94Ha Viewpoint“I want a list of foreign students”-US President Trump’s order sounded the alarm for international students at Harvard University.
On May 23, the U.S. government announced in a surprise manner that Harvard had been disqualified from accepting international students and visiting scholars, and nearly 7000 visa holders had fallen into an uncertain fate.
Harvard immediately filed a lawsuit, but the storm did not stop at Harvard-from the “compromise” at Colombia University to the naming and investigation of more than 60 universities, the Trump administration is continuing to put pressure on the U.S. higher education system under the guise of “anti-Semitism” and “cooperating with the Communist Party of China.”
Harvard, on the other hand, became the number one target selected because of its symbolic status as “arrogant” and “elite”.
For international students, this is not only a political storm, but also a moment of crisis for their dream of studying abroad. Do you still dare to apply for a visa? Do you still dare to accept college admission notices? Postdoctoral doctors at Harvard even dare not go abroad to attend the conference, for fear of “never coming back.”
Some people describe this as a chill that “would rather kill wrongly than let go.” This is not just about Harvard. As the scholars interviewed said: “Even Harvard can be purged like this, do other universities still feel safe?”
Academic freedom, international exchanges, and scientific research cooperation are being cut off by government orders. Even if Trump’s term ends, this poison gas will probably pervade the air that was once known for freedom on American campuses.
