US colleges cut partnerships, financial ties with Russia

Colleges
across the US are pulling students from study abroad programmes in Russia,
ending research partnerships and cutting financial ties as part of a global
wave of condemnation over the invasion of Ukraine.

Also Read: Russia responds to sanctions, bans transfer of imported tech, goods till 2023

At
the same time, colleges have promised to support Russian students on their
campuses, opposing calls from a few in Congress to remove them from the country
as a sanction against their homeland.

The
moves are mostly symbolic — US colleges have little power to sway Russia or
squeeze its finances, and academic exchange between the nations has always been
meagre. But the suggestion that some or all Russian students should forfeit the
opportunity to study here has drawn new attention to the role of universities
in global disputes.

Also Read: ‘Russian economy experiencing shock impact’: Kremlin on sanctions by West

Last
academic year, US colleges hosted nearly 5,000 students from Russia, less
than 1% of all international students. Advocates for international education
say losing those students would forgo a chance to expose them to western
ideals, and they say Russians who choose to study in America are already more
likely to want change back home.

“Leaders
need to make a distinction between Putin and Russian people who want a better
life,” said Jill Welch, a senior adviser for the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher
Education and Immigration, a coalition of university presidents. “Sending
anyone back wouldn’t shorten any war by a day.”

Also Read: US VP Kamala Harris calls for probe into Russian ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine

Many
universities have called for compassion for students from Russia who, like
those from Ukraine, may fear for the safety of family members or face sudden
financial difficulty.

In
a message to students, Columbia University’s president said students from both
countries face a “bewildering and uncertain road ahead.”

Also Read: Will Ukraine get MiGs to fight Russia? NATO member Poland disagrees with US

At
the University of Washington, President Ana Mari Cauce said the campus stands
with Ukraine but “must also take care to not let the actions of Russia’s
authoritarian government affect our treatment of Russian students, scholars and
community members who have no role in its policies.”

Some
in Congress have pushed for visa restrictions against Russian students.
Speaking on CNN last month, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said the US should
consider “kicking every Russian student out of the United States” as a way to
stir backlash against Vladimir Putin in Russia.

Also Read: United on Ukraine, European Union tackles the devil in details at summit

The
idea has gained little support in Washington, but the White House later
suggested that its separate sanctions against Russian oligarchs are partly
intended to block access to US universities.

“What
we’re talking about here is seizing their assets, seizing their yachts, and
making it harder for them to send their children to colleges and universities
in the West,” press secretary Jen Psaki said last week while discussing the
sanctions.

College
leaders aren’t fighting the idea that oligarchs and their children should lose
access to American education. But wider action against Russian students would
carry echoes of America’s discrimination toward Japanese and German immigrants
during World War II, advocates say.

Also Read: IMF approves emergency support worth $1.4 billion to Ukraine

“In
our country, we do not punish children for the crimes of their parents,” said
Barbara Snyder, president of the Association of American Universities and a
former president of Case Western Reserve University. “You have to think carefully
about the consequences of targeting people because of their country of origin.”

For
many colleges, the first priority has been to remove American students studying
in Russia or Ukraine, although few are believed to have been there. A total of
1,400 Americans studied in those nations in 2018, and overall study abroad
figures have plummeted during the pandemic.

Also Read: US bans Russian oil imports over Ukraine invasion: Joe Biden

Middlebury
College in Vermont suspended a study abroad program in Russia at the end of
February citing safety concerns, urging the 12 students to return home. Among
them was Zavier Ridgley, who was studying in Moscow when he was told to book a
flight home quickly.

The
22-year-old said he respects the decision but was disappointed. A senior at
Tulane University, he had been trying to get into the Middlebury program since
2019, but it had been delayed by the pandemic.

Also Read: Indian Rupee falls to record low against US dollar on surging oil prices

“The
month I’ve been here has been nothing short of the opportunity of a lifetime,
and to have it cut so short so abruptly really is terribly sad,” said Ridgley,
who has since returned home.