Latest news with #academicexchange
Skift
a day ago
- Business
- Skift
Canceled, Moving to Canada: Science Conferences Shun the U.S.
As scientific groups cancel or relocate their conferences, the U.S. is losing ground as a host for academic exchange, along with the economic impact that comes with it. Visa delays, funding cuts, and geopolitical tensions are driving scientific conferences out of the U.S. Some are relocating. Others are canceling. The International Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IACBT) canceled its August 14-17 conference in Nashville — its first U.S. meeting in 40 years. Approximately 900 were expected. Organizers cited visa uncertainty, federal funding cuts, and concerns about U.S. policy as reasons for the cancellation. In a message to registrants, the IACBT wrote: 'It's with sorrow that I must inform you that the IACBT conference, as was planned, must be canceled due to the actions and regulations of the Trump administration related to funding and international relations. These factors were neither present nor foreseeable when the conference was planned.' U.S. Seen as Unwelcoming 'We started hearing from attendees who said they couldn't risk buying a ticket as they were not sure if the U.S. would be welcoming and if they could even get a visa,' said Aaron Brinen, PsyD, a psychologist who was the conference chair. IACBT is reviewing its venue contract with the Renaissance Nashville, site of the conference. Organizers hope to invoke the impossibility clause to avoid penalties tied to shifting U.S. policies. 'This is frustrating, heartbreaking even, as we had an opportunity to bring together thought leaders in the world of cognitive and behavioral therapy to discuss how we can help people recover from mental illness,' said Brinen. 'We had the conference in place. Everything was set, and we were registering people, and now it's all gone. I worked so hard on this conference, and so did my team.' Stephanie Woodrow, LPC, the owner and clinical director of the National Anxiety and OCD Treatment Center, who was scheduled to present at IACBT, said the cancellation reflects a broader crisis. 'Given the current administration's actions — canceling university research funding, terminating NIH grants, pressuring reputable peer-reviewed journals, and censoring NIH researchers' language across all forms of communication — the outlook for science and public health is deeply concerning,' said Woodrow. The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. reports the city has lost less than 1% of its convention business to date. Canada Benefits as Conferences Shift North Some conferences planned for the U.S. are moving north to Canada. The International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) has moved its 2026 biennial meeting from Atlantic City, NJ, to St. Catharines, Canada. 'Many [members] expressed concerns about hostility toward international people visiting the U.S. After polling our members, it was revealed we couldn't have a conference anywhere in the U.S,' said Brad Bushman, professor of communication at The Ohio State University, and ISRA's executive secretary. Three Canadian members stepped in to help with the relocation. 'They saved our conference,' said Bushman. The meeting typically draws around 250 attendees and has previously been held in Ottawa and Munich. 'The future is grim for conferences in the U.S. Scientists work together to solve problems and will not meet in places where they feel excluded,' said Bushman. Others are following suit. The International Conference on Comparative Cognition (CO3) will hold its 2026 gathering in Montreal. This is the first time the event will take place outside the U.S. This year's meeting, held in Albuquerque, NM, drew 210 attendees. While there were no issues, concerns lingered. 'Many expressed hesitation about crossing the border,' said Caroline Strang, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Western University in London, Ontario. A travel advisory from the Canadian Association of University Teachers urging academic staff to visit the U.S. only when essential ultimately tipped the scales in favor of relocating. CO3 will add a virtual component to the 2026 conference to expand access and participation. Montreal Replaces Boston Additionally, the Work and Family Researchers Network (WFRN) is moving its 2026 biennial conference to Montreal. Initially scheduled for Boston, the event is expected to attract around 500 attendees. The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) was set to meet in Seattle in November. But there was an issue. Some 40% of its members are Canadian, and many don't want to attend due to Trump administration's policies. The solution? A three-part format. NASSS will host a smaller Seattle event, a parallel in-person gathering at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver, and a virtual option.
New York Times
5 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Why the U.S. Opened Its Doors to Chinese Students, and Why Trump Is Closing Them
In 1987, when Haipei Shue arrived in the United States as a student, he recalls receiving the warmest of welcomes. He was a graduate student in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 'People were curious about us, inviting us to their homes, wanting to be friends,' Mr. Shue said on Thursday, describing an openness that defined his early years in a country then seen by many in China as a beacon of opportunity. 'It was an extraordinary time,' he said. That era of academic exchange between China and the United States, beginning in the 1970s under President Jimmy Carter as a form of soft power diplomacy, now stands in sharp contrast to the Trump administration's recent stance toward the country. The administration announced this week that it would aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or for those studying in broadly defined 'critical fields.' The administration also plans to enhance vetting of future applicants for student visas, including looking at social media posts. Those policies promise to reduce the number of students from China coming to the United States, who have been a fixture on American university campuses for decades. In 2024, there were roughly 277,000 students. The Trump administration says China exploits U.S. universities to bolster its military and technological capabilities. And Trump officials argue that some Chinese students may pose risks of espionage and technology theft. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNA
27-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: What the Harvard ban means for Singapore and Asia's leadership pipeline
Now, after an intense backlash and a lawsuit by Harvard, the Trump's administration's plan to bar foreign students at Harvard has been blocked. For now. A judge has issued a temporary restraining order, pending a set of hearings this week. Some observers caution that the Harvard ban might prove to be a temporary tempest - a politically motivated stunt that could be reversed with time. After all, the US has seen abrupt policy shocks before that were later softened (think of the trade tariffs on allies and rivals alike). Could the Harvard saga be another such episode? Possibly. But the damage may already be done. While the intensity of the storm could potentially ease, the days of unfettered US-Asia academic exchange may not fully return to the old normal. Singapore and its neighbours must therefore prepare for a world where American universities are a less automatic choice and where Asia needs more self-reliance in training top talent. FUTURE LEADERS LEFT IN LIMBO It's undeniable that the Trump administration's clampdown, targeting a crown jewel of American higher education, marks an alarming escalation of politics intruding into academia. The Trump administration has justified this unprecedented move by accusing Harvard of 'fostering violence' and 'antisemitism' and even of ties to China's Communist Party. The university in its lawsuit blasted the action as "unlawful" retaliation for its rejection of "the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students". On Sunday (May 25), US President Donald Trump defended the ban, saying that the home countries of some of Harvard's international students are "not at all friendly to the United States". 'We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, but Harvard isn't exactly forthcoming. We want those names and countries,' he said in a post on Truth Social. Why does this matter to Singapore and Asia? Because for decades, an acceptance letter from a top US university was a ticket to unparalleled learning and networks. US institutions, particularly Harvard, have helped shape generations of ministers, diplomats and civil servants from Asia and beyond. For instance, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong holds a master's in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. Meanwhile, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and recently retired ministers Heng Swee Keat and Teo Chee Hean are also Harvard alumni. About 6,800 international students - including 151 Singaporeans - are enrolled at Harvard in its current academic year, accounting for 27 per cent of the student body, according to university figures. If Harvard, which has produced eight US presidents and is arguably the most prestigious of all the Ivy League schools, is off limits, many Asian elites may rethink going to the US at all. They may question if it's worth investing in an American education if the welcome can be rescinded on a whim. Indeed, US officials have warned that other universities could face similar bans. 'This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together,' Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said last week. For Singapore, this has tangible implications. The country sends thousands of students to US universities annually. Many are on government scholarships or self-funded with hopes that an Ivy League pedigree will vault them into leadership tracks. If those plans are now in doubt, Singapore's public sector talent pipeline may need to adjust. We could see more Singaporean scholars head to the United Kingdom, Europe or Australia instead, or remain at home for education. AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SINGAPORE UNIVERSITIES? Asia's rise over the past decades has in part been fuelled by sending its best students westward; that option now comes with caveats. Singapore and its neighbours must therefore invest even more in developing regional centres of excellence. This is already happening. China has poured resources into its C9 League universities, India is seeking to reform its higher education, and Singapore and South Korea boast some of the finest schools in the world. The trend can accelerate, spurred by necessity. As global education becomes collateral in larger political fights, Singapore could emerge as a neutral academic waypoint. The city has long punched above its weight in education. Its universities are world-class. Education here is not subject to partisan reversals. Institutions can plan across decades, not election cycles. With geopolitical tensions rising and US-China ties under strain, Singapore's non-aligned stance and multicultural fabric make it an ideal meeting ground for scholars of all stripes. We already see this in initiatives like the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, which was established in collaboration with Harvard but has come into its own as a training ground for future leaders from over 90 countries. Its faculty is ranked among the top 2 per cent of the world's scientists. A TIME TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE The education of international students has been America's 'greatest soft power resource', a term coined by Professor Joseph Nye of Harvard University, because when those students spend formative years immersed in American ideals and later become leaders back home, they naturally help align their countries' outlooks with the US. The Harvard ban will have consequences that outlast the current political theatre. Yet, as with previous storms, this too shall pass - if not fully, then partially. Policies can change, doors can reopen. But rather than passively waiting, Singapore and Asia can turn this moment into an impetus for growth. We can redouble efforts to nurture talent at home and within the region, creating an ecosystem that is resilient to external shocks. Ben Chester Cheong is a law lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and of counsel at RHTLaw Asia. He is a visiting fellow in law at the University of Reading, and a centre researcher at the University of Cambridge.
