Harvard international student Zilin Ma speaks with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about the impact of Trump’s moves against his school and his attempts to ban foreign students.

Cambridge

Harvard PhD student Zilin Ma has expressed concern about the uncertainty facing international students due to recent US government measures. These include the State Department pausing new student visa appointments to expand social media screening and vetting, as well as steps to cut new federal research grants at Harvard University.

Ma highlighted the significant role international students play at Harvard and the importance of federal funding for research. She noted that many students feel shocked and saddened by the developments, which could affect both their studies and future work opportunities in the United States. Ma emphasized that international students contribute to American research and the economy, and warned that restricting their participation could have broader implications for US leadership in science and technology.

Harvard student reacts to Trump targeting the school

International students hoping to study in the United States are facing a very uncertain future as the State Department pauses all new student visa appointments to quote expand social media screening and vetting. All this comes as current international students at Harvard University find themselves swept up in the escalating feud between their school and the White House. The nation's oldest university will head back to court tomorrow as it fights for its ability to enroll international students who by the way make up more than a quarter of the university student body. Joining us now for more on all of this is Zilin Mai, a Harvard PhD student from China who has spent the last decade studying here in the United States. Zilin, thanks so much for joining us. You graduate tomorrow. What's it been like living through all of this these past several days and weeks? It definitely feels kind of chaotic. There's a lot of uncertainties that we don't know about. You know tomorrow is a hearing. I guess we'll find out live during our graduation what's going to happen to the future students and the students who is going to graduate and work in the United States because the work permit is also attached to the student visa. So you know I should have should have felt you know more celebratory but because of this shocking news everybody right now is feel very uncertain. What are you hearing Zilin from other international students at Harvard University? So while everybody's waiting for the hearing tomorrow I think people felt very puzzled, very you know shocked because everybody all the international here are just you know doing their research, conducting faithful you know contributions to the scientific community in the United States. And there when while they're met with this kind of news they you know as expected will feel very saddened and shocked. And I would just want to mention that a lot of people still have work to do right now but I can see that they are you know although given those pressure they're still working on their important projects. Has this impacted Zilin your plans following graduation? My current plan is still to do finishing up my research at the Harvard Business School. I haven't made any changes to this plan yet waiting for the hearing but if anything I'm thinking about plan B is of if the proceeding I mean if this passes the the or proceeds then I probably have to find another way to finish up my research. The White House has unveiled various steps to cut out all new federal research grants at Harvard University. Your PhD work includes research to support humanitarian negotiations in developing countries. How important has funding been to your research? I would say funding is the most important thing that's like the oxygen to research. So we pay the fundings are used to pay us the student workers to pay the study participants to pay the software licensing publication fees everything. So basically everything that is important at Harvard regarding research is being funded by those federal fundings. So it will be devastating for the university and for the future of American scientific research if all of those fundings are gone. What's your message Zilin to the White House? My message is very simple that we have followed every rule. We have got our visa. We have passed all of the checks and we have paid a ton of taxes in federal state and sometimes even social security that we may never benefit from. We're contributing to the U.S. scientific research education and economy and we shouldn't be the one facing uncertainty at this point. And then currently I think the U.S. is sending a message that international talents are not welcome. If that's the case then people will stop coming. And if that happens the next breakthrough in artificial intelligence next cancer research the next Nobel Prize it will happen somewhere else. And I think this is much bigger than immigration. It is about whether the U.S. wants to lead still in science tech and education or give that up. And we're not asking for special treatment. We're simply asking to be doing the work that benefits everyone. Zilin Ma thank you so much for for joining us. We really appreciate it. As I've said on many occasions I went to graduate school at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies here in Washington D.C. and there were many international students who I met there got to be friendly with and I learned so much from them. It was really it was really wonderful to meet with all the international students and I feel bad for a new generation potentially I hope it doesn't happen of American graduate students and undergraduate students who won't have that benefit of getting some insight from a lot of foreign students. Zilin thanks once again for joining us.

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