Latest news with #internationalstudents
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.
New York Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Administration to Appeal Order Allowing International Students at Harvard
The Trump administration said on Friday that it would appeal a district court judge's order blocking a proclamation that seeks to bar international students from attending Harvard. The notice of appeal, filed in federal court in Boston, further escalates a fight that started in May between the administration and Harvard over the enrollment of international students. The fight continued this month with an unusual White House proclamation on June 4, which accused Harvard of 'entanglements with foreign counties, including our adversaries.' The proclamation specifically referenced donations to Harvard from Chinese entities. On Monday, Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court in Boston blocked its enforcement, accusing the Trump administration in a strongly worded order of 'misplaced efforts 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 also chastised the government's attempts '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.' Judge Burroughs's order was set to remain in effect until Harvard's lawsuit against the administration was resolved. The Trump administration, in its fight with Harvard, had invoked a 70-year-old law intended to bar foreign enemies from the United States, suggesting that the university's international enrollment posed a national security threat. Judge Burroughs attacked the logic of the Trump administration's argument as 'absurd.' Lawyers for the administration cited a Supreme Court case that upheld President Trump's 2017 ban on visas for travelers from several majority Muslim countries. Harvard, known for its global prestige and influence, hosts about 7,000 international students and scholars each year, including about 2,000 recent graduates. They make up about 25 percent of the student body. While the case is being appealed, Harvard has said that it is developing contingency plans so that some international students may be able to study remotely, as they did during the pandemic, or at international locations. The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard said this week that it was making arrangements to partner with the University of Toronto to host some students there.
Bloomberg
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump Administration Appeals Harvard Win on Foreign Student Ban
The government is appealing a court order letting Harvard University continue enrolling foreign students despite President Donald Trump's proclamation barring their entry to the US. US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued a preliminary injunction Monday preventing the government from following through on a June 4 Trump proclamation denying entry to international students planning to attend Harvard. Justice Department lawyers on Friday notified the judge that the government will seek to have the decision reversed by an appeals court, without providing any additional details.
UAE Moments
20 hours ago
- Politics
- UAE Moments
Trump's Bid to Ban Foreign Students from Harvard Halted
A federal judge in Boston blocked on Monday, June 23, another effort by the US President Donald Trump's administration to ban international students from attending Harvard University. The judge said that the Trump administration's officials' "misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution' threatened freedom of speech. The order from the U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs preserves the ability of international students to apply and study at Harvard University while the case is decided. President Trump has sought to cut off enrollment of foreign students as part of his campaign to change the governance and policies of the Ivy League school. The administrations officials have also cut over $2.6 billion in research grants, cancelled federal contracts, and threatened to revoke the tax-exempt status of the university . Harvard University sued the Department of Homeland Security in May, after the department retracted the school's certification to host international students and issue paperwork for their visas. Burroughs temporarily halted the action hours after Harvard sued and then provided an initial injunction on June 20. The latest injunction came on June 23 in response to the Trump administration's move, citing a legal justification when he issued a proclamation on June 4, banning foreign students from entering the US to attend Harvard University.
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Harvard and University of Toronto brace for crisis, draft backup plan for international students
A group of multicultural students (for illustration purposes only) TORONTO: In an audacious and extraordinary move, Harvard University and the University of Toronto have teamed up to protect and defend the academic future of many international students who have been caught in the crossfire resulting from America's ever-changing immigration guidelines. Confronted with the uncertainties involved in US visa protocols, the two internationally esteemed institutions have come up with a contingency plan that would permit some Harvard graduate students to continue their education in Canada. This is the first official global backup plan to counter US government initiatives to curb international student registration. The agreement involves Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Under this plan, students who are unable to return to the United States would be offered an opportunity to continue their studies in Toronto, with projects co-instructed by teachers from both campuses. In a joint statement to Reuters, the deans of both institutions stressed the value of academic permanence during these uncertain times, stressing their collective vow to support students confronted with immigration issues. This move follows a contentious effort in May by the US Department of Homeland Security to strip Harvard's ability to sign up international students, an initiative that was eventually obstructed by a federal judge. Notwithstanding the legal triumph, apprehensions remain among the 739 students from 92 countries presently registered in the Kennedy School's programmes. While the cross-border scheme will only be initiated if a considerable number of students are affected by visa or travel limitations, its introduction offers a vital safety net and assurance to the diverse global student population navigating an increasingly complex immigration environment.
