As Trump Pushes International Students Away, Asian Schools Scoop Them Up
But when the United States, under President Trump, started pausing visa interviews during peak season this spring, threatening to deport international students for political speech and slashing funding for academic research, he quickly changed plans. Applications for Ph.D. programs take years and have to be tailored to specific schools, so he is aiming for programs in Switzerland and Singapore instead.
'That uncertainty made me stop in my tracks and choose another country,' Mr. Concepcion, 24, said. 'Immigration policy is quite restrictive, and I'm on a different side of the world. So living in that kind of instability that far away isn't healthy for me.'
It's a quandary facing many young people around the world. According to the United Nations, 6.9 million people studied outside their home country in 2022. The United States has long attracted the most foreign students, 1.1 million in the 2023-24 academic year.
It's too soon to know whether more foreign students will choose not to attend U.S. schools. But warning signs abound.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bessent Backtracks on Bitcoin: Treasury Committed to 'Budget-Neutral' BTC Buys
After saying earlier Thursday that the United States would not purchase Bitcoin for its planned strategic reserve, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent apparently had a change of heart, again leaving the door open for potential purchases. "Bitcoin that has been finally forfeited to the federal government will be the foundation of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that President Trump established in his March Executive Order," he wrote on X. "In addition, Treasury is committed to exploring budget-neutral pathways to acquire more Bitcoin to expand the reserve, and to execute on the President's promise to make the United States the 'Bitcoin superpower of the world.'" Bessent said on Fox Business earlier Thursday that "we're not going to be buying that," in reference to Bitcoin for a strategic U.S. reserve. The comments contradicted previous statements from officials in the Trump administration. Established via executive order in March, Bessent said earlier on Thursday that the U.S. held between $15 billion and $20 billion worth of Bitcoin in its strategic reserve, and the government wouldn't be buying Bitcoin to pad out that stash—rather only holding on to seized funds. The comments sparked outrage among some industry onlookers, with one viral X post claiming that 'the Washington crypto lobby lied' about the initiative that represented one of President Donald Trump's biggest overtures to the crypto industry. Bitcoin hardly budged following Bessent's revised remarks, changing hands around $118,000 on Thursday afternoon, according to crypto data provider CoinGecko. Over the past 24 hours, its price has fallen 3.9%, from an all-time above $124,000 the day before. The Trump administration has shifted direction on crypto initiatives before. On the campaign trail, Trump initially floated a Bitcoin stockpile, but the initiative was later expanded to include other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano. Bitcoin, Ethereum Fall as PPI Shock Squashes Hopes for Jumbo Rate Cut Ultimately, Trump's executive orders created a strategic Bitcoin reserve that is separate from a digital asset stockpile containing other cryptocurrencies. White House Crypto Czar David Sacks told Decrypt in March that it was up to Bessent and U.S. Commerce Secretary to Howard Lutnick to 'determine if there are budget-neutral ways of adding to our Bitcoin reserve,' but so far, neither have given specifics. Editor's note: This story was updated after publication with additional details.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Putin agrees that US, Europe could offer NATO-style security guarantees to Ukraine, Trump envoy says
NEW YORK (AP) — Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump that the United States and its European allies could offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the war, a U.S. official said Sunday. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, who took part in the talks Friday at a military base in Alaska, said it 'was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that' and called it 'game-changing.' 'We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO," Witkoff told CNN's 'State of the Union.' Witkoff offered few details on how such an arrangement would work. But it appeared to be a major shift for Putin and could serve as a workaround to his deep-seated objection to Ukraine's potential NATO membership, a step that Kyiv has long sought. It was expected to be a key topic Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and major European leaders meet with Donald Trump at the White House to discuss ending the 3 1/2-year conflict. 'BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA,' Trump said in a social media post. 'STAY TUNED!' Hammering out a plan for security guarantees Article 5, at the heart of the 32-member trans-Atlantic military alliance, says an armed attack against one or more member nations shall be considered an attack against them all. What needed to be hammered out at this week's talks were the contours of any security guarantees, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also participated in the summit. Ukraine and European allies have pushed the U.S. to provide that backstop in any peace agreement to deter future attacks by Moscow. 'How that's constructed, what we call it, how it's built, what guarantees are built into it that are enforceable, that's what we'll be talking about over the next few days with our partners," Rubio said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' It was unclear, however, whether Trump had fully committed to such a guarantee. Rubio said it would be 'a huge concession." The comments shed new light on what was discussed in Alaska. Before Sunday, U.S. officials had offered few details even as both Trump and Putin said their meeting was a success. Witkoff also said Russia had agreed to enact a law that it would not 'go after any other European countries and violate their sovereignty.' 'The Russians agreed on enshrining legislatively language that would prevent them from — or that they would attest to not attempting to take any more land from Ukraine after a peace deal, where they would attest to not violating any European borders," he said on 'Fox News Sunday.' Europe welcomes US openness to such guarantees European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking to reporters in Brussels alongside Zelenskyy, applauded the news from the White House at a time when a European coalition is looking to set up a force to police any future peace in Ukraine. "We welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine and the 'coalition of the willing' — including the European Union — is ready to do its share,' she said. Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for recent signals that it was willing to support such guarantees but said much remained unclear. 'There are no details how it will work, and what America's role will be, Europe's role will be and what the EU can do — and this is our main task: We need security to work in practice like Article 5 of NATO, and we consider EU accession to be part of the security guarantees,' he said. Defending Trump's shift from ceasefire to peace deal Witkoff and Rubio defended Trump's decision to abandon a push for a ceasefire, arguing that the Republican president had pivoted toward a full peace agreement because so much progress had been made at the summit. 'We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal,' Witkoff said, without elaborating. 'We began to see some moderation in the way they're thinking about getting to a final peace deal.' Rubio, who appeared on several TV news shows Sunday, said it would have been impossible to reach any truce Friday because Ukraine was not there. 'Now, ultimately, if there isn't a peace agreement, if there isn't an end of this war, the president's been clear, there are going to be consequences,' Rubio said on ABC's 'This Week.' 'But we're trying to avoid that." Rubio, who is also Trump's national security adviser, also voiced caution on the progress made. 'We're still a long ways off," he said. 'We're not at the precipice of a peace agreement. We're not at the edge of one. But I do think progress was made towards one.' Land swaps are on the table Among the issues expected to dominate Monday's meeting: What concessions Zelenskyy might accept on territory? In talks with European allies after the summit, Trump said Putin reiterated that he wants the key Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas, European officials said. It was unclear among those briefed whether Trump sees that as acceptable. Witkoff said the Russians have made clear they want territory as determined by legal boundaries instead of the front lines where territory has been seized. 'There is an important discussion to be had with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there. And that discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday,' he said. Zelenskyy has rejected Putin's demands that Ukraine give up the Donbas region, which Russia has failed to take completely, as a condition for peace. In Brussels, the Ukrainian leader said any talks involving land must be based on current front lines, suggesting he will not abandon land that Russia has not taken. 'The contact line is the best line for talking, and the Europeans support this,' he said. 'The constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible, impossible to give up territory or trade land.' ___ Associated Press writers John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, and Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Ukraine won't give up land that Russia doesn't already occupy, Zelensky says after Putin's demand
Kyiv will not give up land that Moscow troops aren't occupying as part of any peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands. Speaking ahead of his meeting with President Trump on Monday, Zelensky told reporters in Brussels that while Kyiv would be open to 'land swaps' in exchange for peace, Putin's demands to cede the entirety of the Donetsk region — including parts under Ukrainian control — is off the table. 'We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now,' Zelensky said. 'The contact line is the best line for talking. Advertisement 4 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would not cede land to Russia that has been successfully defended by his troops as part of a peace deal. AFP via Getty Images 4 Ukrainian troops have been able to effectively halt Russia's advancements in the Donetsk region for more than three years. Getty Images 'Russia is still unsuccessful in the Donetsk region,' he added. 'Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years, and the Constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land.' During his summit with Trump on Friday, Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw all its forces from Donetsk and the neighboring Luhanks region, both of which lie along the eastern border, as one of the main conditions for ending the war. Advertisement While Russia currently controls a large swath of land across both regions, Ukraine has been able to keep Moscow's forces from claiming the entire regions for more than three years. Kyiv still holds the key cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, with hundreds of Moscow's troops killed or injured every week in the quagmire. 4 Vladimir Putin has made no public statement that Moscow would consider any concessions in the peace talks with Ukraine, with the Russian President demanding two entire Ukrainian regions to stop his invasion force. AP Advertisement Zelensky said Kyiv would not falter on these conditions, with European leaders backing the Ukrainian president and warning Trump that the country's border cannot be allowed to be altered through force. 'Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral Ukraine-United States-Russia,' Zelensky added. 'So far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen, and if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow,' he added. 4 A Ukrainian soldier fires a howitzer at invading Russian forces in Donetsk on Saturday. Getty Images Advertisement As he prepares for this meeting with Trump on Monday, Zelensky said he will seek the full details of the 'security guarantees' that will be available for Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Putin agreed to allow the US and Europe to provide Ukraine with assurances that it will never again be invaded by Russia, similar to NATO's 'Article 5' agreement that allows member nations to defend each other if one is ever attacked. Putin has publicly denounced any deal that would give Ukraine NATO membership, with Trump also dismissing such proposals in the past. The Russian strongman has also remained silent on what concessions Moscow is willing to make in the peace talks, which leaves Zelensky with more questions than answers following Friday's summit in Alaska. 'We really want to get an answer to these questions in order to understand what 'security guarantees' are,' Zelensky said.
