Sociologist George Ritzer created the word "McDonaldization" to describe how concepts from fast-food chains—efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control, or ECPC—have permeated many aspects of society. Teaching, learning, and administration are undergoing a fundamental revolution as a result of these concepts being increasingly embedded in higher education in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

In 2009, South Korea implemented a tuition fee moratorium that was effectively mandatory for universities. Institutions that attempted to increase fees were subject to financial penalties to enforce this policy. The University of Seoul implemented the "half-price" tuition policy in 2012, which served to further solidify this policy. The tuition fee freeze and halving significantly reduced the university's annual cost to approximately 2.4 million won ($1,820), which is under the jurisdiction of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Many countries have implemented policies to attract international students for their financial and intellectual contributions, as international education has become a propelling force in global mobility and economic strategy. This has resulted in the emergence of exploitative recruitment agencies and fraudulent institutions that exploit the demand for overseas education, despite the fact that it presents valuable opportunities for both students and host nations.

A significant change in how Chinese colleges view their own capabilities has been sparked by DeepSeek's rise to prominence as a global AI powerhouse. Chinese colleges are now proving that they can generate top-tier innovators who compete at the highest levels—without having to leave the country—instead of being perceived as needing to send their brightest minds abroad for further education and research possibilities.

The UK's higher education sector, notably its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) departments, confronts significant worries due to recent adjustments in immigration regulations. Despite warnings from academic and governmental agencies, the UK government has proven reticent to change these rules, even though there is a clear acknowledgment of their potential harmful impact on STEM provision.

Canada's higher education institutions are facing significant challenges as the international student market, a critical revenue stream for many universities, suffers a series of setbacks. The financial fallout and no-show epidemic hits Canadian universities as many international students are considering other options such as the UK and US. Canada has lost its global appeal to many international students as they are searching for better prospects elsewhere.