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New Research Report Uncovers Website Experience Gaps in Higher Education

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SearchStax and The Chronicle of Higher Education survey over 225 marketing and digital leaders to reveal how institutions are falling behind in delivering the website experiences today’s students expect

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SearchStax, in partnership with The Chronicle of Higher Education, has released a new original research report titled Untapped Insights: The State of Site Search in Higher Education, offering a revealing look at the digital challenges facing colleges and universities today.

“As Gen Z students increasingly expect intuitive, search-first digital experiences, higher ed must catch up.”

The report is based on a survey of more than 225 higher education marketing and website experience professionals across executive leadership, marketing, IT, admissions, student services and research. It uncovers a consistent gap between the importance institutions place on their websites and the actual experience they’re delivering—especially when it comes to search functionality.

Key findings include:

93% of respondents believe that improving the website experience would positively impact student success metrics like enrollment, engagement and retention—yet only 19% say their current experience is great.

Site search ranks alongside easy navigation and accessibility as one of the top 3 most important features of a higher ed website, but more than half say their current search frustrates users with outdated or irrelevant results.

Institutions are making content updates weekly or ad hoc, yet 43% say it takes a week or more to tune their site search so that students can actually find the most up-to-date content.

Despite a lack of current AI maturity, 72% of institutions plan to invest in more AI tools for their website experiences in the short term.

“As Gen Z students increasingly expect intuitive, search-first digital experiences, higher ed must catch up,” says Sameer Maggon, Founder & CEO of SearchStax. “Search is no longer an afterthought, and the report findings strongly highlight that.”

The report also includes insights from interviews with leaders at Texas Christian University (TCU), Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and the City of Nashville. Their firsthand experiences underscore the urgent need for modern, AI-powered search strategies to keep pace with visitor expectations.

“Looking at search analytics helps us know where we might have content gaps, or where we might need some additional synonyms… to connect people to the most up-to-date, authoritative answer to their questions.”
 — Corey Reed, Director of Website Management, TCU

Understanding where your institution’s website experience is falling short is more critical than ever—especially as the enrollment cliff looms. This report not only highlights the gaps that may be holding your site back, but also shows how your peers are approaching everything from search improvements to AI adoption to meet rising student expectations.

Download the full report:
https://www.searchstax.com/white-papers/the-state-of-site-search-in-higher-education/

About SearchStax
SearchStax – the Search Experience Company – enables marketers and developers to deliver fast, relevant website search experiences. SearchStax powers search for more than 700 customers worldwide, including leading brands in higher education, healthcare, government, manufacturing, and financial services. Some clients include Roche, University of Arkansas, University of Chicago Medicine, KPMG, Banner Health, Canon, and Fidelity. Learn more at www.searchstax.com. 

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SOURCE SearchStax

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GAC Wins 8 Awards, Including 4 First Prizes, Showcasing Technological Innovation Strength

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SUZHOU, China, Oct. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On October 28, GAC won 8 awards at the 2026 China-SAE Science and Technology Award ceremony in Suzhou, Jiangsu. In the fields of automotive chips, electric drive, vehicle safety, intelligent driving governance and body design, four first prizes were awarded to two GAC-led projects and two GAC-participated projects, and one GAC-led project won second prize.

In chips, GAC’s led project built a full-chain path from vehicle definition to scale application, working with 105 partners to apply nearly 400 chip models and over 1,000 domestic chips. The HYPTEC GT Special Edition, China’s first ICV with 100% domestically designed chips, has been launched.

In electric drive, GAC pioneered mass production of amorphous alloy stators and carbon-fiber high-speed rotors, becoming the world’s only company to mass-produce amorphous alloy automotive motors. Its amorphous ribbon is just 0.025 mm thick. The motor reaches 99.03% peak efficiency, 17.29 kW/kg power density (@1000V)—nearly three times the industry mainstream—and 30,000 rpm maximum speed; system CLTC efficiency reaches 94.184%. For users, energy consumption drops 4%, and range rises 30-50 km with the same battery capacity. It has been applied to HYPTEC, AION and AISTALAND models and promoted to other automakers. The related precision manufacturing technology won the Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

In safety, the GAC-led project with Tsinghua University won second prize. It developed China’s first ASIL-D fully domestic safety controller, real-time risk quantification, active-suspension side-impact mitigation, a rear-window airbag and an “automaker-traffic police-hospital” integrated rescue model. It has been applied to 20 models with cumulative sales of 1.446 million units.

In addition, GAC’s participated L2-L4 safety governance project helped establish a full-lifecycle system covering pre-admission, in-process supervision and post-event traceability. Its participated BIW project features an AI-based body design system that generates concept schemes within 5 hours, with over 95% stiffness prediction accuracy and over 30% higher design efficiency; it has been applied to the second-generation GAC GS8, GAC ES9 and GAC All-new S7.

Looking ahead, GAC will uphold innovation-driven development, advance core technology breakthroughs and commercialization, and support high-quality development of China’s auto industry.

For further information about GAC, please visit: https://www.gacgroup.com/en or follow us on social.

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SOURCE GAC

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ScienceOra Demonstrates AI-Assisted Hydrogen-Production Catalyst Design Workflow at Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit

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The workflow spans literature analysis, candidate design, experimental planning and industrial decision support, extending AI4S into materials research

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wenge AI demonstrated an AI-assisted hydrogen-production catalyst design workflow supported by ScienceOra at the 2026 Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit. The demonstration showed how AI for Science (AI4S) can connect literature analysis, catalyst candidate design, experimental planning and industrial decision support, helping materials researchers translate scientific evidence into actionable research plans.

ScienceOra is Wenge AI’s intelligent research decision platform, built on the ScienceOne Scientific Foundation Model. For specialist research tasks such as materials development, the platform brings together scientific models, professional literature, research data and tools to support information access, research-plan development and scientific decision-making.

From literature analysis to catalyst candidate design

The demonstration focused on the design of a high-entropy alloy catalyst for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. To address the need for high activity and durability, ScienceOra searched professional literature and drew on published research methods and elemental properties to support the development of candidate designs. It also cross-checked optimization proposals against relevant literature, providing researchers with references that could be reviewed and verified.

Rather than simply generating material formulations, the workflow connects documentary evidence, materials knowledge and specific design objectives to support more targeted analysis of candidate solutions. Researchers remain responsible for assessing scientific validity and determining subsequent research directions.

From experimental planning to industrial decision support

For experimental planning, ScienceOra can assist in developing research protocols around candidate designs, helping researchers organize experimental variables and producing testing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and related reference information for subsequent validation.

For industrial applications, the platform can also support comparative analysis across dimensions such as the feasibility of scaled hydrogen production, performance at industrially relevant current densities, durability, raw-material availability and compatibility with mass-production synthesis processes. It can then assist in establishing decision priorities, screening criteria and process-improvement recommendations.

Candidate designs, experimental plans, process recommendations and references can be consolidated into a structured research report, helping R&D teams assess scientific evidence alongside engineering constraints. AI provides analytical and decision support, while experimental testing and scientific validation remain essential parts of materials research.

Previously disclosed collaboration reports design efficiency and activity improvements

In a previously disclosed industry–research collaboration on hydrogen-production catalyst design, ScienceOra supported literature analysis and research-plan development. The collaboration reported a 38% improvement in catalyst activity and reduced the design stage from several months to 30 minutes. The case illustrates the potential of domain-specific AI to connect scientific literature, research design and engineering requirements.

ScienceOra was recently made available on Tencent WorkBuddy, with an initial offering of more than 30 research expert agents and skills covering literature analysis, research hypotheses, plan design, modeling and simulation, validation analysis and research communication. The conference demonstration further illustrated how ScienceOra can be applied to specialist materials research, as AI4S moves beyond general information processing toward support for research workflows and industrial R&D decision-making.

For more information, visit https://www.scienceone.ai/portal/.

About Wenge AI

Wenge AI (1956.HK) is a provider of artificial intelligence technology and service platform products for enterprises. With self-developed large models as its core, the company helps enterprises build practical intelligent platforms and applications. Founded by a team of AI scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenge AI has deep technological expertise in large models, cognitive intelligence and complex-system modeling, and is committed to advancing AI from technological capabilities to enterprise-level applications.

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SOURCE Wenge AI

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Cake Digital Bank Wins Gold at Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards 2026

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ROME, Oct. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cake Digital Bank, a digital-only bank from Vietnam, has won Gold at the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards 2026 for its initiative, “Reinventing Financial Experiences Through an AI-First Banking Model.” Cake was the only financial institution from Vietnam recognized at this year’s awards.

The winners were celebrated in Rome, Italy, during Infosys Finacle Conclave 2026. The 13th edition of the awards attracted 538 submissions from 206 financial institutions across 68 countries, with 37 institutions recognized across ten award categories. The selection process combined voting by industry peers with evaluation by an expert jury of 81 senior banking executives.

The award-winning institutions included leading international banking names such as Santander, Commonwealth Bank, DBS, Maybank, and CaixaBank, reflecting the global scope and competitive landscape of the awards.

John Berry, Chairman of Qorus, observed that the banking industry is entering a new era in which AI is becoming integral to innovation, transforming initiatives and expanding the possibilities of financial services.

Building an AI-First Banking Model from the Ground Up

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to banking innovation, financial institutions face a growing challenge: translating technological capabilities into better customer experiences, greater operational efficiency, and sustainable business performance.

Cake’s AI-first approach reflects this industry shift while taking a different starting point. Rather than integrating AI into established banking processes, Cake was built as a digital-only bank from the outset, embedding AI, data, and automation into its technology architecture, operating model, and customer journeys.

This greenfield foundation has enabled Cake to develop an integrated AI-first banking model, where technology supports how the bank makes decisions, manages operations, and delivers financial services at scale.

Supported by its independently developed core banking and card management systems, Cake applies AI across the banking value chain, from customer onboarding, credit assessment, and fraud prevention to risk management, customer service, and personalized financial recommendations.

Beyond operational efficiency, Cake has also invested in localized AI capabilities designed specifically for Vietnamese users, enabling more accessible, responsive, and personalized financial experiences.

Scaling Growth with Efficiency and Sustainable Business Performance

Nearly six years since its launch, Cake has grown to serve more than 8 million customers, demonstrating the scalability of its branchless digital banking model.

Cake achieved positive EBITDA in Q3 2024, just 3.5 years after launch, marking a significant milestone in demonstrating the viability of its digital-only banking model. The bank subsequently recorded 173% year-on-year revenue growth in 2025, followed by a further 121% growth in 2026, reflecting sustained business momentum as it continues to scale. Meanwhile, average revenue per user (ARPU) increased from USD 12 in 2024 to USD 44 in 2026, highlighting Cake’s ability to generate greater value from its growing customer base.

Beyond customer acquisition, Cake’s growth strategy increasingly focuses on deepening customer relationships and expanding the range of financial needs served through its platform and partner ecosystems. This approach reflects the bank’s evolution toward a mature digital banking model, where scale is complemented by stronger customer engagement, operational efficiency, and long-term business sustainability.

Nguyen Huu Quang, CEO of Cake Digital Bank, said:

“Winning Gold at the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards is a meaningful international recognition of Cake’s AI-first banking model. From the beginning, our ambition has been to build a digital bank that combines technological innovation with sustainable business performance, while making financial services simpler, more accessible, and more relevant to customers. This recognition reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class banking experiences for Vietnamese users and continuing to advance our AI-first capabilities.”

The Gold Award marks another milestone in Cake’s development as a next-generation AI-first digital bank. It also demonstrates how a banking model developed and scaled in an emerging market can deliver meaningful customer and business outcomes, contributing practical perspectives to the global conversation on the future of digital banking.

In September 2026, Cake was also named “Vietnam’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney under its Group Level Banking Awards, further recognizing the bank’s progress in strategy, technology, and business performance.

About the Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards

The Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards are jointly organized by Qorus, a global association for retail financial institutions, and Infosys Finacle, a digital banking solutions provider. Now in their 13th edition, the awards recognize innovative initiatives and banking models that deliver meaningful impact across the global financial services industry.

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SOURCE Cake Digital Bank

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