University of Toronto agrees to host Harvard students facing Trump visa restrictions
Harvard University and the University of Toronto and have announced a plan that would see some Harvard students complete their studies in Canada if visa restrictions prevent them from they're barred from entering the United States.
The pact between the two schools reflects the tumultuous and 'exceptional' politics of the postsecondary world during the second term of US president Donald Trump.
The deal is between the Harvard John F Kennedy School of Government and the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
Jeremy Weinstein, the Harvard Kennedy School dean, said in a letter to students the plans are meant to ease concerns but a formal program would only be unveiled if there is 'sufficient demand' from students who are unable to come to the United States.
'We are deeply grateful for the support of the Munk School and other partners, who are helping to ensure that we can continue to provide all HKS students with the excellent education they deserve,' he said.
Harvard is locked in an acrimonious legal battle with the Trump administration after it claims the Department of Homeland Security improperly revoked its ability to enrol international students. Nearly a quarter of Harvard's students come from outside the US and are a key source of funding for the school.
Harvard has so far won two preliminary injunctions against the DHS, probably clearing a path for international students to obtain entry visas.
'These are exceptional times,' Janice Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, said in a statement.
'If Harvard Kennedy School international students are not able to complete their studies in Cambridge, Mass., the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy looks forward to providing shared academic and co-curricular experiences for students from both our schools.'
In addition to the HKS at Munk School program, the schools also announced HKS Global, which will have both an online and in-person component.
Harvard students attending the University of Toronto will still have to apply for Canadian study permits and would be enrolled as full-time, non-degree students at the Munk school. The future program is only open to students who have already completed a year of study the United States.
Canada has put its own cap on international students and curtailed the amount of visas it will issue. The University of Toronto said the plan with Harvard 'would not reduce the number of spaces available for U of T students in any academic programs or in university housing'.
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