Mixed emotions among Chinese students on U.S. education
發佈日期: 2025-05-24 21:38
TVB News
The Trump administration's attack on Harvard is sowing broader anxiety among overseas Chinese students, who fear they may be caught in the crosshairs of an expanded wave of exclusion.
May is traditionally college graduation time in the United States. But some Chinese newly grads have mixed emotions about what lies ahead.
Chen Shuqi from Beijing studied at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in media studies and digital science.
She had completed her degree and initially looked to stay in the U.S. for further study or work. But her plan was overshadowed by America's political climate.
Chen said the environment and public opinion seem to send the message that outsiders are not welcome in the U.S., and foreign nationals may face even starker challenges if they are living in the Republican-dominated states.
Chen noted China has surpassed the United States in a number of technologies.
She expects the Trump administration to continue to go after international students, particularly Chinese, on the excuse of national security. And Chen is planning to go back to her homeland.
Zhou Haoyang, a biochemistry student from the University of California, Los Angeles, said many overseas Chinese students are bracing themselves for abrupt visa cancellations.
Zhou said Chinese nationals, especially those in science fields, have come under increasingly intense scrutiny to study in the U.S.
Despite this, he still finds American education appealing. Zhou said the U.S. has many top universities, adding that students themselves ought to strike a balance between the political risk and their research.
Research found a gradual reduction in the number of Chinese students in the U.S., from about 370,000 at its peak to the current 270,000.
