First Trump came for Harvard, now he’s after the rest

[Cafeconleche]

Trump has just ordered all US embassies worldwide to stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students with immediate effect. WTF???

So do I. No political party or politician is going to get everything right, and for me most of them get a lot wrong. I loathe Trump with every fibre of my being and I find his attack on the US HE sector very worrying, but I've also been stunned by the utter stupidity and intolerance of much of what's gone on in HE worldwide in recent years. It's perfectly possible to be anti-Trump without being 100% in support of the other side. This either/or approach is what's got us into this mess.

i couldn’t agree more. It never ceases to amaze me how little most people understand about politics. They will vote to make themselves poorer and to make everything worse for everyone for the holy grail of stopping the boats or getting Brexit done or whatever the latest mantra is. Then moan for the next four years.

Don't get me wrong, Trump is a terrifying madman and Starmer is using anti-immigration rhetoric that is incredibly disappointing. But there's no doubt that the international student system isn't always about the pursuit of academic excellence and cultural exchange, at least in the UK. I've known several people whose main interest in a Masters here was that it allowed them to bring their family over. Then, when two weeks into the course, the university realised they didn't have the right qualifications to be on the course, they claimed asylum. I can hardly blame desperate people living in terrible situations for trying the legal student visa option rather than illegal boat crossing - wouldn't many of us do the same? And if stopping family visas for students really has a devastating effect on our universtiies' finances, that's something important to factor in too. But I can see why a govt looking for the best ways to reduce immigration would think tightening up the international student visas is low-hanging fruit.
So glad my kids didn't decide to take the US uni route. I really wouldn't want them living there right now.

Yes, calling all affirmative action policies racist would be reductive and untrue.

You’ve highlighted one problem with some affirmative action programmes yourself. Do you consider the unlawful discrimination against Asian Americans that the SC found to violate the Civil Rights Act to be another such problem?

I’m also not sure why it should be the job of those racially discriminated against to also take down legacy admissions before they are considered worthy. As a point of fact though, the group that brought that claim has also criticized legacies, and another group is suing. I hope they win.

There are many ways to address social issues and different legitimate rights to be balanced. The right thing to do is to: allow a wide range of views and values to be held and argued for within the academy, and follow the law as an institution. Many Ivies have failed at both, and one doesn’t have to be a Trump supporter to find that deeply problematic. One can just be a non tribal liberal.

Harvard’s been here before. In the early 20th century it imposed a cap on Jews for, yes, character reasons. We see that now as racist and wrong, and I think progressives will come to see the treatment of Asians in the same way.

And before that, and right up to the 1950s or so, this was applied to ALL women. Because they outscored most of the men, and we couldn't have Harvard students being mostly women, could we?

I've heard a lot about the discrimination against Asian (and Indian) Americans. They're TOO clever and they would "swamp" other ethnicities, and because they "don't mix well" it's bad for "school spirit."

It's nothing other than racist bunkum, but see upthread for this repeated here in the UK about Chinese students ... (whose spoken English might not be up to par at first, but whose comprehension is usually OK, as anyone who knows anything about the acquisition of languages in adulthood will know).

The more batshit Trump gets, the more Farage wriggles up his arse and the more the people of the UK will see these absolute charlatans for what they are.

One can but hope, but I was talking to someone at a Memorial Day event a few days ago (I'm currently in the US) and she said most of her family were in the military, and already feeling the effects of DOGE cuts on medical care, and veterans' aid. But they were still adoring Trumpists.

That is what is so unbelievable here (and in the UK) with populism - the Trump/Farage policies harm the very people who vote for them.

Well said, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Like @GCAcademic , I assumed Trump would win last year. I have friends here who are involved in a local way in the Democratic party, and I just don't understand why the Democrats at a national level don't have a robust plan to counter Trump. There are some very very clever (and highly paid) people in the national Democratic party and they don't seem to have a clue ...

It is what facists do. Use their powers to destroy the institutions that might act as a challenge to them

Here in Bristol they've built four massive student blocks for UoB within a couple of minutes of my flat in the last two years. There's several thousand rooms at a guess and I know they've recently built other blocks elsewhere. Almost exclusively overseas students from what I've seen/heard (no issues with this, just saying for context!). I don't know the exact figures but I'm guessing 10k wouldn't be far off...

Trump is shooting himself in the foot doing this

anniegun · Today 15:28
It is what facists do. Use their powers to destroy the institutions that might act as a challenge to them

As do communists.

Bristol was infamous for not having enough student accommodation to serve its existing students. A few years back weren't they having to house some of their 1st years in Wales?

Many student halls at various universities were built in the 1960s and are now way past their useful lives, and so need replacing.

And student demands are much higher now. & they are fussier about en suites and space and amenities.

Ha, yes. I went to UoB but already had a flat with my ex (I was a mature student). Some fellow students ended up in Wales and a few ended up in hostels or BnBs. One friend slept rough for about a month. It's been an enduring issue so I suppose the extra blocks could be a good thing, but as they seem to be exclusively housing international students I'm guessing it wasn't really aimed at that, they've just taken on far more students

You write as though Reform have an election victory in the bag. With four years to go, they really don't.

I had a daughter at Uni in Bristol as an international student and accommodation was very difficult if you wanted a choice in where you stayed and a certain standard. We did manage to get her an apartment after 4 vile months in halls but it was 3 bedrooms so we had somewhere to stay when visiting the Uk but by the middle of her second year 2 of her friends had moved in with her they were so stuck for accommodation.

The Trump administration is scrutinising the social media profiles of foreign students and not renewing the visas of any showing support for Palestine. Meanwhile, the same administration its persuading its citizens that free speech is under threat in the UK, citing in particular the imprisonment of Lucy Connolly. 12 months in one of the HEIs he so dislikes may have helped Trump see how stupid this dichotomy makes him look.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to read two books in order to understand you or the words you invent.😂

You think Trump is a communist?🤯

Gilead doesn’t see so far fetched. You shalt not think for yourself.

Yes, it did occur to me that you might not be a reader. There are quite a few videos on Youtube, some very short, and plenty of online dictionaries.

Good luck with it all! So much out there to discover.

This came up in conversation with some Reform / Trump supporters in my circle, who generally support the "less immigration" narrative. We were discussing the Merlin bird ID app, and what a gift it was to humankind from Cornell University. We segued into how access to the brightest brains from all over the world are what helps universities deliver innovations that we can all enjoy.

Mentioning in case it is helpful in your conversations, and do give the app a try if you like birdsong. It has taught me to recognise the calls of probably 10 birds.

Hmm, I'm not into YouTube videos. I much prefer reading.

If you need someone to read 2 books to understand your position maybe you're not very good at communicating? Inventing words doesn't help.

It's OK though, I see you.

Maybe I used words that are too hard. Sometimes that happens online because everyone is different and knows different words.

Would you still like to communicate? If yes, I can try to write more simply.

I can’t spend very long though because I have other things to do too.

Is there a bit you don’t understand that you want me to do again?

No, it's fine. I understand you perfectly @GeneralPeter.