For two years running, Harvard has come at the bottom of the free speech rankings according to the Foundation Individual Rights and Expression. It has a shameful history of deplatforming speakers and censuring academics who express views at odds with progressive orthodoxy.
But none of this justifies Trump’s punitive ban on international students enrolling at the university. His treatment of Harvard is at least as illiberal as anything the university has done itself.
Trump’s attack on American universities doesn’t stop with Harvard. He has put new international student enrolments at universities across the nation on hold. Even already-enrolled students face uncertainty about whether they will be able to complete their studies in America.
Trump’s moves are being challenged in American courts. Even so, the bans have created a climate of extreme uncertainty. As egregious as they are, they present a unique opportunity for New Zealand.
New Zealand’s universities, like those across the Anglosphere, are highly dependent on income from international students. Their fees effectively subsidise those paid by domestic students.
With the pandemic-related closure of the border in 2020, international enrolments at New Zealand universities plummeted. While numbers have now largely recovered, five years of disruption has done significant financial damage.
Our universities could offer a safe haven for international students in America and reap a windfall in the bargain. If Immigration NZ were to offer fast-track visas to international students, we could pick up American-enrolled students wanting some insurance against the uncertainty there.
Many students will simply want a temporary haven while the American situation plays out. They would hope to return to America if the courts overturn Trump’s bans.
For these students, New Zealand’s Study Abroad programme would be ideal. The scheme enables international students to complete part of their degree here. If things do not improve in America, they could transfer to New Zealand degree programmes later.
More broadly, there are opportunities to pick up far more international students, of higher quality, than in the past. Historically, international students have preferred universities in America, the UK, Canada and Australia to New Zealand’s. But with Trump’s disruption in the US, and Australia and s [sic], New Zealand stands to gain a greater share of the international student market.
In Trump’s parlance, New Zealand “has cards.” All we need to do is play them well.
Dr Michael Johnston is a Senior Fellow at the New Zealand Initiative. This article was first published HERE
Trump’s moves are being challenged in American courts. Even so, the bans have created a climate of extreme uncertainty. As egregious as they are, they present a unique opportunity for New Zealand.
New Zealand’s universities, like those across the Anglosphere, are highly dependent on income from international students. Their fees effectively subsidise those paid by domestic students.
With the pandemic-related closure of the border in 2020, international enrolments at New Zealand universities plummeted. While numbers have now largely recovered, five years of disruption has done significant financial damage.
Our universities could offer a safe haven for international students in America and reap a windfall in the bargain. If Immigration NZ were to offer fast-track visas to international students, we could pick up American-enrolled students wanting some insurance against the uncertainty there.
Many students will simply want a temporary haven while the American situation plays out. They would hope to return to America if the courts overturn Trump’s bans.
For these students, New Zealand’s Study Abroad programme would be ideal. The scheme enables international students to complete part of their degree here. If things do not improve in America, they could transfer to New Zealand degree programmes later.
More broadly, there are opportunities to pick up far more international students, of higher quality, than in the past. Historically, international students have preferred universities in America, the UK, Canada and Australia to New Zealand’s. But with Trump’s disruption in the US, and Australia and s [sic], New Zealand stands to gain a greater share of the international student market.
In Trump’s parlance, New Zealand “has cards.” All we need to do is play them well.
Dr Michael Johnston is a Senior Fellow at the New Zealand Initiative. This article was first published HERE
7 comments:
I'm afraid I don't share this enthusiasm for the education industry. What is being sold isn't education but immigration opportunities for people who don't otherwise qualify. Realistically, high level American students aren't going to pay to have Maori propaganda shoved down their throats.
Very few of the overseas "students" we get will work in the skilled areas in which they studied. Most will become unkilled workers and beneficiaries. Now they're going to be allowed to bring there parents here as well, clogging up the health system. Sometimes I wish Luxon would learn some things off Trump.
Why on earth do we want students that would accept being forced to complete indigenous spirituality papers, is acceptable. And pay for it. They're either morons or activists. The truly bright will look elsewhere.
> Their fees effectively subsidise those paid by domestic students.
I'm yet to see a numerical analysis showing how this works.
What's the real fee? What's the premium? What's the subsidy? Who pays what? What's the break even point? What happens if international numbers are below or above this?
Too many questions, not enough answers :(
Dr Johnston is dreaming. New Zealand universities are ridiculously woke. I’m a US citizen, and I’ve voted against Trump 3 times. But he’s spot on in this case.
Pay to attend a NZ university ?
Forced to pay and endure a mandatory Maori indoctrination course ?
Forced to do a tikanga paper !
You have to be kidding me, there are so many better options everywhere else in the First.
I believe Trump is concerned about the pro Palestinian students who notoriously can be be very aggressive in being anti Israel. He doesn't want their radicalization in the US. Many US universities including Harvard have had pro Palestinian rallies.
I do think we in the West need to take a stand against those who have little respect for our values. Liberalism and tolerance towards Islam , I think has been interpreted by Islam as weakness and unfortunately their agenda includes Jihad and Sharia law in the West.
Liberalism and tolerance are words fervent Islamists do not understand. It is all or nothing for them. Just look at UK and Australia to see examples of this
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