China's Liberal Arts Grads Pivoting to STEM Careers

Actually, I’m worried about where this trend is heading. For liberal arts graduates, their real advantages lie in a deep understanding of humanity and the ability to tell stories drawn from complex realities. These are not skills that peak early. They are crafts that need time， years, even decades, to be honed before they reach maturity. That is precisely why liberal arts graduates often appear disadvantaged when competing head-on with STEM majors immediately after graduation. What truly ambitious liberal arts graduates should focus on is not rushing to learn coding out of salary anxiety, but learning how to use AI and other tools to sharpen their sensibility and craftsmanship to think more clearly, see more deeply, and articulate more powerfully. Moreover, market demand for engineers and STEM graduates is likely to saturate under AI disruption. When execution becomes automated and technical advantage flattens, that is when the true value of the liberal arts is revealed in judgment, meaning-making, ethical reasoning, and narrative intelligence.

🚨 Hard Truth: Not Everyone Teaching STEM Is Trained to Do So. STEM is booming. Funding is rising. Programs are popping up everywhere. But the real question is: Are students actually learning—or just being exposed? One bad STEM experience can change a child’s confidence forever. One underprepared instructor can shut down curiosity. And in the age of AI, authenticity, expertise, and critical thinking matter more than ever. Parents deserve transparency. Students deserve qualified leaders. And STEM deserves accountability. In my latest article, I break down why this conversation can’t be ignored, and the 3 questions every parent should ask before enrolling their child in a STEM program. 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gEJB87FW

A powerful article by California Humanities' Shonda Moore on Ed100: "A well-rounded education should not require students to choose between STEM and the humanities... If we want students who can adapt, lead, and contribute to the world they’re inheriting, humanities education must remain a core part of their school experience." https://lnkd.in/gfiVcmGk

What does it actually take to prepare young women for a future shaped by STEM and artificial intelligence? Hint: it is not just more coding lessons or chasing the latest shiny tool. 🎙️ In this episode of Reinvent the Classroom, I sit down with Kara Baxter. Rob McTaggart and two extraordinary young women from Strathcona Girls Grammar to explore how one all-girls school is deliberately rethinking STEM, AI, confidence and possibility. -We talk culture before curriculum. -Mindset before skill sets. -Role models before roadmaps. This conversation digs into how Strathcona is building authentic STEM experiences, embedding AI literacy, connecting with industry, and quietly dismantling the barriers that still tell too many girls “this isn’t for you”. It is about showing students what could be possible before they decide what is not. If you care about equity in education, the future of AI, or making sure the next generation of engineers, scientists, designers and leaders actually reflects the world we live in, this episode is for you. Because reinventing the classroom also means reinventing who feels they belong in the future. 🎧 Listen now: Reinvent the Future of Girls in STEM and AI with Strathcona Girls Grammar -> https://lnkd.in/gbZNDUWg Ping Kj Maan and a special shoutout to our partner Compnow who deliver the HP solutions to Strathcona. What a powerful partnership!

Yes. At last. For a long time, we were told the future belonged to those who could compute faster, code deeper, and calculate more efficiently than everyone else. That story shaped policy. It shaped curriculum. It shaped how success was measured. But it was never the whole truth. The ground has shifted — and quietly, the world is now rewarding something different. Recent analysis in the Financial Times from the ever brilliant @jburnmurdoch confirms what many educators have long known: technical skill alone is no longer the differentiator. What matters now is what people can do with that skill — together. The fastest-growing advantage belongs to those who can: • think with others • communicate ideas clearly • tolerate difference • solve complex problems collaboratively And here’s the part that makes me want to say “yes — at last”: This isn’t new. Long before AI, before coding bootcamps, before STEM became a slogan, Vygotsky showed us that learning is a social act before it is an individual one. Understanding is built through talk. Meaning is negotiated. Thinking develops in relationship. This is exactly why the Maths — No Problem! approach matters. Not because it lowers the bar. (It doesn’t.) Not because it avoids rigour. (It’s rigorous.) But because it refuses to separate knowledge from communication, or thinking from collaboration. In classrooms where: • ideas are shared • reasoning is spoken • disagreement is productive • understanding is built together children are not just learning mathematics. They are rehearsing the very capabilities the modern world now recognises as valuable. Every journal entry. Every stem sentence. Every quiet “tell me more”. Mathematics as communication. Mathematics as collaboration. Mathematics as sense-making. So when people say, “At last — schools are focusing on the right things,” the honest answer is: We always were. Some of us just trusted learning science before the labour market caught up. Yes. At last.

Are we failing to teach social responsibility in STEM education? New longitudinal research suggests we might be. https://lnkd.in/gHqrtpMi 📊 Key findings from our 5-year National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded study of 124 Georgia Tech STEM students: ✅ Professional Connectedness scores dropped significantly (5.65 → 5.43, p < 0.001) ✅ Students increasingly prioritized salary over societal impact as career motivators ✅ Self-efficacy to drive social change declined over time But here's what's fascinating: Students DID grow in social awareness—just not from their formal STEM education. ➤ The biggest drivers were informal activities: peer discussions, family conversations, and self-guided exploration ➤ Meanwhile, STEM courses were described as too technical, disconnected from societal dimensions, and career-focused rather than impact-focused Published in International Journal of STEM Education, this research highlights a critical gap. STEM professionals shape everything from AI systems to climate solutions. If we're not embedding social responsibility into the pipeline, how can we expect future leaders to prioritize societal impact? • The path forward requires integrating ethics into core curricula • Leveraging peer-based learning approaches that actually work • Connecting coursework to real-world societal challenges • Rethinking what "STEM readiness" truly means in the 21st century For policy practitioners, governance teams, and educators: technical competence without social consciousness isn't enough anymore. GRAIL_Center | Purdue University With Jason Borenstein and Ellen Zegura. #AIGovernance #ResponsibleAI #STEMEducation #EthicsInSTEM #TechPolicy #EducationPolicy

🚨 Hard Truth: Not Everyone Teaching STEM Is Trained to Do So. STEM is booming. Funding is rising. Programs are popping up everywhere. But the real question is: Are students actually learning—or just being exposed? One bad STEM experience can change a child’s confidence forever. One underprepared instructor can shut down curiosity. And in the age of AI, authenticity, expertise, and critical thinking matter more than ever. Parents deserve transparency. Students deserve qualified leaders. And STEM deserves accountability. In my latest article, I break down why this conversation can’t be ignored, and the 3 questions every parent should ask before enrolling their child in a STEM program. 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gAtUxkc5 #STEMEducation #BlackGirlsDoEngineer #FutureLeaders #AIinEducation #YouthDevelopment #WomenInSTEM #STEMEquity

Malik and Miles George, a dynamic duo of fraternal twins from New Jersey, are poised to make history once again as they approach the completion of their PhDs in Biological Engineering at MIT. Known for their academic brilliance, the pair first garnered national attention as high school valedictorians, achieving nearly perfect SAT scores and earning prestigious scholarships to MIT. Their journey continued at MIT, where they not only excelled in their studies, earning degrees in Biological Engineering with minors in African and African Diaspora Studies, but also made an indelible mark on the STEM community. During the pandemic, their viral TikTok platform, MiTwins, brought science to life with engaging, humorous lessons on topics ranging from hydrophobic pepper to more complex scientific concepts. As they near the title of Drs. George, the twins are expanding their mission, launching STEM outreach initiatives, mentoring the next generation of students, and offering remote programming for K-12 learners. Their work continues to inspire young minds and redefine how science can be communicated to a global audience, bridging the gap between knowledge and accessibility.

After decades of STEM education, where do we stand? Since World War II, the United States was the leader in STEM research and education, especially in higher education. But both China and India now confer more undergraduate STEM degrees, and China leads the world in STEM doctoral degrees awarded and research articles published in ranked scientific journals. Fewer than 40% of students who begin studying STEM in college graduate in their chosen field. The drop-off is worse among women and students of color. That’s important because the American workforce is, year by year, increasingly more female and non-white. Has STEM kept up to its potential? We invite article submissions from educators, technologists, and administrators of 1,000 - 1,200 words should present research-backed insights, evidence-based practices, or real-world case studies addressing this topic. Send your article to info@snchronicle.com by 2/20/2026 and refer to our website for additional details and examples of our digital publications. See our website for details, https://lnkd.in/dCi5GP44.

🚨 New Research Topic Alert! 🌍 Now Open for Submissions in Frontiers in Education 📚 Title: Language, Culture, and Gender Bias in AI-Driven Educational Platforms: Implications for Inclusive STEM Classrooms in the Global South We're calling for original research articles, reviews, case studies, and policy perspectives that explore how AI in education interacts with language, culture, and gender — and how we can reimagine inclusive STEM learning for diverse classrooms. 🗓️ Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 June 2025 ✍️ Submit here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gGJmtAAG Let’s shape a future where educational technology reflects equity, diversity, and justice. #AIinEducation #InclusiveSTEM #GenderAndTech #GlobalSouthVoices #FrontiersInEducation #EdTech #CallForPapers #ResearchOpportunity #LanguageAndAI #CulturalInclusion