Many American universities have stopped recruiting lecturers and cut down on doctoral enrollment. Why?

The University of Pennsylvania campus is one of dozens of American universities that are now limiting the recruitment of new doctoral students.

PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

American university withdraws PhD invitation

Since taking office in late January, the Trump administration has issued a series of regulations that are believed to have directly affected highereducation institutions in the United States. The most notable of these is the National Institutes of Health (NIH) significantly cutting funding for research projects at many American universities, causing many units to "severely decline in financial foundations," according to The New York Times .

Most recently, at the University of Pennsylvania, a prestigious Ivy League school in the United States, the administration has asked departments in the College of Arts and Sciences to reduce the number of new doctoral students they are recruiting. This means the school will also withdraw admission letters that have been sent to applicants, according to Wendy Roth, a professor at the school.

According to experts, postgraduate training, especially at the doctoral level, depends heavily on research grants. That is also the main reason why this level of education is vulnerable to budget cuts. For example, the doctoral program in biological sciences at the University of California at San Diego usually recruits 25 new graduate students each year, but this year the number is down to 17.

Meanwhile, Columbia University proposed cutting the number of new doctoral students admitted to its College of Arts and Sciences by up to 65%. After facing criticism, Columbia reduced the cut, but did not release the official number. Some schools have even stopped admitting doctoral students, such as the University of Pittsburgh, according to Inside Higher Ed .

Limiting or suspending enrollment not only affects research but also the quality of teaching at schools, because they are also a core force in the classroom. For example, if the number of these groups is reduced, classes can become more crowded and students will receive less support, said David Kazanjian, director of the graduate program in comparative literature at the University of Pennsylvania.

Johns Hopkins University, one of the top medical schools in the US, has just decided to cut more than 2,200 employees.

PHOTO: JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

According to US media, these are just the first effects. If the new administration’s budget cuts are approved, many universities say they will have to close some laboratories and lay off staff. Because, not only doctoral programs but also research activities in the biomedical field require long-term financial commitments, and this may be difficult to ensure after the recent moves.

Layoffs, stop hiring

Another notable move is that many universities, including some of the top ones, have had to make the decision to temporarily suspend hiring faculty and staff. In February, North Carolina State University announced it was suspending most hiring activities, followed by Stanford University. The University of Louisville. According to a survey by The New York Times , dozens of other universities have also announced suspensions or restrictions on new hiring.

Most recently, Harvard University made a similar decision on March 10, citing the reason for limiting "increased financial risk". "The hiring freeze is temporary. The purpose is to maintain the school's financial flexibility until we have a better understanding of how changes in federal policy will play out and assess the scope of their impact," the announcement said, adding that the suspension will take effect during the current semester.

Not only did Johns Hopkins University suspend hiring, it also made a shocking decision in the academic world to lay off more than 2,200 people and temporarily lay off more than 100 others, after the school lost $800 million in funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), according to CNN . This is also the largest layoff in the history of this school, a spokesperson for Johns Hopkins University informed.

Another issue that worries many schools is the possibility that the new administration will impose more taxes on university-run endowments. These funds were previously tax-exempt because universities operate as nonprofits. That changed in 2017, when the government began imposing a 1.4% tax on investment income from large endowments. There are now proposals to increase that tax to 14%, or even 21%.

According to statistics from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in 2023, there were 31,310 Vietnamese studying in the US, ranking 6th in the number of international students. This is the first time the number of Vietnamese studying in the US has reached more than 30,000 after 2 years below 30,000. However, if we consider the number of international students in high schools alone, Vietnam ranks 5th with 3,187 people, behind China, South Korea, Mexico, and Spain.

Source: https://archive.vietnam.vn/hang-loat-dh-my-ngung-tuyen-giang-vien-cat-giam-tuyen-sinh-tien-si-vi-sao/