Universities have historically been centers of political protest in countries in virtually every corner of the world and certainly in the United States. Campus actions had a major impact on the U.S. Government’s Vietnam War decision to withdraw, an instance where the country had sent hundreds of thousands of its soldiers to fight and die. Current Gaza War protests on campuses across the United States are different since this conflict does not involve direct American boots on the ground. Certainly, it has critical domestic implications. But the effect on how outsiders, particularly those who study, teach, or do research in this country, has not been given much attention. This is an effort to provide such a perspective.
International student and faculty exchanges have become an important part of globalization and knowledge transfer, with many more opting to study outside their country of origin. According to the ApplyBoard:
- In 2023, there were 6.4 million international students worldwide—the same number as in 2022;
- The “big four” markets—Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US—accounted for nearly 44% of all international students in 2023, up from 40% in 2022;
- Institutions in the US welcomed over 1 million international students in 2023, returning to pre-pandemic levels;
- France surpassed Australia as the fourth most popular destination for international students for the first time since 2017.
The United States and foreign student education
The United States has long been a magnet for foreign students from around the world in virtually every discipline, but certainly with high numbers in math and computer sciences, engineering, and business administration. In 2023, over 1,000,000 students were enrolled in U.S. institutions.
According to the latest available information, students came from over 200 places of origin. China was the top-sending country in 2022/23, with 289,526 students, and India was the second-largest sending country, reaching an all-time high of 268,923. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest regional growth: +18% year-over-year.
Oil-rich middle countries also have substantial numbers of students and have demonstrated a willingness to make significant funding contributions. For many higher education institutions, these students often pay full tuition and spend on room and board and books, generating income for nearby communities.
In 2022, it was estimated that international students contributed $40 billion to the United States economy. Further, when students return to their country or elsewhere, they represent a link to the educational institution, which may mean collaborative research, support, and more.
The quality of education in a specific discipline, opportunity for professional advancement, social interactions with people from different backgrounds, and study in a largely free environment to express opinion have contributed to choices made. Today, the Gaza War and events in the Middle East have become “a” if not “the’ major concern for educators, politicians, and average Americans.
Protests and demonstrations on college campuses across the United States have essentially overtaken all other international issues or matters such as climate change or social programs.
Protests have drawn extensive national media coverage, morphed into campus occupation, in some cases turned violent, and created fear of physical and verbal abuse by students just to get to class. Clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli students have heightened fears of safety and security in studying in the United States.
More than half of Jewish and Muslim students, and a fifth of all college students, “feel unsafe on campus because of their stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” according to a new report from the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats, a nonpartisan research center on international politics and security.
The surveys found students “have reason to be afraid, with real acts of violence happening on campuses and antisemitic and Islamophobic sentiments expressed by a significant number, albeit a minority, of their peers.”
And for those who are neutral or not politically engaged, the fear of being caught in the crossfire of political tensions and facing discrimination or harassment based on their nationality or ethnicity is likely to be a significant deterrent for many prospective international students.
In short, campus protests and incidents of violence may well become part of the calculus by prospective students and their families when considering American higher education institutions and alternatives. They are likely to prioritize safety and inclusivity when choosing where to study abroad and, as a result, pivot to other countries with more stable environments.
There is another university-related unfortunate aspect of today’s Gaza war-related rioting. Conceivably, it will affect academic and research collaboration between American and foreign institutions, as well as funding opportunities for international scholars and researchers.
Further, some campus protesters are calling for so-called “divestment.” They are asking their university boards to divest themselves of stock and other investments from Israel and stop supporting companies that invest in Israel, as has been the case at Brown University. What this will mean in practice is hard to discern, given that mutual funds, facilities and offices of many large companies are in Israel, , and even current on-campus research will make it virtually impossible to separate or terminate.
If U.S. academia fails to control excessive political activism and decisively address the targeting of individuals based on their national origin or political beliefs, it will affect the flow of ideas, innovation, and collaboration on many levels, bringing into question the fundamental raison d’etre of these institutions.
Lastly, the protests have already had and are likely to affect donations from both sides of the issue: It is noteworthy that “Arabic countries have given at least $8 billion to elite and Ivy League universities in America over the past few decades.”
There are already donors deeply dissatisfied with university administrations’ response to antisemitism, such as Harvard, which has lost significant donors over its handling. At Columbia University, one major donor, billionaire Leon Cooperman, told Fox Business that he would no longer donate to his alma mater, and the university has postponed its annual Giving Day fundraiser amid the ongoing tumult.
The likely impact
If Gaza War campus protests subside soon, the impact is likely to be short-lived in terms of foreign student application and attendance. One reason is that the process for an individual to get a United States student visa is complicated, and for those planning to enroll in the Fall semester, it would be a major setback to cancel. And, with the Spring semester ending, many suggest that campuses will empty, and for most other than core activists, they will turn to other things.
A short-term end to the protests is not certainly assured, given that the Gaza war has become a major domestic political issue, and the U.S. campaign season is in full swing until November when the next President and Congress are elected.
A sign this is not ending soon is that “Hundreds of students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at college campuses across the nation vowed to keep their demonstrations going despite some universities moving to shut down the encampments after reports of antisemitic activity among the protestors.”
If the Gaza War continues to be a hot-button issue on campus for students, faculty, and researchers, it will require higher education leadership as a collective and individual institution to put in place clear guidance on what is and is not allowed.
This will not be easy, given the challenge of weighing First Amendment free speech rights and the need to control excessive, hate-filled protests. Failure to do so will have long-term consequences affecting not only the domestic environment but also how those abroad, whether students, faculty, researchers, or donors, consider the prospects of choosing or supporting American colleges and universities.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: Protests in and around Columbia University in support of Palestine and against Israeli occupation, April 22, 2024. Cover Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
