It is an unprecedented move in an escalating power struggle. The administration of President Donald Trump has stripped Harvard University of its ability to enroll international students by revoking its SEVP certification (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) with immediate effect. Responsible for the decision - Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The measure was reportedly delivered to the university’s leadership in a formal letter.
The background - A dispute between Harvard and the Trump administration has been simmering for weeks. The trigger was Harvard’s refusal to provide detailed information on foreign students and international sources of funding. The university had publicly opposed the government’s demands - and now the political retaliation has followed.
For Harvard, the decision represents a dramatic blow - without SEVP certification, no new visas for international students can be issued. A central pillar of the university’s revenue and academic excellence is thus eliminated. Research institutes and graduate programs that rely heavily on global applicants are particularly affected.
Relations between Harvard and the government have been strained since Trump’s return to office. Just a few weeks ago, the university filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education - over a frozen grant fund amounting to 128 million dollars.
An official statement from Cambridge is still pending. But in the academic world, one thing is clear - what is happening here is not a bureaucratic maneuver. It is an ideological attack on the idea of open, globally connected science. And Harvard is only the first target.
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