For generations, the American universities were seen as the best in the world. They have amazing research with the best professors and they are seen as the reputable place for students to pursue their studies. In a devastating news for international students, Donald Trump has restricted them to study in the US.
While the government states it relates to the national security, it may perhaps just be a cover to limit diverse, educated voices who might challenge the status quo. It’s an easy way for the administration to tighten its grip and serve its own agenda, but for international students, it’s just plain scary.
The President states that he does want great students to come to the US but he also stresses on giving chances for American students. Sound’s fair – but then, he persists on asking Harvard for lists to find students that are seem to be a threat to the country, making them feeling disposed. It’s heavy as it is; they are no longer going for interviews, their visas are revoked and even going home would be a disappointment to them.
This really is an economic self-sabotage, because international students aren’t merely attending universities; they are also contributing billions into the US economy while also supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs each year. Can America really afford to lose billions of dollars and its big investors?
Beyond the money, America is losing its global influence. For years, having international students built respectable relationships worldwide. It also helped create future leaders such as Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, or even Malaysia’s top healthcare CEO Nadiah Wan, who have studied at Harvard. Now, if ‘America First’ means building barriers instead of encouraging brilliance, then its brightest future may as well be written by different hands, in different lands.
Umi Moslimi (umibasyirahhm@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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