The University of Toronto and Harvard University say they’ve come to an agreement to allow some international students planning to return in the new school year to continue their studies north of the border, should they be unable to study in the U.S. due to visa or entry restrictions.
The announcement comes as questions remain over whether the Trump administration’s efforts to bar foreign students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard go through.
This past Monday, a federal judge blocked another attempt by the administration to keep international students out, saying officials’ “misplaced efforts to control a reputable academic institution” threatened freedom of speech.
The ruling effectively preserves the ability of foreign students to travel to the U.S. for study at Harvard while the case is decided.
Under the contingency agreement established between the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Harvard Kennedy School — its school of public policy — returning international students will be able to complete their degree by taking a mix of online and in-person courses taught by both Harvard Kennedy School and University of Toronto faculty.
“If Harvard Kennedy School international students are not able to complete their studies in Cambridge, Mass., the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy looks forward to providing shared academic and co-curricular experiences for students from both schools,” said Janice Stein, founding dean of the Munk School.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
The partnership with the Munk School is only for returning international students, Harvard notes.
The U.S. institution says students will be enrolled as full-time, non-degree special students at the Munk School and will graduate with their Harvard Kennedy School master’s degree upon completion.
“This program preserves the academic continuity and community of the HKS experience from the Munk School’s campus in Toronto,” Harvard Kennedy School said in its announcement.
Harvard students will also be able to access “co-curricular activities” and participate in student life at the University of Toronto.
The University of Toronto says in its own announcement that Harvard students’ participation in this program would “not reduce the number of spaces available for U of T students” in any academic programs or university housing.
Tuition and fees will be paid to Harvard, which the school will then use to cover the Munk School’s associated costs.
The U.S.-based institution also announced that both newly admitted and returning students to the Kennedy School will be able to study at Harvard through a new “HKS Global” program, which will see a mixture of online coursework by Harvard faculty and up to three in-person “covenings” in cities across the globe during the academic year.
The covenings, or assemblies, will “feature intensive, credit-bearing sessions” taught by faculty, while students will also have the opportunity to participate in co-curricular activities.
“With these contingency plans in place, HKS will be able to continue to provide a world-class public policy education to all of our students, even if they cannot make it to our campus this year,” Harvard Kennedy School dean Jeremy Weinstein said in a statement.
Both new and returning international students are being advised to fill out a survey to “provide information about your interest in these programs” using their Harvard login credentials. The school says it will reach out directly with information.
While Trump’s attempted foreign student ban is paused, the administration has moved to revoke the visas of international students, with those targeted studying under F-1 and J-1 visas.
Canadians have so far been able to escape some of these, as visas are not required to study in the U.S., but those at Harvard are in a different situation.
The school has approximately 686 Canadians enrolled as of 2022, though exact numbers related to the Harvard Kennedy School are not known.
Read the full article here
