Japan has urged its universities to offer places to international students left in limbo by US President Donald Trump’s decision to bar Harvard from enrolling foreigners – a move seen as both a diplomatic gesture and an opportunity to boost Japan’s academic profile amid concerns over US higher education.
Education Minister Toshiko Abe said on Tuesday that her ministry had asked all public and private universities to explore offering places to students who were either forced to leave Harvard or whose enrolment this autumn was now uncertain.
“We are working with the foreign ministry to ensure that international students are not disadvantaged and we are requesting that the US government provide information on Harvard’s response,” Abe told a press conference.
“We will ask the government to consider possible support measures, such as accepting students into Japanese universities so they can continue their studies,” she added, noting that the offer could be expanded to students at other US institutions if similar restrictions were imposed.
The move comes amid a legal stand-off between Harvard and the Trump administration, which accused the university of failing to address antisemitism and campus violence, and of “cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party”. The government has blocked Harvard from accepting new international students and previously revoked US$2.2 billion in federal funding, prompting the university to file multiple lawsuits.
