On June 26, local time, Harvard University in the United States and the University of Toronto in Canada announced an emergency plan. The plan will allow some Harvard graduate students to continue studying in Canada if U.S. visa restrictions prevent them from returning to the United States. This is the first emergency plan for international students announced by Harvard University since the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard University’s ability to recruit international students last month.
Under the plan, Harvard Kennedy School students who are unable to return to the United States in response to possible visa issues will have the option to continue their studies through the visiting student program at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The program will integrate courses taught by faculty from the Kennedy School and the Monk School.
The statement said that the contingency plan is to alleviate the uncertainty faced by students, but will only be implemented if there is sufficient demand from international students who are unable to enter the United States due to visa or entry restrictions.
The media office of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government said that over the past five years, 52% of the school's students were from outside the United States.