The Wall Street Journal is sharply criticizing the Trump administration’s escalating campaign against Harvard University — particularly the attempt by Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem to revoke the university’s authority to enroll international students, who make up roughly one-third of its student body. In a recent editorial, the Journal accused the administration of retaliating against Harvard for resisting partisan political demands and warned that such actions could undermine America’s global competitiveness by deterring top international talent.
The majority of Harvard’s foreign students are enrolled in graduate programs, and “many assist with scientific research and teaching undergraduate courses,” the Journal explained. Forcing them to leave Harvard will disrupt their projects and potentially cause professors in those faculties to leave for other universities.
“Even if it’s modified,” the Journal argued, ”Noem’s order will echo around the world as a signal that the U.S. is no longer open to educate the world’s brightest young people. Foreign students will get the message and take their talents elsewhere.”
Some foreign universities are already seeking to take advantage, with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology releasing a statement Friday in which it said it “opens doors to Harvard students amid global academic shifts.”
Indeed, institutions across China are actively seeking to attract international students who may be alarmed by the administration’s unilateral efforts to bar foreign enrollment at Harvard. Communist Party officials have pledged to protect the rights and interests of Chinese students studying abroad and voiced concerns that these U.S. policies could damage America’s international reputation — possibly as part of a broader strategy to poach high-achieving students who might otherwise have pursued education in the United States. These moves come amid Beijing’s broader ambition to position China as the world’s preeminent superpower.
Efforts by other Chinese universities include:
- Zhejiang University: Offering fully funded scholarships for international students, including tuition, accommodation, and living expenses.
- Shanghai University: Providing a range of scholarship programs and maintaining partnerships with global institutions to facilitate student exchanges.
- Jinan University: Known for its international outreach, offering programs tailored to overseas Chinese and international students.
In addition to China’s attempts to bolster its own global standing, The Wall Street Journal editorial raises concerns that the Trump administration’s actions — ranging from freezing federal research grants to threatening Harvard’s tax-exempt status — are politically motivated. The editorial warns these measures could have lasting negative consequences for U.S. higher education by politicizing academic institutions and undermining their independence.
The Wall Street Journal’s criticism is particularly notable given its traditionally conservative editorial stance. While the board has occasionally criticized elite academic institutions—particularly their leadership and faculty — it emphasized that the administration’s actions could jeopardize America’s competitive advantage by discouraging top international talent, which is essential to the country’s research and teaching excellence.
Beyond giving Fox News’ primetime lineup a MAGA makeover, the Murdoch media empire has long maintained a love-hate relationship with both Trump administrations. After the New York Post ran a headline mocking Trump’s 2024 campaign announcement, the president reportedly called the 94-year-old media mogul a “piece of s–t.” Yet during an Oval Office meeting in February, Trump praised Murdoch as an “amazing guy.”
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Patrick – Have you heard the discussion between Alex Marlow & Mike Benz re: this?
It would seem to me that the U.S. doesn’t have to host students that could be equally educated in their own countries. We spend time, effort, and money for foreign students so they can go back and use all these U.S. provisions to benefit their own countries. If Harvard has the space for 27% of students being foreign, the problem is obvious. If they can’t fill the space with American students, then maybe they should cut down on the space. All of these colleges should be downsizing, anyhow. Get rid of the bloat…sports, useless courses and departments, housing and food…in other words, get down to basics, don’t stretch coursework and degrees out as far as they can go in order to get more tuition, etc. Colleges have been a big scam for years, students are graduated with useless degrees, and college money, effort, and space goes to students who do not benefit America’s future at all. If colleges need the income from foreign students, then something is very wrong.
Courts aid CCP spies in the US
I think that if China is open to them, they can have them. They won’t get the deals and freebies they get here…no American suckers to finance their ride. It appears that a lot of the Harvard students are Chinese, and they can stay right at home with these offers.
So basically they’re saying that it’s okay to get Chinese students who are required by China to spy on the US??
Because those Chinese students are entitled to good education in the usa?
We already know that there are thousands of Chinese students and workers in the US who are spying on the usa. They have to it’s law. China doesn’t just simply let its citizens leave its country. I have two friends who escaped communist China over 50 years ago. Both of them were caught they were put into camps. But they kept fighting and they made their way to the USA and became business people here.
At least, that’s their story. Who knows maybe it isn’t true maybe it’s just a good story and maybe they were spies? One of them went on to own Banks here in the USA yes own banks. And eventually went back to China to open up manufacturing plants. And he did all this simply by running a Chinese restaurant in a very small town in rural illinois?
Totally true story. No the guy personally for 50 plus years. I don’t know too many people who own a restaurant who make so much money that they can open up Banks I mean literally Banks in the usa.
So I think the American public, overall, is pretty naive about the foreign influence in the usa. Under the Trump administration we’re seeing more and more of what is the true status and what’s going on.
But this isn’t anything new this has been going on for decades. Ever since we opened up relations with communist china. It’s been good for communist China but it hasn’t necessarily been good for the usa. And when you have top scientists in the USA who are Chinese citizens not American citizens well, that does put the USA at risk