PNN – Restricting international students’ access to American universities is not only detrimental to the country’s economy, but it could also slow down the effects of America’s cultural offensive, as universities have always been a tool of America’s soft influence in the world.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, US President Donald Trump has recently targeted Harvard University with a controversial proposal: expelling foreign students, who he claims make up 31% of the university’s students, and revoking Harvard’s permission to admit citizens of countries that, he says, do not pay for their students’ education and some do not even have friendly relations with the United States.
The proposal, which has been accompanied by accusations such as Harvard’s collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party or support for anti-Semitic groups, has raised questions about the role of American universities in global politics and culture. Why are American universities, which have hosted international students for decades, now being targeted by such a policy?
To answer this question, we must first look at the role of these universities in attracting foreign students and its impact on America’s global standing, and then examine why this new policy conflicts with long-standing American strategy.
Read more:
Trump suspends interview appointments for foreign students as a matter of urgency!
Historical sources show that the United States has used student exchange programs, such as the Fulbright Program (established in 1946), to promote its values since the Cold War. According to John F. Kennedy in 1962, the goal of attracting foreign students was to familiarize them with “the good and the bad” of America so that they would have a positive view of the country upon their return to their home countries.
The idea continues to be present in some analyses that foreign students, having experienced American culture, including democracy, individualism, and pop culture, act as unofficial ambassadors of these values.
When a student from the Middle East, Asia, or Africa comes to an American university, such as Harvard, he or she is confronted with an onslaught of American ideas and lifestyle, from Hollywood films promoted at student events to specialized discussions related to capitalism and the free market economy.
This experience, even if subconsciously, changes his perspective on America. Many of these students, upon returning to their countries, reflect the values they learned in America as political or economic leaders.
For example, King Abdullah II of Jordan, who studied at Georgetown University, maintained close ties with the United States throughout his reign, and whose regional policies were often aligned with Washington’s interests; or Boris Jordan, a Russian financier who studied at New York University and, after returning to Russia, played a key role in Russia’s economic transition to capitalism, which was aligned with the American free market model.
These examples show how American universities have created a network of leaders aligned with the country’s interests by educating global elites.
This impact then extends beyond individuals to global networking. International students at American universities meet their peers from around the world and prominent professors, forming connections that later lead to political, economic, or scientific cooperation, again in the interests of America.
For example, Khalid bin Faisal, a Saudi prince who studied at Harvard, has pursued joint economic projects with American companies since returning to Saudi Arabia. Even international branches of American universities, such as Cornell’s Qatar campus, are fostering a similar process. By educating local students within American frameworks, these branches promote American values and market economics in regions that may not be politically aligned with the United States.
This soft influence mechanism helped the United States for years to shape the knowledge and perceptions of future generations around the world to the benefit of the Western world, without the need for military intervention or political pressure, and in a completely soft manner.
But this soft influence machine is now facing an unexpected challenge. American universities, once a platform for promoting American policies, have in recent years become centers of protest against one of America’s closest allies, especially after the escalation of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Student protests, sometimes organized by international students, have challenged Israel’s policies and unwavering US support for it. The protests, which have intensified at universities such as Harvard and Columbia, have been interpreted by conservative circles as a sign of these institutions’ “deviation” from their original mission.
For example, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that entering the United States for students is “a privilege, not a right,” adding that this “privilege” only applies to those who respect the laws and values of this country.
In such circumstances, Trump’s insistence on expelling foreign students from Harvard University can be seen as a reaction to these developments. Last night, he indirectly protested that new students no longer act as American ambassadors by referring to the fact that foreign university students are being recruited from “countries that are not friendly to America.”
However, this US policy may also come at a heavy cost for the country and, among other factors, accelerate America’s decline on the world stage. Restricting international students’ access to American universities is not only detrimental to the country’s economy but could also slow down the effects of America’s cultural onslaught.