With an admission letter in hand, Taiwanese student Lin Yu-hsuan was ready to attend her dream school, Harvard University, this September. However, Lin said the decision of US President Donald Trump’s administration to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students made her feel anxious and helpless.
“The path toward my dream is actually harder and tougher than I expected. There are so many uncertainties,” she said.
“I thought that I could accept all the changes along the way, as what we have gone through in the past half year. However, this one is specifically [targeted] at the international students, so I kind of feel like really hit by it. And that’s why I feel kind of anxious,” Lin said.
Photo: Reuters
The decision marked a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against the elite Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Harvard called it a “blatant violation” of the US Constitution and other federal laws.
A US judge temporarily blocked the administration’s order, but it did not provide comfort to Lin, who has yet to receive her visa.
“I think I would either defer my studies at Harvard, as they said that’s one of the possibilities, or I would probably apply for master programs in Europe or the UK.”
Another Taiwanese student, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Vince, said he planned to start his public health studies at Harvard this year.
“We are certainly feeling pretty nervous, and it’s been a dream for me to come from a small town in Taiwan all the way to Harvard,” he said. “I think that this is the best that the US can offer. So, I would like to plead to the president that, please, I hope that this generosity can be continued.”
The Ministry of Education on Friday said it expects 52 Taiwanese students to be affected by the US government’s move.
The ministry said it welcomes students whose studies at Harvard would be affected, to complete their studies in Taiwan, adding that it would help them with the transfer process.
It also urged local universities that have a memorandum of understanding with Harvard to discuss measures that would help Taiwanese students complete their studies.
Any students in need of assistance could contact the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office’s Boston branch’s education division via e-mail at boston@mail.moe.gov.tw, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by Rachel Lin
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
RSS