Latest news with #374thCommencement
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Harvard wins extension of court order blocking Trump's international student ban
Harvard merchandise is seen in a window during Harvard University's 374th Commencement in Cambridge, Massachusetts. PHOTO: SOPHIE PARK/NYTIMES BOSTON - A federal judge said on June 16 that she would issue a brief extension of an order temporarily blocking President Donald Trump's plan to bar foreign nationals from entering the US to study at Harvard University while she decides whether to issue a longer-term injunction. US District Judge Allison Burroughs, at the end of a hearing in Boston in Harvard's legal challenge to the restrictions, extended to June 23 a temporary restraining order that had been set to expire on June 19. She said she wanted to give herself more time to prepare a ruling. 'We'll kick out an opinion as soon as we can,' she said. Mr Ian Gershengorn, a lawyer for Harvard, told her that an injunction was necessary to ensure Mr Trump's administration could not implement his latest bid to curtail the school's ability to host international students. The judge scheduled the hearing after issuing a temporary restraining order on June 6 preventing the administration from implementing a proclamation that Trump had signed a day earlier. A preliminary injunction would provide longer-term relief to Harvard. Mr Gershengorn argued Mr Trump signed the proclamation to retaliate against Harvard in violation of its free speech rights under the US Constitution's First Amendment for refusing to accede to his administration's demands to control the school's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students. 'The proclamation is a plain violation of the First Amendment,' Mr Gershengorn said. Almost 6,800 international students attended Harvard in its most recent school year, making up about 27 per cent of the student population of the prestigious school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. China and India are among the top countries of origin for these students. The Trump administration has launched a multifront attack on the oldest and wealthiest US university, freezing billions of dollars in grants and other funding and proposing to end its tax-exempt status, prompting a series of legal challenges. Harvard has filed two separate lawsuits before Ms Burroughs seeking to unfreeze US$2.5 billion (S$3.2 billion) in funding and to prevent Mr Trump's administration from blocking the ability of international students to attend the university. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on May 22 announced that her department was immediately revoking Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Programme certification, the governmental mechanism that allows it to enroll foreign students. Her action was almost immediately blocked by Ms Burroughs. While the Department of Homeland Security has since shifted to challenging Harvard's certification through a lengthier administrative process. Ms Burroughs at a May 29 hearing said she planned to issue a 'broad' injunction to maintain the status quo. A week later, though, Mr Trump signed his proclamation, which cited national security concerns to contend that Harvard is 'no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programmes.' The proclamation suspended the entry of foreign nationals to study at Harvard or participate in exchange visitor programmes for an initial period of six months and directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider whether to revoke visas of international students already enrolled at Harvard. Harvard has asked Ms Burroughs, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, to block Trump's directive. In court papers, the US Justice Department urged Ms Burroughs not to lump Mr Trump's proclamation in with the judge's consideration of Ms Noem's actions, as it did not ban existing students and Mr Trump relied on different legal authority for his order. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Boston Globe
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
From funny to somber, here are some of this year's most memorable commencement speech quotes
Commencement speakers employed a mix of wisdom and humor to inspire and guide graduates through changing and challenging times. 'Just friggin' go for it' At Advertisement 'When you find the thing that you want to do, I really want to highly recommend, just friggin' go for it,' said Coolidge, who graduated from Emerson's performing arts program. 'You really have to psych yourself up into believing absurd possibilities, and you have to believe that they are not absurd.' 'The decisions you will make in the future under pressure will say something about your character' In a Advertisement 'Graduates, the decisions you will make in the future under pressure will say something about your character, while they also shape and transform you in unexpected ways,' Verghese, an immigrant from Ethiopia, said. 'Make your decisions worthy of the opportunities this great university opened up to you, as it works to preserve the value of what you accomplished here and the values it stands for.' Cambridge, MA - 5/29/2025: Author, physician & professor at Stanford University, Abraham Verghese walks in the procession during Harvard University's 374th Commencement in Cambridge, MA on May 29, 2025. (Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff) Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff 'What I learned in that desert and in every moment since, is this: Hope is not naïve' Hampshire College alum 'So, Hampshire graduates,' Castro said, 'if my journey from that desert to this podium feels improbable, remember this: Improbable things happen when people show up for each other.' Louise Richardson, an Irish trailblazer who was the first woman to head Oxford University in England, and now the first female to lead the Carnegie Corporation of New York received an honorary degree from BC President William P. Leahy, S.J. on May 19. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff 'You look rather like . . . superheroes with capes.' Louise Richardson of the Carnegie Corporation issued a mighty challenge to thousands of proud Boston College 'Eagles.' 'Fly out of the gates of the college and save the world,' she urged the 4,512 graduates who filled the stadium for the university's 149th commencement on May 19. 'You look resplendent in your brightly-colored maroon and gold robes, rather like superheroes with capes,' the Irish-born scholar and philanthropist told the graduates seated beneath bright skies, their gowns billowing behind them. 'You look resplendent in your brightly-colored maroon and gold robes, rather like superheroes with capes,' the Irish-born scholar and philanthropist told the graduates seated beneath bright skies, their gowns billowing behind them. Advertisement 'This is not an idle comparison,' said Richardson, the first woman to lead the New York-based philanthropic foundation. '...As freshly-minted graduates, you are the new guardians of this galaxy.' 'Becoming isn't something you finish. It's something you commit to' At the 'The real growth happened in the quiet. In the lonely. In the moments between the big wins — the ones no one claps for," she said. 'Something very special and strange is happening on this planet and it is you' Hank Green, YouTuber and content creator known for his science-focused videos, 'Do. Not. Forget. How special and bizarre it is to get to live a human life,' he said. 'Something very special and strange is happening on this planet and it is you.' The first recommendation Green gave graduates, though, is MIT graduates tossed their caps at the end of the university's May 28 commencement ceremony. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff 'And what a mission.' Sunita Williams, the Needham-raised NASA astronaut, addressed Merrimack College graduates on May 15, recounting her extended journey in space and urging them to realize how far they have traveled. 'Yes, we could have worried about getting home those nine months, but instead, we had time to look at the foliage,' Williams said to graduates and their families assembled at Lawler Arena. 'And what a mission.' 'Sometimes, just stopping for a moment and looking around allows us to see what's happening right in front of us,' said Williams, 59. '[There are] unbelievable things, if you just stop for a moment and look out the window.' Advertisement 'The crisis of this moment, the challenge of this moment, also offers a huge opportunity' Mass. Governor Maura Healey addressed more than 600 graduates at Mount Holyoke College May 25, 'It may feel as if you're graduating in the worst timeline. But the crisis of this moment, the challenge of this moment, also offers a huge opportunity,' Healey said. 'It's an opportunity to make choices that truly matter, not only to yourselves, but to the world. ' 'Take it with a pound of salt' At Northeastern University's 'Every time someone says 'No,' think about what they said,' Grainge said. 'Then take it with a pound of salt. If your gut says you're right, ignore them completely. If they are right? Cool, good for them. Learn from it. Pivot. And try again.' 'The people who change the world, in my experience, are rarely the ones who feel comfortable doing it' Suffolk alumna, neuroscientist, and entrepreneur Dr. Frida Polli addressed Suffolk University's 'You are nowhere near done becoming who you are meant to be. So be bold. Be different. Be curious. Follow what fascinates you. And don't wait for permission, because where you go from here, excellence awaits you,' she said. 'A young woman would write her truth in your paper and find herself arrested and put in jail' Tufts University garnered Advertisement 'I could never imagine 55 years later that a young woman would write her truth in your paper and find herself arrested and put in jail,' Hrabowski said. 'But let me tell you that all of America salutes your president and Tufts University for supporting that student.' 'Be mindful of those who say, 'You can't boil the ocean'' At 'Be mindful of those who say, 'You can't boil the ocean.' They may be comfortable with the status quo. But you? You're here to lift people,' she said. Emily Spatz can be reached at
Japan Today
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Harvard challenges Trump ban on entry of international students
FILE PHOTO: People walk to attend the 374th Commencement exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo By Nate Raymond, Steve Gorman and Daniel Wiessner Harvard University said on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump's move to bar foreign nationals seeking to study at the Ivy League school from entering the United States is illegal, and asked a judge to block it immediately pending further litigation. Harvard amended an earlier lawsuit, which it had filed amid a broader dispute with the Republican president, to challenge the proclamation that Trump issued on Wednesday. "The Proclamation denies thousands of Harvard's students the right to come to this country to pursue their education and follow their dreams, and it denies Harvard the right to teach them. Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard," the school said in the filing. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called Harvard "a hotbed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators," claims that the school has previously denied. "Harvard's behavior has jeopardized the integrity of the entire U.S. student and exchange visitor visa system and risks compromising national security. Now it must face the consequences of its actions," Jackson said in a statement. Trump cited national security concerns as justification for barring international students from entering the U.S. to pursue studies at the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university. The suspension will initially be for six months but can be extended. Trump's proclamation also directs the U.S. State Department to consider revoking academic or exchange visas of any current Harvard students who meet his proclamation's criteria. In Thursday's court filing, Harvard said Trump had violated federal law by failing to back up his claims about national security. "The Proclamation does not deem the entry of an alien or class of aliens to be detrimental to the interests of the United States, because noncitizens who are impacted by the Proclamation can enter the United States — just so long as they go somewhere other than Harvard," the school said. The Trump administration has launched a multifront attack on the nation's oldest and wealthiest university, freezing billions of dollars in grants and other funding and proposing to end its tax-exempt status, prompting a series of legal challenges. Harvard argues the administration is retaliating against it for refusing to accede to demands to control the school's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students. Trump's directive came a week after a federal judge in Boston, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, announced she would issue a broad injunction blocking the administration from revoking Harvard's ability to enroll international students, who make up about a quarter of its student body. Harvard said in Thursday's court filing that the proclamation was "a patent effort to do an end-run around this Court's order." The university sued after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on May 22 that her department was immediately revoking Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows it to enroll foreign students. Noem's action was temporarily blocked almost immediately by Burroughs. On the eve of a hearing before her last week, the department changed course and said it would instead challenge Harvard's certification through a lengthier administrative process. Nonetheless, Burroughs said she planned to issue a longer-term preliminary injunction at Harvard's urging, saying one was necessary to give some protection to Harvard's international students. Wednesday's two-page directive from Trump said Harvard had "demonstrated a history of concerning foreign ties and radicalism," and had "extensive entanglements with foreign adversaries," including China. It said Harvard had seen a "drastic rise in crime in recent years while failing to discipline at least some categories of conduct violations on campus," and had failed to provide sufficient information to the Homeland Security Department about foreign students' "known illegal or dangerous activities." The school in Thursday's court filing said those claims were unsubstantiated. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
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First Post
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- First Post
This Week in Explainers: Why the absence of Indian students will hurt the US
The pause on student visa appointments will have a big impact on Indian students. However, the US is also likely to feel the pinch. In 2024, India ranked first in terms of student visas issued, ahead of China. We talk about Trump's crackdown on universities, US court rulings and tariff policies, and more in our weekly wrap read more Students walk near the statue of John Harvard on the day of the 374th Commencement exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Indians are among largest groups of international graduate students in US. Reuters It's been a week of ups and downs. Donald Trump's tariffs continue to haunt the world. A ruling from the Court of International Trade blocked the sweeping levies on Wednesday night. However, a federal appeals court paused it, restoring the US administration's ability to impose tariffs. There is uncertainty and confusion around this key economic policy. For students, who have been dreaming of the American dream, it has been another bleak week. The Trump administration stopped Harvard University's enrollment of international students, a move that has been blocked by courts. It has also stopped visa appointments for all foreign students, causing anxiety among hundreds and thousands of applicants. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a big development, Elon Musk has exited the White House. The announcement was no surprise as his role in running the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) was temporary. However, it came after the tech billionaire criticised Trump's tax bill. In the UK, a celebration of Liverpool FC's Premier League win turned tragic after a car ploughed into fans during a victory parade on Monday (May 26). More than 70 people were injured with the youngest victim being nine. The episode has put the spotlight on the rise in car-ramming incidents in Europe. Emmanuel Macron was in the news for rather embarrassing reasons. In a video, now gone viral, it appears like the French president was shoved in the face by his wife. Were the two squabbling? Macron, says, they were horsing around. The headlines from the Indian subcontinent are more grim. There are reports of growing tensions in Bangladesh between Muhammad Yunus and Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman . After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan is scrambling for diplomatic support. As major powers back India, Shehbaz Sharif is turning to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Tajikistan. But little has changed in the country, where terrorists are holding rallies and drawing big crowds. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We talk about all this and more in our weekly wrap. 1. The tariff flip-flops continue. This time, it is not in Donald Trump's hands. A US Court of International Trade paused the levies, ruling them illegal. However, hours later, an appeals court temporarily halted the decision. For now, the tariffs are reinstated. But what happens next? Can the US administration implement its trade agenda? We explain . 2. Donald Trump is at war with American universities. The US administration has ordered a pause in interviews for foreign students applying for visas. Their social media accounts will be screened. While this could affect thousands of aspirants, the US will not remain unaffected by it. The crackdown will hurt the economy and erode its soft power. Here's how . David Fichter of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a 1973 graduate of Harvard University, leaves a protest against US President Donald Trump's administration at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. File photo/Reuters 3. The pause on student visa appointments is likely to impact Indians. However, the US will also feel the pinch . After all, the number of desi students going to the US has increased sharply in recent years, second only to Canada. Indians account for nearly 30 per cent of all international students in the US. Indian Americans, just 1.5 per cent of the US population, contribute over 5 per cent of its taxes, own 60 per cent of hotels, and hold 78 per cent of college degrees — the highest among all ethnic groups. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4. Yet another chapter has been added to the Trump vs Harvard battle. The US administration barred Harvard from enrolling international students, a move blocked by a judge. But why is the US president going after the Ivy League school? Is it because it turned down his son, Barron? Or was it because Trump himself was rejected by the university? 5. Elon Musk has been a big part of Trump's second presidency. He was at the helm of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). But Musk's time in Washington has come to an end; he has formally left the federal government. Where does that leave Doge? And what will the world's richest man do next? This story answers the questions. Elon Musk greets U.S. President Donald Trump as they attend the NCAA men's wrestling championships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on., March 22. Musk formally exited his role in the Trump administration on Wednesday. Reuters 6. It was a day of joy and celebration in the UK's Liverpool. But it ended in a shocker. As fans joined the victory parade of the Premier League club Liverpool FC, a man ploughed through the crowd , leaving more than 70 injured. This is not an isolated case. Car-ramming incidents are on the rise in the West. Here's why. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A Liverpool football club hat is left behind near the scene in the aftermath of an incident where a car plowed into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating their side's Premier League soccer title, in central Liverpool, Britain, on May 28. Reuters 7. Was Emmanuel Macron shoved in the face by his wife as they arrived at Hanoi airport? As the video went viral, the French president said that they were just 'joking around'. With body experts weighing in, the slap-gate grabbed headlines worldwide. However, this is not the only controversy that the couple have found themselves embroiled in. We look at the Macrons and their relationship, which started with a scandal – a student-teacher affair . 8. In India, politicians hold rallies; in Pakistan, it is terrorists. Hafiz Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, and the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, Saifullah Kasuri, addressed a gathering, where they threatened India. It was attended by Pakistani ministers. This story looks at how terrorists are given a platform time and again in the neighbouring nation That's all from us this week. For more such explainers, you can bookmark our page. PS: Will you be able to spell 'éclaircissement'? Faizan Zaki , a 13-year-old Indian-origin boy, did and went on to win the Spelling Bee. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
New York Post
29-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump admin from banning Harvard international students
A US District Court Judge has ordered the federal government not to make any permanent changes to Harvard University's student visa program. Judge Allison Burroughs issued a preliminary injunction Thursday morning as Harvard University lawyers squared off with the Trump administration in a Boston federal courtroom over the government's attempt to prevent the prestigious school from admitting international students. 'I want to maintain the status quo,' in allowing the school to resume accepting foreign students and visa holders, Burroughs said, telling the sides to hash out an agreement to temporarily halt the freeze on Harvard's student visa program, CNN reports. Advertisement 3 Students walk to attend the 374th Commencement exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., May 29, 2025. REUTERS 'It doesn't need to be draconian, but I want to make sure it's worded in such a way that nothing changes,' she said, with Harvard's lead attorney Ian Gershengorn telling the judge he doesn't want any 'shenanigans' to take place once the order is set. Hours before the pitched battle got underway, the administration filed a legal notice giving Harvard 30 days to make its case to remain eligible to enroll foreign visa holders through the Student and Exchange Visitor's Program. 3 Students cross into Harvard yard passing protesters as Harvard University holds its commencement, Thursday, May 29, 2025 in Cambridge, Mass. AP Advertisement President Trump said Wednesday that the Cambridge university should reduce by half its number of international students to make Harvard 'great again' – suggesting a cap of 15% instead of the 27.2% currently on the rolls. 'We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, [but] they can't get in because we have foreign students there,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday. 3 Graduating students cheer for Harvard University President Alan Garber during the 374th Commencement exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. REUTERS Advertisement Trump has also threatened to strip the university of some $3.3 billion in federal grants if it fails to comply with a list of demands aimed at curbing campus antisemitism, floating the idea of shifting the funds to trade schools instead. The hearing unfolded just six miles away from the school's 2025 commencement ceremony, where university president Alan Garber – who has vowed to 'stand firm' in the fight with the administration – took the stage to thunderous applause as he welcomed the nearly 32,000 people packing Harvard Yard.
