Latest news with #StudentandExchangeVisitorProgram
News18
6 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Princess Elisabeth, Belgium's Future Queen, Returns Home Amid Doubtful Harvard Future
Last Updated: Elisabeth is on her summer vacation in Belgium and was recently spotted accompanying her mother, Queen Mathilde, to the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition at the Bozar in Brussels Princess Elisabeth, the 23-year-old heir apparent to the Belgian throne, has returned to Belgium after completing her first year in a two-year master's programme in public policy at Harvard University amid growing uncertainty over her future at the Ivy League institution after the Trump administration's crackdown on international students. The Hindustan Times, quoting media outlet 'Het Laatste Nieuws', said Elisabeth is on her summer vacation in Belgium and was recently spotted accompanying her mother, Queen Mathilde, to the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition at the Bozar in Brussels. She has reportedly also joined an internship related to international relations and human rights. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had demanded that Harvard provide detailed records of its international students, including information on any 'illegal and violent activities". Failure to comply could have resulted in the university losing its eligibility to enroll foreign students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). In response, Harvard refused to turn over the requested records, citing concerns over academic freedom and student privacy. Subsequently, the administration froze over $2 billion in federal grants and contracts to the university. In the face of these developments, a Massachusetts judge issued a preliminary injunction temporarily preventing changes to Harvard's visa programme, offering a glimmer of hope to international students like Princess Elisabeth. Nonetheless, the situation remains fluid, and the Belgian Royal Palace has acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the princess's ability to continue her studies in the US. Born in 2001, Elisabeth is the eldest of the four children of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. She is the heir to the Belgian throne and will one day make history as Belgium's first-ever Queen regnant. According to New York Post, before enrolling at Harvard, Princess Elisabeth earned a degree in history and politics from the University of Oxford. She has also undergone military training at the Royal Military Academy in Belgium. Fluent in Dutch, French, German, and English, she is considered a promising future leader. When the ban was announced last month, Belgian Royal Palace's spokesperson Lore Vandoorne was quoted by Reuters as saying: 'Princess Elisabeth has just completed her first year. The impact of (the Trump administration's) decision will only become clearer in the coming days/weeks. We are currently investigating the situation". A report in the Times of India highlighted how the uncertainty surrounding US policies on international students has had a ripple effect on global education trends. Traditional academic powerhouses, particularly in the United States, are facing challenges that threaten their dominance in global education. A combination of restrictive visa policies, stricter immigration laws, and rising educational costs are diminishing their appeal to international students. This volatility has spurred a shift in global student mobility, with countries offering more favourable immigration policies and affordable education becoming attractive alternatives. First Published: June 02, 2025, 11:13 IST
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Daughters' day? Not. MAGA takes aim at daughters of Carney and Xi
The TOI correspondent in Washington: Daughters of Canada's prime minister Mark Carney and China's leader Xi Jinping are among Harvard students being targeted for expulsion by MAGA principals amid the Trump administration's drive to tame liberal US universities seen as being out of sync with the current White House outlook. MAGA-aligned outlets reported over the weekend that the Trump administration is examining the prospect of expelling Carney's daughter Cleo, a social studies major at Harvard with a record of liberal activism. She was reportedly arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally in London some months ago, and although she has been flying under the radar at Harvard, the fact that she introduced her father at the Liberal Party convention in March 2025 and is active in environmental advocacy, is sufficient to trigger MAGA, which has taken the cue from its supremo Trump to attack Canada and all things Canadian. Also in the MAGA crosshairs is Xi Mingze, daughter of China's leader Xi JInping, who graduated from Harvard under a pseudonym in 2014 with B.A. in psychology and is said to have returned to the institution recently for higher studies. MAGA trolls have been casing the university and social media for signs of Xi Mingze presence amid growing antipathy towards foreign students, particularly Chinese. The "womanhunt" involving the leaders of Canada and China comes on the heels of the Trump administration's blanket ban on foreign students coming to Harvard, leaving current students to transfer to other colleges or risk losing their visa status. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo 'They (Harvard) have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted said last week, adding, 'Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country. ' Separately, MAGA trolls continued to attack Megha Vemuri, an Indian-American undergrad who attacked MIT's ties with the Israeli military and expressed support for the besieged in Gaza during her commencement speech, triggering MIT to ban her from the graduating ceremony. "MIT supports free expression but can't allow anyone in disrupting an important Institute ceremony," the school said, even as Vemuri found vocal support from the liberal spectrum. Although the Trump administration's crackdown on Harvard and other liberal schools was ostensibly aimed at curtailing on-campus political activism by foreign students, particularly against Israel, the repression has taken on broader contours. There is now an all-out MAGA movement against students from across the world with the argument foreign students are "stealing" seats and jobs that should go to Americans first. Foreign students are coveted by American academia, both for the moolah ($ 44 billion) and mental acuity they bring in. It is generally acknowledged that education, not guns or butter, has been America's greatest export. Even moderate Republicans are aghast by the MAGA venom against international students. "Shutting out foreign students from @Harvard, the best university in the world, is a huge mistake. We lose their brainpower and the way they challenge and inspire our own students," former Ohio Governor John Kasich said last week, noting that many alumni return home as leaders with a deeper understanding of America. and that benefits the US. Prominent Indians who graduated from Harvard include Anand Mahindra, Rahul Bajaj, P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, and Naina Lal Kidwai. Hundreds more have attended executive courses at Harvard to hone their leadership skills.
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
What White House reportedly said about the future of Mark Carney's daughter at Harvard
As Harvard University remains the focus of the Trump administration's ire, the fate of its international students hangs in balance, including Cleo Carney, the daughter of the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Article content A little over a week ago, the Trump administration cancelled Harvard's ability to enroll international students, leaving current foreign students to transfer to other colleges or risk losing their visa status. Article content 'They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X on May 22. 'Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.' Article content This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus. It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments… — Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 22, 2025 Article content In return, the university sued the administration and won its initial court fight. The university on its website notes: 'The May 29 court decision allows the University to continue enrolling international students and scholars while the case moves forward. Harvard will continue to take steps to protect the rights of our international students and scholars, members of our community who are vital to the University's academic mission and community — and whose presence here benefits our country immeasurably.' Article content Article content For the academic year 2024-2025, the Ivy League university had 6,793 international students enrolled. As for the Canadians at Harvard, the unofficial statistics of scholars and students on its various campus roughly has ranged between 600 to under 800 over the years. Article content A first-year student, Cleo is pursuing bachelor's in economics at the prestigious university, one her father graduated from in 1987. After Justin Trudeau stepped down as Prime Minister, Cleo introduced her father as the newly elected party leader in March at the Liberal Convention in Ottawa. Article content A sustainability REP for Harvard's Resource Efficiency Program, Cleo also serves as a board member for Bluedot Institute, a climate-focused non-profit. 'When she is not cooking or running,' reads her Harvard bio, 'she is talking about the need for increased investment in the strategic mining industry.' Article content Article content 'The White House confirmed Carney, along with other international students, would get the boot if the administration gets its way,' Gabrielle Fahmy for the New York Post wrote on Saturday.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What White House reportedly said about the future of Mark Carney's daughter at Harvard
As Harvard University remains the focus of the Trump administration's ire, the fate of its international students hangs in balance, including Cleo Carney, the daughter of the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. A little over a week ago, the Trump administration cancelled Harvard's ability to enroll international students, leaving current foreign students to transfer to other colleges or risk losing their visa status. 'They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X on May 22. 'Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.' In return, the university sued the administration and won its initial court fight. The university on its website notes: 'The May 29 court decision allows the University to continue enrolling international students and scholars while the case moves forward. Harvard will continue to take steps to protect the rights of our international students and scholars, members of our community who are vital to the University's academic mission and community — and whose presence here benefits our country immeasurably.' For the academic year 2024-2025, the Ivy League university had 6,793 international students enrolled. As for the Canadians at Harvard, the unofficial statistics of scholars and students on its various campus roughly has ranged between 600 to under 800 over the years. A first-year student, Cleo is pursuing bachelor's in economics at the prestigious university, one her father graduated from in 1987. After Justin Trudeau stepped down as Prime Minister, Cleo introduced her father as the newly elected party leader in March at the Liberal Convention in Ottawa. A sustainability REP for Harvard's Resource Efficiency Program, Cleo also serves as a board member for Bluedot Institute, a climate-focused non-profit. 'When she is not cooking or running,' reads her Harvard bio, 'she is talking about the need for increased investment in the strategic mining industry.' 'The White House confirmed Carney, along with other international students, would get the boot if the administration gets its way,' Gabrielle Fahmy for the New York Post wrote on Saturday. 'The President's goal is clear: we will put America first, and that means our policies on everything from trade to immigration should benefit Americans, not other nations at the expense of our people,' a senior administration official told the New York Post. National Post has reached out to the Prime Minister's Office for comment. As Cleo's return to Harvard in September remains undecided, the academic future of her siblings — Tess, Amelia and Sasha — less so. Sasha graduated from Yale University in 2023, Amelia reportedly from the University of Edinburgh last year, and Tess has noticeably stayed out of the public eye. Inside Mark Carney's PMO where ministers get called out, punctuality matters and patience is on short supply 'It's done': Trump's 51st state comments are 'behind us,' says U.S. ambassador to Canada Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Judge expands order protecting Harvard from Trump block on enrolling international students
A US federal judge will issue an injunction blocking the Trump administration's efforts to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students. The university was in court seeking to extend a temporary order blocking the Trump administration from revoking the school's right to host international students. The judge, Allison Burroughs, had issued an emergency block last week after the administration abruptly announced it would cancel Harvard's ability to host international students – the latest and most severe escalation in the administration's battle against higher education institutions. As graduation ceremonies were under way on campus, lawyers for the university argued in federal court in Boston that the revocation announced by the government last week violates the US constitution's free speech and due process rights as well as procedural law regulating government actions. In a packed court room with several international students in attendance, Burroughs said she wanted to 'maintain the status quo' while the case makes its way through the courts. In court documents filed on Wednesday, the director of immigration services at the university's international office said that the administration's announcement has caused 'profound fear, concern, and confusion' among faculty and students. 'Many international students and scholars are reporting significant emotional distress that is affecting their mental health and making it difficult to focus on their studies,' she wrote. 'Some are afraid to attend their own graduation ceremonies this week out of fear that some immigration-related action will be taken against them.' Related: Trump administration halts Harvard's ability to enroll international students On Thursday, shortly before the hearing, the Department of Homeland Security formally notified Harvard that it would withdraw the university's certification under the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the system that allows universities to enroll non-US students. But the move, which gave the university 30 days to contest the revocation through an administrative process, indicated it was backtracking from the immediate revocation the administration announced last week. In a statement, the department's head, Kristi Noem, doubled down on her allegations against Harvard, which she has accused of 'pro-terrorist conduct', 'encouraging and allowing antisemitic and anti-American violence' and of 'coordinating with Chinese Communist Party officials on training that undermined American national security'. 'Harvard's refusal to comply with SEVP oversight was the latest evidence that it disdains the American people and takes for granted U.S. taxpayer benefits,' Noem added. If allowed to stand, the administration's action against Harvard would affect a quarter of the university's population: approximately 5,000 current students, as well as 2,000 recent graduates enrolled in optional practical training, a post-graduation work programme. Harvard maintains that the administration's decision is retaliation for the university's refusal to abide by a series of overly broad demands made by the Trump administration that would severely undermine the university's independence. The administration had demanded Harvard turn over information about its international students, including discipline records as well as student's addresses, contact information and details about their coursework. It announced the revocations after it said the university failed to comply. In April, the university became the first to sue the administration over billions in cuts to federally funded research – setting off a showdown with the White House, which earlier this week announced it would cancel all remaining government contracts with the university. In total, the administration has cut or frozen about $3bn in federal grants and contracts with Harvard. Those cuts have already upended crucial medical and scientific research initiatives, but the latest attack on international students had spread panic among thousands of current and incoming international students – with many seeking last minute transfers to other universities, canceling summer travel plans for fear of not being able to return, or reconsidering plans to study in the US altogether. Some foreign universities have also seized on the crisis, looking to recruit Harvard students away from the US. 'International students and scholars are tremendous assets that contribute to US preeminence in innovation, research, and economic strength,' said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of Nafsa, the Association of International Educators. 'Undermining their ability to study here is self-defeating. With these actions, the United States will alienate the very minds that fuel its success.'
