Post by : Jyoti Gupta

Photo:AP

Singapore is trying to find ways to help its students who want to study at Harvard University in the US. Some Singaporean students might not be able to go to Boston to study because of problems with US student visas, said Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on june 7.

His team is talking to the US government to get more information about the visa issues, but he can’t promise the problem will be fixed soon.

Dr Balakrishnan had just finished a four-day trip to Washington DC. It was his first visit since new leaders took office in both Singapore and the US.

The problem started when the US government said last month that Harvard couldn’t accept many foreign students. This has caused confusion in students’ study plans.

All Singaporean students going to the US will be affected by visa delays, but those going to Harvard are the most worried. Singapore’s ambassador to the US, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, even held an online meeting with these students to talk about the issue.

Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore is trying to prepare for the worst-case situation where students can’t study in Boston in person. The government wants to help students continue their studies and careers without too much trouble.

Students who have not yet gone to the US and don’t have visas might need to have backup plans, he said. But Singapore will keep in touch and give students updates.

A court recently ruled that the US government cannot enforce a rule stopping many new international students from entering Harvard after the university challenged the rule in court.

However, there is still a problem because US consulates have stopped scheduling new visa interviews for students and exchange visitors.

Dr Balakrishnan said he can’t guarantee this will be sorted out soon, and the academic year usually starts in August.

There are about 6,800 international students at Harvard now, including 151 from Singapore.

He said this problem is not only for Singapore students but for international students worldwide. The US government’s actions are not targeting Singapore specifically, but they can affect Singaporean students by accident.

Both Singapore and the US want to keep opportunities open for Singaporeans to study and work in America.

Dr Balakrishnan also said his talks with US officials went smoothly. There were no problems during his trip.

He added that the world is changing, and we are moving from one world order to a new one. Singapore needs to be alert and ready to respond quickly to changes.

He talked about trade talks between Singapore and the US, saying they will take time because the US wants many rounds of negotiation.

Dr Balakrishnan said it’s important for countries to be careful and thoughtful when protecting their interests. If everyone assumes the worst, the situation could get worse.