These world leaders went to Harvard before Trump’s foreign student ban

The Trump administration’s move to block Harvard University from enrolling international students doesn’t just put more financial pressure on the school but also threatens a cradle for global political leaders.

The US Department of Homeland Security on May 22 revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, citing an “unsafe campus environment”. It means foreign students can no longer attend the university, while existing international students must transfer or lose their legal status.

The decision has thrust thousands of students into limbo, including those who may have planned to follow a well-trodden path to public office upon graduation. Harvard has produced eight US leaders, most recently former President Barack Obama, the most among universities.

Outside the US, Harvard has educated countless international students who went on to become political elites. From Botswana to Singapore, here’s a list of some of the current world leaders who attended the Ivy League school.

Mr Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who won his mandate to lead the city-state with the ruling People’s Action Party earlier this month, received a master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2004. He also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan, respectively.

Mr Lai Ching-te, President of Taiwan 

A former kidney doctor, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te entered politics after military tensions flared with Beijing in the mid-1990s. He obtained a master of public health degree from Harvard University in 2003 and is one of the few physicians in the self-ruled island with an expertise in rehabilitation, clinical care and public health.

Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who took office in 2019, obtained his bachelor’s degree in Social Studies from Harvard University, and earned an MA in international relations from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. 

Mr Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, a scion of wealthy banana exporters who won the country’s election in April, studied at a series of US universities and received his master’s in public administration in 2020 from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Ms Maia Sandu, President of Moldova

Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who pulled out a decisive election victory in the former Soviet republic last year, obtained a master’s degree in public policy after completing her studies at the Kennedy School of Public Administration at Harvard University in 2010.

Mr Duma Boko, President of Botswana

Botswana’s President Duma Boko is a Harvard-educated human-rights lawyer. He studied law at the University of Botswana prior to receiving his master of laws at Harvard Law School in 1995. BLOOMBERG