Emirati Harvard alumni criticise Trump plan to block overseas students

Harvard's Emirati graduates have denounced the Trump administration's plan to bar foreign students from attending the Ivy League university as “deeply misguided and counterproductive” and say it would damage the US economy.

The White House move would force international students enrolled at the university to transfer to a different institution or lose their legal status, the Department of Homeland Security said last week.

A US federal judge on Friday blocked the government's effort to remove Harvard's right to enrol international students, with another hearing set for Thursday in Boston.

The Trump administration says Harvard has not done enough to fight anti-Semitism and change its admissions practices – allegations the university has strongly denied. Harvard said the proposed ban is a “blatant violation” of the law and free speech rights.

Emiratis who studied at Harvard have spoken out against the decision, which would stop thousands of overseas students from pursuing their academic dreams.

“He isn’t harming anyone but the USA,” Bader Alawadhi, who attended Harvard Business School and is a member of the Harvard Club of the UAE, told The National.

“What this administration doesn’t understand is that they are trying to arm twist an institution that was in existence long before the idea of a United States even existed.

'Reliant on immigrant talent'

“The idea of hurting Harvard will end up hurting an economy that heavily relies on immigrant talent coming to the country,” he added.

“Harvard has seen so much change on the North American continent, not least revolution, the abolition of slavery and civil war. Trump will be seen as a minor issue in the long arc of time.

“This madness should stop, or we will see less innovation.”

Harvard has a significant foreign student population. Data shows that 6,793 international students make up 27.2 per cent of its enrolment in the 2024-25 academic year. There are currently 14 Emirati students and scholars on the university's books, according to statistics on its website.

Students left in limbo

“As a Harvard Kennedy School graduate, I strongly believe that any ban on international students studying at institutions like Harvard is deeply misguided and counterproductive,” Muhra Almuhairi, who earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School in 2021, told The National.

“Such a ban would harm both international and domestic students alike.”

Ms Almuhairi, 50, continues to mentor Emirati students at the university.

She said she knew of five Emiratis directly affected by the policy shift: four in the one-year master’s programme and one in the two-year master's course in public administration.

“The four students have a week to graduate,” she said. “But it is Sara, who is enrolled in the two-year programme, whose future is undecided.

“We are confident that Harvard will win the case because such a move doesn’t just affect individuals, but the entire dynamic of what Harvard is all about,”

Ms Almuhairi said she recently applied for a researcher’s post at the Harvard Kennedy School but has yet to receive a response.

She warned that restricting student visas undermines America's global standing and its power to bring about change.

“Education is one of the most powerful tools of diplomacy. Many international students return to their countries with a deep appreciation for American values and institutions. That goodwill is irreplaceable – and banning them creates resentment, not respect.”

“Whether in health care, climate, or AI governance, students at institutions like Harvard are developing cross-border solutions. Denying access denies humanity the brainpower it urgently needs,” she said.

Students look elsewhere

Varun Jain, chief executive of UAE education consultancy firm UniHawk, told The National the decision has affected the perception that the US is the “place where people build their dreams, especially through education”.

“Europe and Australia are becoming increasingly popular among international and expatriate students,” he said. “Families are actively seeking backup plans outside the US due to increased uncertainty.”

Mr Jain said Washington's move has pushed parents to “explore and prioritise alternatives more seriously than before”.

To those considering their own applications, his advice is to “stay as informed and flexible” as possible. “Students have to watch the proceedings to see how it affects each individual case. There's not much else to do but observe and monitor,” he added.

Fewer Emirati students were already applying to study in the US, said one education expert in the UAE, and recent developments were unlikely to reverse that.

“Over the past few years, approximately 11 per cent of Gems Education graduates have enrolled into a US higher education institution, with students attracted to the reputation of these institutions,” said Christopher Goodbourn, director of the Gems for Life programme to help students advance into third-level education.

“However, interest has been declining due to questions around programme return on investment, post-study employment paths and government policy.”

Students and families were increasingly prioritising stability, affordability and long-term opportunity – factors that were becoming harder to guarantee in the US, he added.

“While interest in US universities remains steady, we’re seeing more students applying to institutions in the UAE, and Europe – keeping their options open until they feel confident in the long-term value and security of their choice.”

What sparked standoff?

US President Donald Trump is furious with Harvard – which has produced 162 Nobel Prize winners – for rejecting his demand that it submit to oversight on admissions and hiring, and his claims that it is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and “woke” liberal ideology.

Harvard is the wealthiest US university, with an endowment valued at $53.2 billion in 2024. However, the absence of foreign students would affect the institution, where it can cost nearly $100,000 a year to study.

The Trump administration has also moved to revoke visas and deport foreign students involved in protests against the war in Gaza, accusing them of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas.

In the fight with Harvard, the US government has threatened to put $9 billion of funding under review, then froze a first tranche of $2.2 billion of grants and $60 million of official contracts. It has also marked a Harvard Medical School researcher for deportation.

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