n February 25, 2022, U.S. Democratic Congressmen Eric Swalwell and Ruben Gallego proposed to expel Russian students from American universities. The story was quickly seized upon by Russian propaganda, although no students had actually been expelled. The EU’s Erasmus Program continues operating in Russia., So does U.S. Fulbright office in Russia – which was confirmed by a Fulbright representative by direct communication. On the other hand, Coursera suspended all its course offerings from Russian universities, and all IELTS English proficiency examinations in Russia have been cancelled. In a worst-case scenario, Russian students in the U.S. may be the next victim of sanctions. This would be a tragic mistake which would hurt the U.S. as well as innocent students.
Last Envoys of Public Diplomacy
When all communication channels get shut, international students will be the last envoys of their nations. The U.S. and Russia are one step away from severance of diplomatic relations. At this point, only public will remain - the broad network of connections between businesspeople, scholars, students, and artists living or traveling abroad. While public diplomacy programming remains robust, even this channel is facing major setbacks.
Large U.S. and European manufacturers are closing down their Russian offices and Russian companies are getting ousted from western markets. Major tech companies are blocking Russian state media accounts, and Russia is retaliating. Even Russian athletes and artists are not spared. The only category of people unscathed by sanctions so far are students and scholars.
There were 4,800 Russian students in the U.S. in 2020-21, and 1,050 American students in Russia in 2019. Each of these people can be considered a self-employed diplomat. Academics influence social and political discourse by giving interviews, speaking at conferences, writing articles, and creating networks. A student’s true recount of studying abroad may be more vibrant than all the gimmicks of state propaganda. The U.S. harnessed this power back in 1946, when Senator J. William Fulbright established a regular academic exchange program in order to improve America’s image around the world. Exchanges with the Soviet Union started in 1958 when Lacy-Zarubin Agreement was signed. According to American historian Richard Hellie, the biggest winner of these exchanges was the U.S. Virtually all Soviet participants in these programs had improved perceptions about the U.S., becoming disillusioned with Soviet ideology. Today, Russian students still put their trust in America as the world’s leader in science and education. Their expulsion would close the last informal communication channel while creating resentment among Russian intellectuals – who may feel moved to embrace the ideology of Putinism.
An Indispensable Resource
Foreign students are an indispensable resource for the 21st century knowledge-based economy. A nation can only maintain great power status if great people are willing to come and stay. America has been a magnet for foreign talent for decades. Education remains one of the best ways to attract them. The U.S. is still the number one student destination in the world with over a million international students. Many foreign students who stay after graduation eventually become prominent scientists or successful entrepreneurs. Between 1901 and 2021, 35% of American Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, medicine, and physics were immigrants, while 25% of all technology start-ups between 1995 and 2005 were launched by immigrants. These numbers are remarkable when compared to the proportion of international students in U.S. universities – a modest 5.5%.America needs all of its international students – including Russians.
A Pillar of Democracy
Student exchange programs support not only America’s image abroad, but also American democracy within the country. Canadian movie critic Barry Keith Grant used the term ‘myth’ to describe ‘society’s shared stories.’ At their most powerful, these myths represent values. The ‘American dream’ is one of the most inspiring myths in the history of mankind. This American dream – the idea that anybody can achieve success through hard work – contrasts sharply with norms and values in many poorer countries where lineage and connections are necessary for success. It is no surprise the American dream has inspired many generations of immigrants who came to the U.S. with nothing but their hands, brains, and ingenuity.
Just like Hollywood spreads the American dream in global culture, international exchange programs promote this myth within academia. American universities still occupy almost half of top-100 list in World Reputation Rankings. Studying in the U.S. is not only a chance to get a world-class degree and have better employment opportunities but also to witness how American values work within the country. Foreign students are also likely to bring the myth back to their country, where they will seek similar ideas of success or at least spread the word about it. If the country of origin fails to meet their expectations, these former students will likely refer to the U.S. as a country of better opportunities, which will further facilitate the myth.
This myth does not only exist among people, but rather lies in the core of the entire political regime. Democratic political regimes emphasize opportunities for “the people” to pursue happiness and success. And by “the people” democratic regimes understand not only their citizens but human beings in general. Regardless of their nationality, international students have a legal foundation for remaining in the country. Denial of their right to study in the U.S. contradicts the core idea of democracy and devalues the myth of the “American dream,” which in turn could hasten the end of the American-led world order.
Inclusive Higher Education Key To America’s Success
Closing the doors of American universities to Russian students would be a serious blunder. Every international student is a cog of public diplomacy, both while in the U.S. and when they return home – for those who don’t stay in the U.S. and help bolster its economy. Furthermore, an open and inclusive higher education system embodies the “American dream” and supports America’s model of democracy – closing off its higher education system undercuts the “American dream” and undermines U.S. leadership internationally.
a global affairs media network
Expelling Russian Students Would Undermine the American Dream
Photo by Alejandro Luengo via Unsplash.
March 15, 2022
Expelling Russian students from U.S. universities would be a terrible mistake, argue Alexey Ilin and Roman Kusaiko. International students act as public diplomacy envoys even when other channels are shut, and inclusive education is core to foreign conceptions of the American Dream.
O
n February 25, 2022, U.S. Democratic Congressmen Eric Swalwell and Ruben Gallego proposed to expel Russian students from American universities. The story was quickly seized upon by Russian propaganda, although no students had actually been expelled. The EU’s Erasmus Program continues operating in Russia., So does U.S. Fulbright office in Russia – which was confirmed by a Fulbright representative by direct communication. On the other hand, Coursera suspended all its course offerings from Russian universities, and all IELTS English proficiency examinations in Russia have been cancelled. In a worst-case scenario, Russian students in the U.S. may be the next victim of sanctions. This would be a tragic mistake which would hurt the U.S. as well as innocent students.
Last Envoys of Public Diplomacy
When all communication channels get shut, international students will be the last envoys of their nations. The U.S. and Russia are one step away from severance of diplomatic relations. At this point, only public will remain - the broad network of connections between businesspeople, scholars, students, and artists living or traveling abroad. While public diplomacy programming remains robust, even this channel is facing major setbacks.
Large U.S. and European manufacturers are closing down their Russian offices and Russian companies are getting ousted from western markets. Major tech companies are blocking Russian state media accounts, and Russia is retaliating. Even Russian athletes and artists are not spared. The only category of people unscathed by sanctions so far are students and scholars.
There were 4,800 Russian students in the U.S. in 2020-21, and 1,050 American students in Russia in 2019. Each of these people can be considered a self-employed diplomat. Academics influence social and political discourse by giving interviews, speaking at conferences, writing articles, and creating networks. A student’s true recount of studying abroad may be more vibrant than all the gimmicks of state propaganda. The U.S. harnessed this power back in 1946, when Senator J. William Fulbright established a regular academic exchange program in order to improve America’s image around the world. Exchanges with the Soviet Union started in 1958 when Lacy-Zarubin Agreement was signed. According to American historian Richard Hellie, the biggest winner of these exchanges was the U.S. Virtually all Soviet participants in these programs had improved perceptions about the U.S., becoming disillusioned with Soviet ideology. Today, Russian students still put their trust in America as the world’s leader in science and education. Their expulsion would close the last informal communication channel while creating resentment among Russian intellectuals – who may feel moved to embrace the ideology of Putinism.
An Indispensable Resource
Foreign students are an indispensable resource for the 21st century knowledge-based economy. A nation can only maintain great power status if great people are willing to come and stay. America has been a magnet for foreign talent for decades. Education remains one of the best ways to attract them. The U.S. is still the number one student destination in the world with over a million international students. Many foreign students who stay after graduation eventually become prominent scientists or successful entrepreneurs. Between 1901 and 2021, 35% of American Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, medicine, and physics were immigrants, while 25% of all technology start-ups between 1995 and 2005 were launched by immigrants. These numbers are remarkable when compared to the proportion of international students in U.S. universities – a modest 5.5%.America needs all of its international students – including Russians.
A Pillar of Democracy
Student exchange programs support not only America’s image abroad, but also American democracy within the country. Canadian movie critic Barry Keith Grant used the term ‘myth’ to describe ‘society’s shared stories.’ At their most powerful, these myths represent values. The ‘American dream’ is one of the most inspiring myths in the history of mankind. This American dream – the idea that anybody can achieve success through hard work – contrasts sharply with norms and values in many poorer countries where lineage and connections are necessary for success. It is no surprise the American dream has inspired many generations of immigrants who came to the U.S. with nothing but their hands, brains, and ingenuity.
Just like Hollywood spreads the American dream in global culture, international exchange programs promote this myth within academia. American universities still occupy almost half of top-100 list in World Reputation Rankings. Studying in the U.S. is not only a chance to get a world-class degree and have better employment opportunities but also to witness how American values work within the country. Foreign students are also likely to bring the myth back to their country, where they will seek similar ideas of success or at least spread the word about it. If the country of origin fails to meet their expectations, these former students will likely refer to the U.S. as a country of better opportunities, which will further facilitate the myth.
This myth does not only exist among people, but rather lies in the core of the entire political regime. Democratic political regimes emphasize opportunities for “the people” to pursue happiness and success. And by “the people” democratic regimes understand not only their citizens but human beings in general. Regardless of their nationality, international students have a legal foundation for remaining in the country. Denial of their right to study in the U.S. contradicts the core idea of democracy and devalues the myth of the “American dream,” which in turn could hasten the end of the American-led world order.
Inclusive Higher Education Key To America’s Success
Closing the doors of American universities to Russian students would be a serious blunder. Every international student is a cog of public diplomacy, both while in the U.S. and when they return home – for those who don’t stay in the U.S. and help bolster its economy. Furthermore, an open and inclusive higher education system embodies the “American dream” and supports America’s model of democracy – closing off its higher education system undercuts the “American dream” and undermines U.S. leadership internationally.
