Manhattan, Columbia. Trump government instructions will force many international students leave the United States. Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
The Phil Cox (Oliver Philcox) is nearing the end of his first year as a graduate student in astrophysics at Princeton University (Princeton University) at the start of the London ——Coronavirus outbreak. The course was discontinued in March and later turned online. By May, he decided to go home to England.
"It's a bad idea in the long run ," said Phil Cox ,24. "But I thought I'd be back in September. "
Now, Trump government issue instructions that all students attending online classes in the fall semester will be deprive visas and asked to leave the United States. Whether phil cox and countless other international students can return to the united states is unknown.
Many universities see this as a political move —— trying to force them to reopen instead of moving all the courses online during the epidemic. For some international students, this instruction leads to headache travel problems and uncertainty. But for other international students —— especially those whose homeland is in turmoil or whose communications technology is inadequate for online learning —— the decision could upset their lives and turn their future upside down.
Trump government plan to require international students to attend face-to-face courses will affect about 1 million students, according to data from the 2019 iata portal open report (Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange). China is the country with the largest number of international students, with about 370,000 students entering American universities in 2018-2019, followed by India, with just over 200,000 students enrolled in the year.
With the advent of reality, international students from all over the world may now be unable to return to the United States or stay in the United States for education, and therefore become increasingly angry. Many are reconsidering whether it is worth choosing to be here, despite the expertise and prestige of American institutions.
Spanish-born Makarena Ramos Gonzalez (Macarena Ramos Gonzalez) is nearing the end of the Ph.D. course in Applied Physiology at the University of Delaware (University of Delaware). She confessed :" If they really don't want me here ——government they' ve made this very clear in many ways —— maybe I shouldn't have come at all. "
she said the decision highlighted the disconnect between most universities and government: universities pursue diversity of students and faculty, while government shun these principles.
Thousands of students and supporters signed petition book, asking government to reconsider the decision and urging their universities to protect foreign students. Some universities are re-evaluating their fall re-opening policies and trying to offer face-to-face courses.
Harvard and mit have asked federal courts prosecute Trump government, block the directive, arguing that the policy is political and will upend higher education in the united states, while other universities are trying to ease student concerns. But many people are still very worried.
The directive also raises confusion as it is unclear whether some universities will offer face-to-face courses or whether the restriction applies to graduate-level research courses.
Trump government plan has now become a prosecute target for Harvard and MIT. Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times
For some international students, the United States has been a safe haven, providing security for unrest far from home, and without fear that its infrastructure does not support distance learning. But this sense of security has now been disrupted.
Last August, Indian government cut off Internet access as part of an effort to strengthen control over disputed territories in Kashmir, home of Yfat Ghazia (Ifat Gazia). While the service resumed in January, only two G of networks were available, making it almost impossible to call through Skype, much less supporting her need to attend lectures via Zoom video.
Gazia arrived in the u.s. last august, just as india suppressed the region. As the Indian government cut off the fixed and mobile phone services in Kashmir, she was unable to call her parents to let them know that she had arrived safely.
"I felt very lucky when I landed ," Gazia said. "But this week, when the order came, all I felt was despair. "
She points out that higher education is often a way for the United States to attract highly skilled people.
"That's why America is great ," she said. "But many Americans think we're just here for it. They didn't realize how much we contributed. "
Kunar Singh (Kunal Singh) is studying for a PhD in political science at MIT academic degree, and students like him have no way to go home. He has been unable to fly back to india because india closed its border in march to stop Coronavirus spreading.
Xenophobia has also somewhat reduced the prestige of graduating from top U.S. universities.
"If I knew this was going to happen when I applied American school, I wouldn't apply ," Singh said. "I may apply to Australia or the United Kingdom. "
For some, going on is too much of a waste of money. The son of Andres Jaime ,48, is a student at the Berkeley Conservatory of Music in Boston (Berklee School of Music). He said they had decided to postpone their son's studies and return to Colombia.
He said they had previously asked universities to lower fees for the next semester ," because online experiences are different ," but the university refused. government decision on visas reinforces their determination to go home.
Other students are also beginning to consider other options, such as Andy Mao ,21, from Shanghai, who is studying biology New York a university. He was preparing for GRE when he heard the news.
This is the last year of his undergraduate course, where he planned to study for many years due to the leading US reputation in the field of research. But now, he says, he will include universities in Canada and Singapore.
"I still like the country ," he said. "But if Trump are re-elected, we will face great uncertainty. "
In many cases, the spouses and children of graduate and doctoral students also come with them to the United States, which means that the directive will also lead to the removal of the entire family. Children will in some cases be forced to leave. from the country in which they were born and live only
Nat Lee (Naette Lee), who is studying for a Ph.D. in communications at the University of Maryland this situation. A 38-year-old man from Trinidad and Tobago lives with a Belgian husband and a young child born in the United States and citizen in the United States. Since Europe bans non-resident travelers from the United States, they will not be able to travel to Europe together.
If Lee had to return to her country, she would be separated from her family —— Trinidad and Tobago banned foreigners —— including her husband and son, during the outbreak.
"It's not about the campus experience anymore ," she said. "We have to abandon our lives. "
Many students are even trying to figure out whether they will be affected by the instructions, especially students studying for higher academic degree dominated by research. They usually do not teach face-to-face courses, but learn independently.
The 29-year-old Canadian, Kelsey Bryk (Kelsey Bryk), rushed to leave the University of Delaware in March and drove 26 hours to Winnipeg's home amid a growing risk of border closures. For the past four years, she has worked hard for the doctor's academic degree and may not be able to go back now.
"I've invested a lot of time, money and energy, and these efforts could be destroyed ," she said.
Although her university is still trying to ensure that international students can stay, uncertainty is imminent.
"Now, I don't think anyone has an answer ," she said. "And we can only prepare for the worst and hope for the best. "
Megan Specia from London, Maria Abi Habib from Los Angeles. Karan Deep Singh have contributed to this article from New Delhi, Cao Li from Hong Kong, Elian Peltier and London.
Megan Specia is the editor of the Times International in London, focusing on digital narratives and breaking news, and she joined the Times in 2016 and welcomed her @ meganspecia. on the Twitter.
Maria Abi-Habib is Times South Asia journalist, based in Delhi. Before joining the Times in 2017, she had reported on The Wall Street Journal 》 across the Middle East. Welcome to her Twitter @ abihabib..
