Hong Kong targets top talent after ban on foreign students at Harvard University
Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, is looking to attract international students impacted by the Trump administration’s ban on Harvard University's enrollment of foreign students, according to a Reuters report.
Hong Kong’s education bureau has called on universities to open their doors and attract talent, the bureau said, according to an emailed statement seen by Reuters, after the Trump administration last week notified Harvard its student and exchange visitor programme (SEVP) certification was "revoked" following a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigation.
The bureau also contacted the Harvard Club of Hong Kong to offer support for students who have been admitted to Harvard for further studies.
"We will continue to closely monitor the needs of students whose studies have been affected by the shifting global education landscape," the statement said, adding that support measures would be considered as part of the city's role as an "international education hub".
Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology announced an open invitation to international undergraduate and postgraduate students at Harvard University on Friday.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"The university will provide unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to facilitate a seamless transition for interested students,” it said in a statement that was first reported in PR Newswire.
The SEVP revocation means that the Ivy League university can no longer enrol international students, and existing foreign students must transfer to another college or lose their legal status.
DHS has accused Harvard of fostering antisemitism and liaising with the Communist Party of China on its campus.
Harvard is challenging the ban and has filed a lawsuit over the revocation. On Friday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order, with the next hearing scheduled for 29 May.
However, students could be in limbo while the legal battle is fought, and institutions around the world may see the ban as an opportunity to attract top talent.
Harvard has almost 7,000 international students enrolled in its 2024-2025 cohort, who make up around 27 percent of the total student enrollment.
Hong Kong has five universities in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In recent years, however, its academic freedom has also been attacked, and mainland China has forced the territory to integrate patriotic themes into its studies.
Students from Asia make up more than half of all international students in the US, with just over 277,000 students coming from China in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
Universities in the US have come under increasing pressure since US President Donald Trump took office and vowed to stamp out the pro-Palestinian campus movements across the country protesting against Israel's war on Gaza.
Trump has threatened dozens of institutions with "reviews", which could result in federal funding freezes. Several universities have already lost tranches of federal funding.
Also seeking to lure top talent from the US to its shores is Ireland.
Ireland's Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless obtained government approval to initiate a programme to attract global talent earlier this month.
Lawless is now working alongside the foundation, Research Ireland, to launch a programme to attract early-career researchers and established academics to Irish institutions.
The programme will focus on areas such as energy security, healthcare, life sciences, digital technologies and AI, food security, cyber security, semiconductors, and quantum technologies.
“In a time of uncertainty for the scientific community, Ireland remains firmly committed to investing in scientific excellence and upholding the core values of academic integrity and independence,” Lawless said in a press release.
Lawless said Ireland offered "stability, opportunity and excellence".
"We are committed to supporting Irish researchers at home and also to welcoming exceptional global talent who might now be questioning where they’ll be able to further their work," he added.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
