Recently, Carnegie hosted a webinar with leaders of national higher education associations for a candid discussion about the demands of the moment and how leaders can navigate the uncertainty while fulfilling the mission of higher education. We opened the conversation to our attendees to ask questions directly to our hosts and panelists.
Our panelists couldn’t get to all of the amazing, thoughtful questions posed during the event. We’ve compiled some of them here with answers from our hosts, Shankar Prasad and Emma Jones, as well as some of our favorite quotes from our panelists.
*Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Some similar questions have been combined.
Q: Are there any conversations happening about the threat of losing some of our brightest faculty and student researchers to universities in China, Europe, Canada, etc? What strategies are US universities considering to support international students?
A: There are over 1.1 million international students currently studying in the United States. They make up a crucial part of our campus communities and, for many schools, are also an important source of revenue. Preliminary research suggests global attitudes about studying in the U.S. could be shifting with changes in visa regulations and immigration. A report from Nature found that U.S. scientists submitted 32% more applications abroad than this time last year.
Foreign institutions have noticed this, and some are offering incentives to bring students (specifically research and graduate students) abroad. The European Union announced an investment of more than 500 million euros to retain and attract new scientists. Schools in Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, and Malaysia are positioning themselves as options for international students, with some, like Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, offering specific transfer invitations to Harvard students.
We know colleges and universities are struggling to navigate international student enrollment and success amidst these significant challenges. In our recent blog post, Navigating Uncertainty in Higher Ed: Practical Strategies to Support and Sustain International Student Enrollment, we outlined several strategies institutions can consider to better support international students during this time. These include strengthening communication and trust with current and prospective students through regular updates, dedicated points of contact, and greater clarity around visa policies and institutional support.
We also recommend revisiting admissions and enrollment processes to allow for more flexibility, including options for deferral and staggered start dates. Other approaches include exploring partnerships with international campuses or trusted global partners to offer remote-start, online, or satellite programs for students unable to travel to the U.S. And while virtual programs can’t fully replicate the on-campus experience, they can play a long-term role in expanding accessibility and building resilience into international enrollment strategies.
Q: How can we begin to shift the conversation to the benefits of higher education?
A: There’s no question that the current moment is further affecting the public perception of higher education. We know how valuable higher education is; our challenge is breaking through the noise to combat the opposing narrative.
One way to shift the conversation is through building a strong brand strategy with a compelling value proposition. Continuing to elevate stories of success can help. Market research on the perceived value of higher education can also help guide the development of messaging and market-specific strategy.
Another opportunity lies in shifting the voice behind the message. One of the most resonant insights from the webinar was the power of going local. When mayors, employers, school superintendents, and nonprofit leaders speak to the role of colleges and universities as anchor institutions—fueling local economies, developing talent pipelines, improving quality of life—the message carries more weight. It’s one thing for a university to say it matters. It’s another for the community to say it can’t thrive without it.
