Page 50 - EW March 2025

International News

UNITED STATES Closing the department would affect all levels of educa-
Imminent close down? tion. But with vice president J.D. Vance’s stated view that
professors are “enemies,” it is becoming apparent that col-
leges are the real target.
Yet because of the difficulty of passing an act of Con-
gress, Steele believes that shuttering the Department of
Education is “political theatre”. Nevertheless it indicates
President Trump’s commitment to his more serious threats.
“What I think is most scary for higher ed is that it will be
increasingly difficult for people from many countries to get
visas to study in the US, so I think that is going to hurt the
bottom line of higher ed,” she says.

UNITED KINGDOM
Universities rosy outlook

WITH RESTRICTIVE IMMIGRATION POLICIES
President Trump: clear devolution message increasingly being adopted in rival destinations,
researchers of the British Council believe that
DONALD TRUMP’S WIDELY ANTICIPATED or- the UK may well reap rewards after Republican Donald
der to close the Department of Education is part of Trump’s return to the White House.
his “shock and awe” doctrine in his second term in Overseas enrolment declined during Trump’s first term,
the White House, say education experts in the US. as he tightened visa issuance, attempted to remove inter-
Prior to his inauguration, observers had struggled to national students on online courses from the US during the
predict what President Trump’s plans for higher education pandemic, and proposed limiting visas for students from
would be. They feared he would be guided by the Project certain countries. The sector admitted 50,000 fewer inter-
2025 policy playbook crafted by his allies, who advocate national students on the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic than
shuttering the government department. The Republican when he took office, with the steepest falls from the Middle
Party has attempted to eliminate the department since it East and North Africa, Mexico and Central America.
was created in 1979. But there is more appetite to do so Colleges urged foreign students to return to campus
now than in recent decades, says Rebecca Natow, associ- before Trump’s inauguration in January because of con-
ate professor of specialised programmes in education at cerns about plans for mass deportations, and academics are
Hofstra University. braced for four years of “playing defence” on international
Along with unprecedented orders on research funding, education.
the Trump administration is sending a clear message that Debate over the H-1B work visa within the Trump ad-
education should be handled by the states. “I think higher ministration is another “potential source of anxiety for pro-
education is very aware of what’s going on, they know that spective international students”, says the British Council
what was said during the campaign trail was serious and report. “While uncertainty is the only certainty of Trump’s
now they have to prepare for what’s coming,” she says. governing style, his return may be good news for the British
Other high-profile interventions in higher education in- higher education,” it says.
clude allowing immigration agents on campuses, launching Researchers also predict that perception of restrictive at-
anti-semitism investigations at five universities, trying to titudes towards overseas students in other English-speaking
eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions, countries could prove beneficial to the UK. Caps on student
and banning transgender women from college sports. visas have badly damaged Canada’s reputation, while the
Comparing this to George W. Bush’s military campaign in flow of overseas students into Australian universities is ex-
Iraq, Jennifer Steele, a professor of School of Education at pected to fall by up to 10 percent this year. “Combined with
American University, says this represents the Trump ad- greater restrictions on international students in Australia
ministration’s “shock and awe” tactics — of which closing and Canada, the UK will likely benefit from the marginal
the department is a key proposal. student who otherwise would have studied in another major
Commentators have linked this over-activity within the English-speaking destination country but may now view the
federal government to right-wing mogul Steve Bannon’s UK as the most welcoming among them,” says the report.
tactics of “flooding the zone” and disorientating opponents. Maddalaine Ansell, director of education at the British
“I think that they’re trying to make people scramble so fast Council, says it’s crucial that the UK does everything it can
and seeing what they can get away with and what they can’t. to maintain its position as a global leader in higher educa-
So the strategy is really gamesmanship,” comments Steele. tion. “While our English-speaking competitors might be

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