. Poor educational performance may be a determining factor in the inability of Latin American countries to rise from middle- to high-income status over the last 50 years. Likewise, education could explain why Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan attained high-income status, while countries like Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia cannot complete the middle-income transition. Policymakers, economists, educators, and business leaders debate and advance innovative ideas about educational practice and policy.

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  1. Unlocking AI-Powered Learning
    nixonsaintil2_Philipp von Ditfurthpicture alliance via Getty Images_ai classrooms Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Unlocking AI-Powered Learning

    Oct 14, 2024 Justina Nixon-Saintil foresees the technology enhancing student learning and creating new pathways to rewarding careers.

  2. The UN’s Summit of the Future Must Champion Universal Education
    brown110_Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy UkrinformFuture Publishing via Getty Images_education Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images

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    Sep 23, 2024 Gordon Brown urges global policymakers to ensure access for all schoolchildren in the world’s poorest regions.

  3. Giving Afghan Girls the Education They Demand
    sherif10_WAKIL KOHSARAFP via Getty Images_afghanistan girls WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images

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    Aug 16, 2024 Yasmine Sherif urges public- and private-sector donors to increase funding for non-formal schooling in the country.

  4. The Right Industrial Policy Is Knowledge Policy
    tsantos2_MANJUNATH KIRANAFP via Getty Images_indiasemiconductor Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images

    The Right Industrial Policy Is Knowledge Policy

    Jul 3, 2024 Tano Santos & Luigi Zingales outline a strategy for fostering the diffusion of innovation in a fragmented geopolitical environment.

  5. America’s Childcare Is Unfit for the Postmodern Age
    ackerman2_Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times via Getty Images_preschool Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    America’s Childcare Is Unfit for the Postmodern Age

    Apr 23, 2024 Bruce Ackerman urges US President Joe Biden to put universal preschool at the center of his re-election campaign.

  6. What Critics of American Higher Education Get Wrong
    tyson117_Eros HoaglandGetty Images_UScollege Eros Hoagland/Getty Images

    What Critics of American Higher Education Get Wrong

    Mar 19, 2024 Laura Tyson & Lenny Mendonca show that a college degree is still a wise investment and a key driver of economic mobility in America.

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