In a groundbreaking move to safeguard academic continuity for international students, Harvard University and the University of Toronto have jointly announced a contingency plan that allows select Harvard graduate students to continue their studies in Canada if they face barriers to re-entry into the United States.The backup initiative was unveiled in response to recent US visa policy uncertainties that threaten the academic future of thousands of foreign students. The new arrangement, announced by both institutions, is specifically aimed at students from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (HKS) who may be unable to return to the US due to visa or entry restrictions.New cross-border option to support international studentsAccording to a statement sent to Reuters, affected HKS students who have completed at least one academic year on the US campus will be eligible to continue their studies through a visiting student programme at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The initiative marks the first known international student backup strategy following the US Department of Homeland Security’s move to revoke Harvard’s ability to enrol international students — a decision that was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.The programme will combine coursework from both Kennedy and Munk faculty, ensuring that students maintain academic continuity and receive a “world-class public policy education,” according to HKS Dean Jeremy Weinstein, as quoted by Reuters. He added that the plan will only be activated if there is sufficient demand from students unable to enter the US.Responding to mounting political and legal pressuresThis contingency plan comes amid intensifying political pressure on Harvard, with the Trump administration threatening to cut billions in federal research funding. Reuters reported that the administration has accused the university of a range of violations, including failure to address campus violence and antisemitism, and alleged ties to foreign governments, particularly China’s Communist Party.Over the past five years, 52% of Kennedy School students have come from outside the US, according to the school’s media office. Currently, 739 students from 92 countries are enrolled at HKS in programs focused on public policy and government leadership, as per the Harvard International Office website.
