24-05-2025
‘Harvard is not be-all and end-all'
Global prestige: A file photo of people walking between buildings on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Dec 17, 2024. Nearly 6,800 international students are enrolled in Harvard's 2024-2025 school year, amounting to 27% of its total enrolment. — AP
M'sians can find similar options in other top varsities
PETALING JAYA: Other higher education opportunities still exist in and out of the United States besides just Harvard University, say academics.
Sunway Education Group chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Elizabeth Lee said students still have the option to apply to other US universities.
Sunway University, which has many collaborations and partnerships with Harvard University through the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, has two-way student and staff mobility opportunities for research and learning opportunities.
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'Harvard has been popular among the students because of its prestige, vibrant community and generous financial aid for students who cannot afford the fees and living expenses.
'(However) our new partnership with the Arizona State University (ASU), known for being the Most Innovative University in the USA, can offer students the assurance of completing their whole degree at Sunway should they opt not to transfer to the US at any juncture during their four years at Sunway,' she said when contacted.
Prof Lee said the university can immediately take any students who are affected by the new ruling into their ASU programme.
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On Thursday, the Trump administration revoked Harvard's ability to enrol international students, while forcing existing students to transfer to other schools. It also threatened to expand the crackdown to other schools.
Harvard said the move by the Trump administration – which affects thousands of students – was illegal and amounted to retaliation.
Statistics by Harvard showed that nearly 6,800 international students are enrolled in the 2024-2025 school year, amounting to 27% of its total enrolment.
Taylor's University Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management School of Liberal Arts and Sciences head Prof Dr Anindita Dasgupta said the recent announcement about Harvard has understandably caused concern among students wanting to continue their studies at prestigious US universities.
However, she said, students under their American Degree Transfer Programme (ADTP) remain confident about their academic and transfer opportunities.
She said the programme has consistently provided a smooth pathway to some of the world's best educational institutions, including in Canada, China, New Zealand, and Australia.
Within the United States, she said, ADTP students have made it into prestigious institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, Cornell University, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Some also choose to continue within Taylor's University, she said, adding that around 95% of the programme's students aspire to continue their studies in the United States.
'Students enrolled in Taylor's University's ADTP can be reassured that their academic pathways remain secure, and their aspirations continue to be achievable,' she added.
Meanwhile, Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said there may be hope as the Trump administration has backtracked on some hard-hitting decisions.
'This may well be one of them given time,' she said.
She also said there is 'definitely concern' among parents who are interested in sending their children to the United States for higher education.
'While there are other countries to consider, universities in the United States have an edge in certain fields,' she added.
Separately, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) announced an open invitation to international undergraduate and postgraduate students currently enrolled at Harvard University, as well as those holding confirmed offers for Harvard degree programmes, to continue their academic pursuits at HKUST.
'The university will provide unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to facilitate a seamless transition for interested students,' it said yesterday.
The Star has reached out to the Higher Education Ministry and US Embassy for comment but as of press time, there has been no response.
