Calden-Meimbressener reports: Harvard under pressure-what now?

Calden-Meimbressener reports: Harvard under pressure-what now?

Hofgeismar, Deutschland - How do you feel if you look at a uncertain future as a foreign student in the United States? Rosalie Wolff, a medical student from Calden-Meimbressen, has had this experience firsthand. She has been studying at Harvard University in Massachusetts since November 2024, where she received a research scholarship. Although her time is exciting here, she is increasingly critical of the political situation and is unsure whether she can get her license to practice in the United States. One reason for this is the current tensions between the Trump government and the renowned elite university.

President Donald Trump has targeted Harvard and other universities because of their political views, especially with regard to anti-Semitism. Significantly, he has issued a ban on international students, but was initially suspended. According to ZDF, over 7,000 international students are affected by this ban, which is a significant number. So far, a federal judge has successfully prevented Harvard from being denied foreign students. This has led to deep uncertainty among the students.

duality of the situation

In the everyday life of Rosalie Wolff there is a lively exchange. Many international students, such as Noah Plattner, a 21-year-old business student from Austria, express their concerns in WhatsApp groups. He thinks about the security of his F1 visa and the return options to the USA. "The importance of international students for teaching to Harvard cannot be assessed highly enough," he reports. This also reflects the concerns that many have in their place.

of the almost 6,800 international students to Harvard come from Germany - a considerable group that makes up for around 27% of the total student body. Anthony Striker, a 19-year-old molecular biology student with dual citizenship, remains optimistic, even if he does not underestimate the risks of the Trump government's possible retaliation policy. "We just have to wait and see how this legal process goes," he says in terms of the lawsuit that Harvard submitted against the ban.

impairments of research work

The uncertainty affects not only personal plans, but also the entire research and teaching situation. An anonymous PHD student at Harvard emphasizes that he has to prepare for a plan B. The concern that financial grants that Harvard amount to around $ 450 million are frozen. After all, Harvard focuses on the management of the enrollment of international students via the "Student and Exchange Visitor Information System" (SEVIS), which ensures compliance with VISA requirements. A loss of access to Sevis could have catastrophic consequences.

it is clear that the link between education and politics can be felt here at one of the most respected universities in the world. While the shifting in the US government leads to uncertainty, Eduation remains very popular in Harvard, but at what price?