Europe is Emerging as the New Educational Superpower, Thanks to Trump’s Policies

Never squander a good crisis. Much of the globe finds Europe more appealingly reasonable as America becomes wilder. Expect US cultural and social influence to decline, as will its soft power and financial strength. Europe will attract people disgusted by Trump’s America here.

Education is one of Europe’s biggest exports, with 1.66 million international students at EU institutions. Germany receives 23.3 percent, France 16 percent, and the Netherlands 10 percent. Three quarters of Luxembourg students and 27% of Latvian students are foreign. Three-quarters of Maltese doctorate students are foreign.

America attracts a million international students, less than the EU but ripe for European colleges. Some top US academics are fleeing to nations that will accept their brains, data, and research due to President Trump’s appalling treatment of institutions and massive cutbacks to funding and scientific research. However, international scholars and students at US colleges have been cruelly handled, sending shockwaves throughout. Donald Trump seems to be actively encouraging future foreign students to study abroad.

Foreign students are deported for parking and speeding offenses. A estimated 500 student visas were abruptly withdrawn, with some transported to deportation centers and others urged to “self-deport.” US institutions panicked and told their million international students not to go overseas for fear of never returning. That strongly discourages others from studying in the US. Indians are the biggest international student group in the US, followed by Chinese. Can they anticipate fresh generations to go to America, or is Europe more appealing?

Foreign students, who pay substantially more than British students, are vital to UK institutions. They pay 23% of university tuition. They are Britain’s second-largest export after finance. University towns, notably in the North with few major earners, depend on their £40 billion economic contribution.

As in Europe, the UK workforce needs to hire workers, and university students are ideal. Our aging population and dwindling birthrate need global talent.
They will face worldwide competition. Immigration is a contentious topic in every nation, fueling far-right support. The home secretary, who must reduce immigration, faces opposition from cabinet members who need construction workers for an ambitious building and infrastructure program and care workers for the growing number of frail elderly. That war spans the continent.

International immigration figures from the UN include one-year residents. They count all international students, considerably boosting the apparent numbers. Students seldom migrate; most return home. Remove them from UN numbers and only include them if they remain past their student visas. Since 40% of UK “immigrants” are students, they inflate figures and enable the extreme right to cause panic.

The EU and UK should now redouble their efforts to recruit pre-Trump American students. Invest more in an excellent advertising campaign now. For instance, the EU’s Study in Europe initiative promotes Europe as a higher education destination by highlighting its many study courses. The European Universities Initiative supports foreign students with financial subsidies, while Erasmus promotes international cooperation and information exchange. As part of the EU “reset” after Brexit, the UK abandoned Erasmus and created its own Turing system, which was inferior, had lesser financing, and no fees. Hopefully, Britain will rejoin Erasmus.

Not only supporting or luring individuals to replenish our shrinking demographics. Universities promote liberal democracy and social values. As soft power, they are effective: a recent poll found that 58 nations have national leaders trained at British colleges. This worldwide reach and impact can’t be purchased.

This is our opportunity to weaken American culture’s dominance over us. EU governments should support colleges, the arts, and popular entertainment to provide an alternative to a US that has alienated us. We no longer approve of Trump voters, and Europe is the obvious sanctuary for Americans who feel out of place in the US.