Like many deans of the American business school, Rao Unnava closely monitors the White House declarations when he looks for any other change to immigration policy by the new administration of President Donald Trump.
His University of California: Davis Higher School of Management And his peers could be considerably affected if Trump follows the rhetoric “America First” and the stigma of immigrants who were at the heart of his electoral campaign last year. “We are going through a very uncertain period concerning the admissions and international registrations of the students,” explains Unnava.
During Trump’s first term, immigration restrictions and a slowdown in visa treatment – which continued late in the presidential term of Joe Biden – struck students’ admissions. Since then, republican feelings have still been hardened towards universities, with new control of study programs, campus policies and the value for graduates offer graduates in their job search.
“As with any new American presidential administration, there is uncertainty in terms of priorities, appointments and processes,” explains Sharon Matsik, Dean of the University of Michigan Ross business school. These add to “technology, a changing geopolitical landscape, the changing labor market, environmental challenges and the social problems with which we have already been collectively struggling with”.
For the country’s business schools, residing “anti-acknowledgmentAnd the actions of the “cultural war” could lead to increased nervousness about the offer – or at least advertising – courses on politically loaded subjects such as diversity, equity and inclusion ( Dei) or the environment, social and governance (ESG).
Judy Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society, plans relatively little impact due to the modest taking of these themes in the United States. “I don’t know what was done to start,” she says. “Many business school financing courses are still teaching shareholders’ primacy.”
But Matthew Slaughter, dean of Dartmouth College Tuck School of BusinessIn New Hampshire, argues that Dei and ESG, when based on rigorous research, are already taught and will be preserved. “It is really important to bring together students, teachers and staff of various horizons and exploit the power of diversity.”
He adds: “ESG will not disappear. It shouldn’t be. The evidence continues to get on the human impact on the climate. We must think about what research shows and how to bring them to our classrooms. »»
Trump’s other campaign promises included an examination of the American accreditation system for universities, emphasizing the “return on investment” and placement. This is a subject around which many business schools can feel more optimistic than rival faculties: at least at the first cycle, the demand for courses continues to increase.
A greater concern is the threat of visas for students who come to study from abroad and the rights they will have to work in the United States after graduating. Many business schools have increased the recruitment of India, China and emerging countries in Asia, including Vietnam. These students generally receive F-1 visas to study, but often seek to stay and move to H-1B status for longer-term employment in the country.
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Some Republicans “Maga” have called for a H-1B visa warming, saying that they allow employers to hire inexpensive foreign work instead of American workers. On the other hand, the technological barons led by Elon Musk defended this form of immigration as a source of future world talent – and reports suggest that Trump himself supports this point of view.
Whatever the result of this spit, business school leaders look at what happens to the intermediate period of “optional practical training” (OPT) for students after obtaining the diploma, before receiving H- 1bs. Which can be extended by two additional years on the courses linked to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – an incentive which has led an increasing number of universities to seek the STEM classification, including recently Harvard For its MBA.
“The value of an American diploma is not only in the diploma, but in the return it provides in the form of future income,” said UC Davis. “If OPT is deleted and H-1B is not given to new graduates, demand will drop considerably for international students.” To remain competitive in such circumstances, he argues that certain business schools should reduce their fees to compensate for the reduced perspectives of a longer term American job.
Others remain full of hope. Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean of Carnegie Mellon University Tepper business schoolSaid: “Although there are fears of restrictions, some entrant members indicated that the United States would welcome highly skilled workers. I believe that commitment to businesses and innovation will continue. »»
However, any cool distribution of the United States could benefit the rivals elsewhere. Julian Birkinshaw, the dean of Ivey Business School In Canada, recently told his colleagues: “We can expect the Truss” season two ” presents a solid anti-immigrant story, which will make higher education establishments in the United States less attractive to foreign candidates. . . Insofar as the United States is transforming on itself, this creates an opportunity or even a necessity for Canadian business schools to be more concentrated external. »»
In practice, Canada – as well as the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries that have turned to international students – have also tightened visas. In addition, electoral surveys before the United States by the two GMACs, which administers the GMAT test, and Stomportals, a council, showed that relatively few international students said that Trump victory would dissuade them from studying in the United States.
Back in the United States, Andrew Karolyi, dean of Cornell University SC Johnson College of BusinessIn New York, “said,” I focus on the real things that could happen. Our goal is to ensure that we focus on the relevance and impact of our research and our teaching, to ensure that students are absolutely ready for the market. »»