Latest news with #UniversityofToronto
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
6 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
Harvard & Toronto Universities join hands to host international students amid Trump's visa blockade
Harvard University and the University of Toronto came out with a plan that would see some of the Harvard students complete their studies in Canada if visa restrictions prevent them from entering the United States read more A Harvard sign is seen at the Harvard University campus in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 27. Image used for representation. (Source: AFP) Harvard University and the University of Toronto are collaborating to host international students who are facing visa restrictions imposed by US President Donald Trump. Both institutions came out with a plan that would see some of the Harvard students complete their studies in Canada if visa restrictions prevent them from entering the United States. The pact between the two institutions reflects how schools are willing to collaborate to ensure that students are not affected by the tumultuous policies introduced by the current Trump administration. The deal was struck between the Harvard John F Kennedy School of Government and the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a letter to the students, Jeremy Weinstein, the Harvard Kennedy School Dean, noted that the plans were meant to ease concerns. He maintained that 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 in his letter. Harvard's struggle with the Trump administration The American university 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. It is pertinent to note that nearly a quarter of Harvard's students come from outside the US, and their students are a key source of funding for the school. So far, Harvard has 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, institutes are also announcing HKS Global, which will have both an online and in-person component. The University of Toronto made it clear that Harvard students attending their college will still have to apply for Canadian study permits and will be enrolled as full-time, non-degree students at the Munk School. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The program is only open to students who have already completed a year of study in the United States. Interestingly, Canada has put its cap on international students and curtailed the number of visas it will allow. 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 university housing'.


New York Post
6 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Harvard, University of Toronto make contingency plan to allow foreign students to study if barred from US
Harvard University and the University of Toronto have revealed a contingency plan that would allow select international Harvard graduate students to continue their education in Canada if the Trump administration's plan to impose US visa restrictions and prevent them from re-entering the US is upheld by the courts. The US Department of Homeland Security moved last month to terminate Harvard's ability to enroll international students after the university allegedly failed to provide extensive behavioral records of student visa holders the agency had requested, including footage of protest activity involving student visa holders, even if it's not criminal, and the disciplinary records of all student visa holders in the past five years. A federal judge has since blocked the government's effort to end the university's visa program. Because of potential US visa challenges, students at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government who may be unable to return to the US will be given the option to continue their studies through a visiting student program at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The program would combine courses taught by Kennedy and Munk faculty members, according to the deans of both institutions. The contingency plans were released to ease student uncertainty, but will only be used if there is enough demand from students unable to enter the US over potential visa or entry restrictions, the deans said in a statement. The Trump administration has moved to cut billions of dollars in federal research funding for Harvard. 'With these contingency plans in place, HKS will be able to continue to provide a world-class public policy education to all of our students, even if they cannot make it to our campus this year,' Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein said. The program will be available to international students who have already completed one year at the US campus. The Trump administration has moved to cut billions of dollars in federal research funding for Harvard, in part, over its handling of alleged antisemitism and violence on campus amid anti-Israel protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Harvard University and the University of Toronto released contingency plans to ease student uncertainty about potential visa restrictions. AFP via Getty Images Weinstein announced staff layoffs at Kennedy in a recent email to faculty and staff, citing 'unprecedented new headwinds' creating 'significant financial challenges,' including a 'substantial proposed increase in the endowment tax' and 'massive cuts to federal funding of research.' Over the past five years, more than 50% of Kennedy students have come from outside the US, the school's media office said. A total of 739 students from 92 countries in programs aimed at developing leadership in public policy and government are enrolled at the school, according to the Harvard International Office website.


Fox News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Harvard, University of Toronto make contingency plan to allow foreign students to study if barred from US
Harvard University and the University of Toronto have revealed a contingency plan that would allow select international Harvard graduate students to continue their education in Canada if the Trump administration's plan to impose U.S. visa restrictions and prevent them from re-entering the U.S. is upheld by the courts. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security moved last month to terminate Harvard's ability to enroll international students after the university allegedly failed to provide extensive behavioral records of student visa holders the agency had requested, including footage of protest activity involving student visa holders, even if it's not criminal, and the disciplinary records of all student visa holders in the past five years. A federal judge has since blocked the government's effort to end the university's visa program. Because of potential U.S. visa challenges, students at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government who may be unable to return to the U.S. will be given the option to continue their studies through a visiting student program at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The program would combine courses taught by Kennedy and Munk faculty members, according to the deans of both institutions. The contingency plans were released to ease student uncertainty, but will only be used if there is enough demand from students unable to enter the U.S. over potential visa or entry restrictions, the deans said in a statement. "With these contingency plans in place, HKS will be able to continue to provide a world-class public policy education to all of our students, even if they cannot make it to our campus this year," Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein said. The program will be available to international students who have already completed one year at the U.S. campus. The Trump administration has moved to cut billions of dollars in federal research funding for Harvard, in part, over its handling of alleged antisemitism and violence on campus amid anti-Israel protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Weinstein announced staff layoffs at Kennedy in a recent email to faculty and staff, citing "unprecedented new headwinds" creating "significant financial challenges," including a "substantial proposed increase in the endowment tax" and "massive cuts to federal funding of research." Over the past five years, more than 50% of Kennedy students have come from outside the U.S., the school's media office said. A total of 739 students from 92 countries in programs aimed at developing leadership in public policy and government are enrolled at the school, according to the Harvard International Office website.


Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump administration appeals to reinstate ban on Harvard's international students
The Trump administration is challenging a judge's ruling. This ruling blocked a proclamation affecting Harvard's international students. The appeal continues a legal battle that began in May. The proclamation cited concerns about Harvard's foreign ties. Judge Burroughs criticized the administration's attempt to restrict international students. Harvard is preparing alternative study plans for its international students. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Also Read: Harvard and University of Toronto make contingency plan for international students Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Trump administration has appealed a federal judge's decision blocking a proclamation that sought to bar international students from enrolling at Harvard University , as reported by The New York Times. The appeal, filed in federal court in Boston, signals a continuation of a legal standoff that began in May over the university's international conflict escalated after a presidential proclamation issued on June 4. The proclamation accused Harvard of 'entanglements with foreign countries, including our adversaries,' and cited donations from Chinese entities as part of its June 23, US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs halted the enforcement of the proclamation. In her ruling, she criticized the administration's attempt to restrict international students at Harvard, calling it a 'misplaced effort to control a reputable academic institution and squelch diverse viewpoints seemingly because they are, in some instances, opposed to this administration's own views.'She added that the administration sought 'to accomplish this, at least in part, on the backs of international students, with little thought to the consequences to them or, ultimately, to our own citizens.'The administration defended its stance by referencing a 70-year-old law designed to block foreign enemies from entering the United States. It also cited the Supreme Court's decision that upheld a 2017 ban on visas for individuals from several Muslim-majority countries. However, Judge Burroughs rejected the administration's legal reasoning, calling it 'absurd.'The court order will remain in place while Harvard's lawsuit against the administration hosts approximately 7,000 international students and scholars each year, with nearly 2,000 of them being recent graduates. These students represent roughly one-fourth of the total student anticipation of further legal developments, Harvard is preparing alternate study arrangements for international students. These include the possibility of remote learning and partnerships with institutions abroad. The Harvard Kennedy School confirmed it is working with the University of Toronto to accommodate some students during the ongoing legal process.


The Star
9 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Gender not main factor in attacks on Egyptian woman pharaoh: study
Visitors stand behind the bust of the ancient Egyptian queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC) at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's central Tahrir Square on June 11. Photo: AFP She was one of ancient Egypt's most successful rulers, a rare female pharaoh who preceded Cleopatra by 1,500 years, but Queen Hatshepsut's legacy was systematically erased by her stepson successor after her death. The question of why her impressive reign was so methodically scrubbed has attracted significant debate, but in new research published Monday, University of Toronto scholar Jun Wong argues far too much emphasis has been placed on her gender. "It's quite a romantic question: why was this pharaoh attacked after her death?" Wong told AFP, explaining his interest in a monarch who steered ancient Egypt through a period of extraordinary prosperity. Earlier scholars believed Queen Hatshepsut's stepson Thutmose III unleashed a posthumous campaign of defilement against her out of revenge and hatred, including because he wanted to purge any notion that a woman could successfully rule. "The way in which (Hatshepsut's) reign has been understood has always been colored by her gender," Wong said, referencing beliefs that Thutmose III may have viewed her as "a kind of an evil stepmother." His research, which builds on other recent scholarship and is being published in the journal Antiquity , argues Thutmose III's motivations were far more nuanced, casting further doubt on the theory of backlash against a woman in charge. Hatshepsut ruled Egypt roughly 3,500 years ago, taking over following the death of her husband Thutmose II. She first served as regent to her stepson, the king-in-waiting, but successfully consolidated power in her own right, establishing herself as a female pharaoh. Experts say she expanded trade routes and commissioned extraordinary structures, including an unparallelled mortuary in the Valley of the Kings on the Nile's west bank. Wong reassessed a range of material from damaged statues uncovered during excavations from 1922 to 1928. He said there is no doubt Thutmose III worked to eliminate evidence of Hatshepsut's achievements, but his efforts were "perhaps driven by ritual necessity rather than outright antipathy," said Wong. Thutmose III may have been trying to neutralise the power of his predecessor in a practical and common way, not out of malice. He also found that some of the statues depicting Hatshepsut were likely damaged because later generations wanted to reuse them as building materials. "For a long time, it has been assumed that Hatshepsut's statuary sustained a vindictive attack," said Wong, arguing that a fresh look at the archives suggests "this is not the case." - AFP