Harvard Business School considered Europe, Canada MBA options as Trump tightened visa rules

Harvard Business School explored teaching MBA students in Europe and Canada after the Donald Trump administration threatened to block international students from obtaining visas to attend its courses, the Financial Times reported. The school held discussions with potential partners in Portugal, Switzerland, the UK and Canada, but said it is no longer pursuing the plans.

The talks took place last year as Harvard faced uncertainty over whether the US government would allow it to sponsor visas for international students.

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People familiar with the discussions said potential partners included Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal, IMD in Switzerland, London Business School and the University of Toronto.

Harvard Business School confirmed that it had held discussions about operating outside the US.

The school said the talks took place “when we were exploring options outside the US for international students due to the uncertain visa situation. Fortunately, that never came to pass and there are no further explorations under way”.

David Bach, president of IMD, said preliminary discussions took place last year about hosting a first-year MBA cohort taught by Harvard faculty. IMD could also have contributed to the programme.

The proposal would have marked a major shift for Harvard Business School, which has traditionally taught its flagship two-year MBA programme in person at its Boston campus. The programme costs about $170,000 in tuition.

Harvard has previously offered short executive education courses outside the US. However, a foreign location for its full-time MBA would have been a significant expansion of its international operations.

The discussions came as Harvard faced increasing pressure from the Trump administration. The White House sought greater control over the university’s governance, cut some federal funding and imposed penalties over alleged failures to address antisemitism and protect freedom of speech.

The administration’s efforts to prevent Harvard from sponsoring international student visas have so far been blocked by the courts.

Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, a member of Harvard’s governing corporation, said earlier this month that the university was considering expanding its presence abroad.

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Harvard was “leaning into further exploring having some outposts abroad”, Cuéllar said on a podcast hosted by David Deming, dean of Harvard College.

He said Harvard was “fundamentally an American institution, but it is also a university with a global role and global relationships”.

The discussions also reflected wider concerns about the outlook for international students in the US. Recruitment by American universities has declined over the past two years as immigration and employment restrictions, along with the political climate, discouraged applicants.

A falling share of graduates from elite institutions, including Harvard, have also found jobs within three months of completing their studies.

Other US business schools have expanded overseas. Chicago Booth, for example, has established international campuses and partnerships.

Harvard has secured a legal stay against some measures proposed by the Trump administration. However, it has faced cuts to some federal grants and continued government pressure on the higher education sector.

The US immigration agency has also increased scrutiny of Curricular Practical Training authorisations for international students working during their studies. Separately, the Department of Education has proposed changes to the university accreditation system that would increase direct oversight of institutional activities.