Zhida Shang is a medical student at McGill University and a Schwarzman Scholar currently studying at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.
Ambitious young people around the world have long dreamed of studying in the United States, but those dreams are starting to sour. As part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on universities, it has suspended interviews for new foreign student visas, revoked the visas of some foreign students, and plans to aggressively cancel visas of Chinese students. Last month, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which could mean that current international students could be forced to transfer or risk losing their legal status, depending on the outcome of an upcoming court decision. As a Canadian student studying abroad, my peers and I found ourselves thinking a surprising thought: “Thank goodness I did not get into Harvard.”
The situation is desperate, inhumane, and condemnable in every respect. It is especially painful, as the revocation comes on top of a previous US$2.2-billion funding freeze against Harvard that federal officials enacted in April.
Students should never be used as pawns in geopolitical games, and sacrificing education is always a loss to society. Besides universal anguish and despair, nearly all my non-American friends studying in elite American institutions are now questioning the U.S. political and education system. Most are now making backup plans in case the ban extends to their university, and all of those plans involve leaving America. Even if the Harvard revocation does not ultimately go through, trust has been damaged, and many top high school and university graduates around the world are now reconsidering the U.S. as a destination for their studies.
Essentially, the Trump administration’s actions amount to self-sabotage. The U.S. rose to global eminence because it managed to attract the world’s brightest minds, with elite American universities being the strongest magnet. Foreigners make up roughly 27 per cent of all U.S. graduate students, with more than half studying in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). They contribute significantly to innovation in critical fields, such as AI, semiconductors and quantum computing. Some of the most preeminent American companies were founded by visionaries who started out as international students in elite American universities.
For those who elect to return to their home countries, many eventually become academic, business and political leaders. These leaders are then usually more sympathetic to American interests, strengthened by the common ideals of democracy and intellectual freedom. Today, however, those ideals increasingly appear to be an illusion rather than a reality.
Right now, future leaders are reconsidering their options. Top Canadian universities, such as the University of Toronto, McGill and the University of British Columbia, are uniquely positioned to capitalize on this moment. These institutions already rank among the best globally, have cutting-edge research facilities, and offer stable academic environments. However, they have always struggled to attract the world’s best and brightest, who often opt for top American universities instead.
Canadian policymakers and university administrators need to act boldly, and they need to act now. Outreach will be critical. This is the time to actively promote our universities as not just reputable, but reliable: institutions where academic freedom is protected, immigration pathways are stable, and world-class education leads to long-term opportunity.
Strategic outreach to high school and university graduates must go beyond general recruitment. Instead, it should signal with clarity and ambition that Canada is ready to welcome the talent that once defaulted to America. Administratively, universities should simplify credit transfer systems for students wishing to shift mid-degree from the U.S. to Canada. Financially, there can be partial scholarships or tuition-fee discounts for U.S.-based international students affected by policy changes. This requires a rethink of our immigration policies, given that Canada has been scaling back student visas. The federal government, the provinces and university administrators should work together to fast-track visas for talented students.
Recruiting efforts should not only be limited to students. Many world-renowned researchers and professors are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the instability and politicization of academia in America, and some have already chosen to move to Canadian institutions. Canadian universities can create new and accelerated tenure-track positions and lab relocation grants for such researchers.
An influx of world-class international students and academics would not only strengthen our research institutions but also bolster long-term innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce competitiveness. Their integration into Canadian society contributes to demographic renewal, economic growth, and the global standing of our universities.