Photo credit: Rawpixel . On August 28, 2025, The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new federal regulations impacting conditions of stay for F and J visa holders which have serious consequences for foreign students. The Trump administration’s new proposed regulation will limit the length of time that foreign students, professors, and other F and J visa holders are allowed to stay in the United States without additional screening. Restricting the length of time for visa holders...

The group of armed attackers at Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. Photo Credit: Bianet . On October 27, a group of masked men armed with machetes and knives attacked a group of students who were protesting on the campus of Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. One student was injured during the attack. A total of 40 students were detained by police after the incident.   Hacettepe University had been the locus of recent protest activity, such as protests against a proposed bill in the...

The most recent issue of the annual report of Scholars At Risk, Free to Think 2025 , outlines and complies threats to and violations of academic freedom around the world in the 2024-2025 academic year.   One of the countries to experience the most significant erosions in key components of academic freedom, such as university autonomy and the freedom to research and teach, is the United States. The report noted that the Trump administration has been mounting an intense attack on academic...