Professor Juan Madrid with his students from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at a radio telescope in Fort Davis in West Texas, which is owned by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), August 2022.

Breaking Barriers: Higher Education Special

Full Episode

Professor Juan Madrid with his students from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at a radio telescope in Fort Davis in West Texas, which is owned by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), August 2022.

Courtesy of Constantine Poulos

In this hourlong, education-focused special, The World delves into the challenges immigrants face in accessing higher education, looking at issues such as language, borders and costs. US employers who say they can’t fill jobs want Congress to raise the number of visas to foreign college graduates. Also, thousands of students attending US colleges and universities actually reside in Mexico. But when border wait times can be two to four hours long, it takes a special dedication to get to class each day. And, we meet several students who struggled to battle Mexican and US bureaucracy to be able to transfer schools. Plus, is the US still the number one education destination?

In This Episode

Businesses say not enough college grads or skilled immigrants
three students smiling and wearing MIT sweatshirts
How Miami Dade College teaches students to learn, live in a bilingual world
Special Coverage
Professor Juan Madrid with his students from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at a radio telescope in Fort Davis in West Texas.
‘Embrace the culture, embrace the language’: Offering bilingual courses benefits students beyond the classroom, Texan professor says
Special Coverage
man on sidewalk
Catalan separatists want university classes taught in the local language. Spanish academics resist the change. 
Special Coverage
yearbook photo
This Brazilian immigrant to the US says the American dream still exists
Special Coverage
Crossing Borders: In a global environment, why doesn’t your education travel with you?
border
Crossing borders: Living in one country, going to school in another
Special Coverage
Cité Internationale Universitaire campus in Paris, France.
How the Bologna Process expanded opportunities for students across Europe
Special Coverage
students taking photos
Is the US still the No. 1 education destination?
Special Coverage