Yeah it's just funny that its more akin to a sector in the tourism industry than academic or research. There are obviously pockets of world-class research and brilliant academics but the pressures in the opposite direction are pretty insane due to the business incentives.

Two HN posters telling each other “exaaaaactlyyyy”, and the premise is universities are same as tourism.

(full disclosure: I dropped out of state school with a 2.8 GPA in economics and got a job at Google 5 years later. yet, I can avoid this fallacy, so it's disturbing to see)

Congratulations on avoiding going to university.

The point about the tourism/finishing school aspect of universities in Britain is widely held and has been reported on for years. It was inevitable that it would provide China with leverage and other things. Not a good idea imo.

Alas, I did attend, but dropped out. (as noted)

We also went on a bit of a walk back from the bailey to the motte. "sector in the tourism industry" to "tourism/finishing school aspect" (tourism ~= finishing school now?).

Then, a vague hand wave towards "wide reporting" for...the original idea that universities are tourism? Or one of the new ones, like universities have an aspect of finishing school? Unclear.

My argument:

- U.K. universities have pivoted to being a finishing school (e.g. you cannot fail if you pay enough money) and Harry Potter experience for international students. -This affects all levels of prestige. Harms research. - Is a geopolitical leverage tool of unknown power. Interesting example linked by poster.

This is well known in most of Western Europe as a phenomena and some naive people love it because it makes short term profits: https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/short-artic...

Also I genuinely love your educational progression and kudos for it!