Japan urges universities to take in Harvard students affected by US visa ban

The Japanese government appealed to domestic universities to consider taking in students currently enrolled at U.S. institutions, following the Trump administration’s controversial decision to revoke Harvard University’s ability to host international students.

This call for support comes in the wake of the University of Tokyo’s announcement on May 26 that it is examining the possibility of admitting international students from Harvard, whose education may be disrupted by the U.S. policy shift, Caliber.Az reports via Japanese media.

Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology stated that the Japan Student Services Organisation (JASSO) will soon release information on which Japanese universities are prepared to assist these affected students.

“We intend to coordinate closely with relevant institutions and do everything we can to ensure educational opportunities for talented and motivated young individuals,” Education Minister Toshiko Abe said at a press conference.

The U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump, announced on May 22 that it would revoke Harvard’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively preventing the university from enrolling foreign students and potentially forcing those already enrolled to leave or transfer to retain their legal status.

However, a temporary injunction issued by a U.S. federal district court has allowed international students to remain at Harvard while legal proceedings over the administration’s move continue.

According to Japan’s education ministry, there are currently around 110 Japanese students and 150 researchers studying at Harvard.

In response to the situation, the ministry also announced that JASSO will provide an online consultation service to support students currently pursuing studies in the United States.