Harvard update: international students

[poetryandwine]

The Trump administration has today revoked Harvard’s right to enrol international students. I have no words to describe this outrage.

I am sure Harvard will prevail ultimately. However, loathe as I am to say it, I would not consider accepting Harvard as an international student until this situation is resolved. Implications for enrolment in Autumn 2026 are presently unclear, as the American application cycle is rather early.

Saw the news alert on my phone and thought “what dystopian hell is this” and picked up my jaw from the floor

I don't think international students should go to any US university right now. It's too unpredictable. Even in blue states the president can just pick a fight with you anytime.

My DD was going to US this summer to study and play sport, full ride. For various reasons she changed tack in Jan and she is now going to a Canadian university.
I am so relieved. There is no way I would send her to the states now.

Hadn’t seen this - awful.

‘Dystopian hell’ is perfect, @HiddenInCubeOfCheese

Shocking news ...A friend's DD has been awarded a fully funded PhD scholarship at Harvard for 5 years and is due to start in September. She was out at Harvard two weeks ago for her induction- and had rented lodgings. Tonight she is understandably devastated.

Trump's decision may not be legal but it could a while before everything is resolved and before visa's are issued. So tough on those just starting out on their studies.

And of course even more worrying this is indicative of a dictator wielding power against those who don't do his bidding.

It seems especially cruel that students who are mid degree are told they will have to leave!

Wow!

The guy is a fucking maniac. How on earth did the US descend into this chaos so quickly?

What the fuck is Trump trying to achieve?

Its really awful especially for those already there, like 1930s Germany.

Let's actually wait and see what is happening. He called for this today, but recently he also disbanded the entire Dept of Education and today that has been revoked by a judge who has called for 1500 fired staff members to have their jobs returned to them.

This is what the bbc are saying tonight.

This will all end up in the courts and let's hope trump gets his capacious ass handed to him on a plate.

Harvard at this point should set up a few satellite campuses in UK, Canada, Singapore, Thailand or Malaysia and sent their top lecturers plus those research scientists on international students visa.

So relieved neither of my children had any interest in studying in the US. A friend’s child has an offer from Yale for September and they are now trying frantically to figure out whether she should go or defer for a year and apply elsewhere. I’d have been nervous about sending a kid there on a student visa even before this.

@HawaiiWake Their staff cannot just up sticks and go where they are “sent”!

As usual with punishment politics/policies, there’s no understanding of value to the nation. Trump is of course America First so clearly he’s going for international students because it suits his narrative.

Obviously it will go to the courts as Harvard has no choice. Students with offers there must be in turmoil.

Brexit was a form of voter punishment but also an act of self harm. Trump is there due to similar sentiments and self harm is happening (tariffs etc) but I assume the rust belt is very disconnected from Harvard. Like us getting rid of Erasmus, they won’t care. Unfortunately.

I should have added link, worldwide.harvard.edu and a better explanation, Harvard already have satellite overseas research centres and alumni country groups so they could increase or utilise those for now, especially international students impacted with the 7 days rulings. MIT and Yale have satellite locations as well.

Sure, but even if the campuses exist, faculty (and students) have houses/rental contracts/children in school/spouses with non academic jobs.

WTF!

And one of the issues with trump policy is that it’s often reversed after a month (see tariffs). Like the people who want tariffs to bring about America first jobs but fail understand no one’s going to spend a year and many millions building a factory in Iowa if the tariffs change every few days.

Any shifting of staff and students overseas will be a multi year effort and trump could find a new target next week.

Rubbish @TheWiseGoose

This seems to be unilateral action (without any process) to stop an organisation doing part of its central functions, negatively affecting numerous people - current students, staff, prospective students, landlords etc.

If Harvard broke any rules in its decisions or actions there are proportionate, legal means of government or other parties involved addressing that.

Your post also seems racist

I suggested both my kids look at US unis as well as UK ones (this was mostly during Biden’s presidency). Both said firmly they didn’t want to live in a country where the election of someone like Trump was an established precedent. Older kid was applying for PhDs earlier this year and again wouldn’t even consider the States. I’m so glad they didn’t listen to me. I think the Ivies have behaved badly and stupidly in lots of ways in the last few years (failing to deal with antisemitism, discriminating against Asians, pressurising staff who didn’t sign up to all the shibboleths of the ‘progressive’ agenda - Carol Hooven comes to mind), but two wrongs don’t make a right and this behaviour by Trump is flat-out tyrannical.