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Japan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Japanese universities step up to help international students after Harvard ban
Eighty-seven Japanese universities have announced support measures for international students in the United States, following an order barring Harvard University from accepting such students, the education ministry and the Japan Student Services Organization has said. The scope of students eligible for the support measures and the extent of such aid differ from university to university, they said Friday. Tohoku University said that it will accept undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in U.S. universities who face difficulties continuing their studies mainly due to the ban by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. They will be accepted to the national university in northeastern Japan as nondegree students not required to pay tuition or enrollment fees. Many Japanese universities will accept those affected as regular students or nonregular occasional students, regardless of nationality or where they currently study. Some universities have said that such students will be exempt from tuition and be provided with lodging at dormitories. According to the student services organization, five other universities were considering support measures as of Friday. It will continue to update related information.
NHK
3 days ago
- Politics
- NHK
About 90 universities in Japan open to accepting intl. students in US
Japan's education minister says about 90 universities in the country are considering accepting or supporting international students who may no longer be able to study in the United States. The Japanese education ministry had asked the nation's universities to consider support measures for such students with either Japanese or non-Japanese citizenship. The move came after the US administration under President Donald Trump announced it is barring Harvard University from enrolling international students. Education Minister Abe Toshiko said on Friday that by Thursday, her ministry had received positive responses from about 90 universities. Some of them are reportedly considering offering accommodation to students. Abe said the ministry is working to upload the responses to the request on the website of the Japan Student Services Organization, which is an independent administrative agency.
Asahi Shimbun
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Trump's student visa suspension spreads anxiety, anger in Japan
After preparing for months or even years to further their education in the United States, Japanese students are receiving an unwanted lesson in anxiety and victimization. Their plans have been thrown into turmoil since the Donald Trump administration on May 27 ordered U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to temporarily stop accepting appointments for interviews for student visas. According to U.S. media, the visas affected are for full-time academic studies, cultural exchanges and vocational schools in the United States. Interviews that have already been scheduled can still be conducted. The period of suspension will continue until further instructions are issued by the U.S. State Department within the next few days, according to the reports. 'Oh no,' said a man in his 30s in Tokyo after seeing the news. He said he was about to apply for a student visa to study at a graduate school in the United States this summer. 'I'm just going to have to wait and see first,' he said. 'I wonder what is going to happen now.' The United States is the most popular destination for study-abroad students from Japan, and thousands of Japanese could be affected by the U.S. action. 'We are still confirming the details,' a senior education ministry official said. 'But if true, we believe it will have a very significant impact, and not just on those who are planning to study in the United States in the future.' SOCIAL MEDIA FEARS, TOO Obtaining a U.S. visa usually requires an interview at an embassy or consulate. An 18-year-old who plans to attend a U.S. university from September expressed fears despite having completed the interview required to obtain a student visa. 'Now that the interview is done, all I can do is wait,' he said. Studying in the United States is his only education option since he has not entered a Japanese university since graduating from high school, he said. 'I'm worried that I won't be able to go to the United States,' he said. The teenager cited another source of concern. The Trump administration is considering strengthening its monitoring of social media posts written by people who want to study in the United States. The student said that since April, he has been careful about what he posts on Instagram on the advice of his study abroad agent. 'VICTIMS OF CIRCUMSTANCE' According to a survey conducted by the Japan Student Services Organization, 89,179 Japanese students were studying abroad in fiscal 2023. Of them, the largest number--13,517--were in the United States. 'The students have done nothing wrong,' said Taichi Nitta, vice principal of Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School. 'They are victims of circumstance.' The school offers an international baccalaureate course that prepares students for universities abroad. Three of its students are scheduled to enter U.S. universities in September. 'We don't know what the future holds, so we have to follow the information,' Nitta said. 'I hope that the students will be able to do what they want to do.' The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies usually sends around 80 students to the United States for short-term and long-term studies. According to a university spokesperson, about 30 students are scheduled to travel to the United States from around August. Some of them have yet to obtain student visas. 'We are afraid they will be affected from now,' the spokesperson said. 'All we can do now is gather information.' EF Education First Japan, a Tokyo-based study-abroad support company, has received inquiries from students since the Trump administration's pause was reported. 'Can I get a visa?' one student asked. 'I am anxious because I am about to apply for a visa.' A company official noted that it was still possible to book an interview through the U.S. Embassy's website. 'There is a possibility that (the process) will be suspended in the future, so please apply for the visa now,' the official told the student. Students who plan to enroll in U.S. schools in September generally apply for visas in June or July, the official said. 'We may have to propose other countries, such as Canada and Australia,' the staff member said. Midori Matsunaga, director of the study abroad guidance department at Agos Japan Inc., a Tokyo-based prep school, said, 'I hope that students will not be swayed by speculation and will remain calm and obtain the correct information.' She said she tells students who plan to travel to the United States in autumn: 'We expect you will receive suggestions and instructions from the colleges you plan to attend. Do not panic and wait for further updates.'
Japan Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japanese universities urged to open doors to students blocked from Harvard
Japan's education ministry has asked universities nationwide to consider accepting or supporting students who may no longer be able to study in the U.S. as President Donald Trump moves to block Harvard University from enrolling international students. Universities on Tuesday were also asked to report within a week measures they could take for both Japanese and non-Japanese students who are affected by the Trump administration's push against foreign enrollments at Harvard. According to the ministry, there are 110 students and 150 researchers from Japan currently at Harvard. Combined with those at other universities, there are about 16,000 Japanese students in the U.S. International students number 6,800 at Harvard, or 27% of its total enrollment. 'The U.S. is the biggest destination for Japanese students studying abroad,' education minister Toshiko Abe told reporters Tuesday. 'We are committed to ensuring, in collaboration with related agencies, that motivated and talented young people can continue their studies.' A list of support measures for students will be announced on the website of the ministry-affiliated Japan Student Services Organization in the near future, officials said. Non-Japanese students may also be included in the support measures, but the decision on whom to accept is up to each recipient institution, they added. Some universities have already begun making preparations. The University of Tokyo, which accepted about 20 Ukrainian students fleeing war in 2022, is planning "to assist talented students whose studies have been disrupted by external factors, whether or not their home institution is Harvard University," Kaori Hayashi, executive vice president in charge of international affairs and diversity at UTokyo, wrote in an email. The initiative will be open to students regardless of nationality, she added. The students would not be enrolled as degree-seeking students but will be issued academic transcripts so that credits taken at the university can be recognized at other institutions in the future, the university said, noting that details of the program, including the start date, scale and duration are still being worked out. Nagoya University said it is committed to accepting non-degree seeking students, regardless of nationality. The officials added they are also considering accepting degree-seeking students, though much is still under discussion. "However, as with other Japanese universities, Nagoya University has strict quotas on the number of undergraduate students who can be admitted to degree-seeking programs," the university said in a statement. "If the quotas can be adjusted, we are hoping to contribute more." The fates of Harvard's international students remain unclear. The Trump administration has told Harvard that the students must transfer to another institution or lose their legal status, on the grounds that the university is fostering antisemitism on campus. Harvard has filed a legal challenge against the U.S. government over the move, and a district court has preliminarily ruled in its favor. A hearing has been set for Thursday to determine whether the temporary order should be extended. Ryo Hotta, a Japanese pediatric surgeon and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said Trump's move has put the fate of a Japanese medical student who was planning to join his lab in the summer in limbo. 'The visa application process has suddenly come to a halt, so we are currently watching the situation,' Hotta said, adding that he is worried the move may not be limited to Harvard. 'It could have a domino effect on other universities.' Hotta has a green card and will not be affected by the visa ban. Worries of Trump's move against Harvard spreading may not be unfounded. Politico reported Tuesday that the Trump administration is considering vetting the social media accounts of foreign students applying to study in the U.S., and, as part of that, is ordering U.S. embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for student visa applications. When asked about the Politico report, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Wednesday that Japan will "aim to continue close communication with the U.S. to grasp the situation and act appropriately.' Hiroshi Ota, a professor and international education expert at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo who spent a year at Harvard as a visiting scholar until last year, said he is more worried about students who plan to go to the U.S. than those who are already there since the visa application process for the new school year will get into full swing in June. While thousands of U.S. student visas were initially terminated earlier this year, the Trump administration announced in April that it would restore their statuses as the number of lawsuits filed by students against the policy surged, Ota said. To challenge a case where an interview for a new visa is suspended would be quite difficult, he added. 'This is no longer just about Harvard,' he said. On the education ministry's call for universities to accept students from the U.S., Ota said Japan should not rush into anything and instead work to create a framework that will allow such students to pursue a degree in Japan, if they wish to do so. Gabriele Ninivaggi contributed to this report.
The Mainichi
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Japan calls on colleges to accept students in US after Harvard ban
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government on Tuesday called on domestic universities to consider temporarily accepting students enrolled at U.S. schools after Washington's move to bar foreign students from Harvard University. The move to support Japanese and other foreign students studying in the United States came after the University of Tokyo said the previous day it is considering accepting international students from Harvard if they are affected by the U.S. policy. The Japan Student Services Organization plans to release each university's stance on providing the support, the education ministry said. "We'd like to work with related institutions and make utmost efforts to guarantee education for young people with ambition and talent," education minister Toshiko Abe said at a press conference. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday moved to end Harvard's ability to accept foreign students and force current students to transfer or lose their legal status by deciding to revoke certification for the university's Student and Exchange Visitor Program. But international students are expected to remain enrolled at the university under a temporary injunction by a U.S. federal district court while the legality of the administration's decision is reviewed. Currently, 110 Japanese students and 150 researchers are enrolled at Harvard, according to the education ministry. The ministry will provide a consultation service on the Japan Student Services Organization's website for students studying in the United States.
