The World's Global Classroom

Canada has long been an attractive option for international students. It’s seen as a safe and generally non-discriminatory place to study, with impressive schools and post-graduation work rights. But 2024 brought a year of significant changes to the sector. Prospective international students fear an unknown future. The World’s Bianca Hillier reports from Toronto.

International college students — and their schools in the US — are bracing for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. College administrators insist foreign students are welcome on campus. But that message doesn’t always match the student experience.

Kaylyn Noah is attending Stanford and while she’s got a lot on her mind about what lies ahead, she is most concerned about staying connected to her roots.

Classes have resumed at Columbia University amid new restrictions following last year’s protests and encampments against the war in Gaza. Yasmeen Altaji, a May graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and now a freelance journalist, dedicated her final semester to documenting those protests. Altaji brings the story of one student who is resolved to continue her fight against the war despite new rules limiting protest.

Jay Nikolewski knew from an early age where he wanted to live. Nikolewski never felt comfortable growing up in America and felt like he didn’t fit in. In high school, he decided Japan was the country for him. In 2023, he fulfilled that dream by moving to Japan and working toward a degree in Asian Studies at Temple University. The World’s Carolyn Beeler met with Jay Nikolewski in Tokyo and asked him why Japan.