President Donald Trump has promised to "take back" the top American universities and has presented a number of demands in exchange for continued government funding.
The administration claims to want to combat anti-Semitism. However, the demands also include stopping investments in diversity, justice, and inclusion – as well as requiring schools to report all international students accused of misconduct to the authorities.
Harvard, the USA's oldest university, has refused. Trump has responded by freezing grants of over 2 billion dollars and threatening to ban the school from accepting international students.
"Catastrophic blow"
A potential deathblow for the school's 7,000 international students, including Swedes, says Göran Arrius, chairman of the academic organization Saco.
For those who have planned their studies in the USA, it would naturally be a catastrophic blow not to be able to complete their studies.
He urges the government to contact the American administration and protect the interests of Swedish students.
One should act so that it becomes clear that this is not something Sweden accepts. I also believe that one can get other governments on board.
According to CSN, 13 people with Swedish student aid are studying at Harvard, and nearly 2,000 at other universities and colleges in the USA.
Education Minister Johan Pehrson (L) says in a written comment to TT that the government has an ongoing dialogue with American representatives.
"I rule out nothing, the government is constantly evaluating how we can best safeguard Swedish interests."
Uncertain future
According to the trade magazine Inside Higher Ed, over 1,500 international students at 250 American schools have had their visas revoked in recent weeks.
Among them are prominent pro-Palestinian activists. Some have committed crimes – serious and less serious, such as traffic offenses or underage alcohol consumption. In other cases, neither the schools nor the students know the reason.
TT has no information about Swedes having their visas revoked. If this were to happen on flimsy grounds, it would be alarming, according to Johan Pehrson.
"The future for researchers and students in the USA is uncertain in the sense that research and education in certain areas can no longer be conducted or funded," he says.
