Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) has called off its plans to launch HKS Global, an online program designed for international students unable to enter the United States, while continuing to offer an alternative enrollment pathway in Canada.
The decision comes after limited student interest in the online program, officials said, but the Canadian program with the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto remains on track, providing a hybrid learning option for a small cohort of returning students.
HKS global was a contingency plan
The HKS Global initiative was first announced in June as a safety net for international students facing travel and visa restrictions under the Trump administration. At the time, Harvard faced challenges including visa suspension threats and an entry ban affecting international students. Although courts temporarily blocked both actions, HKS had prepared a remote learning option to ensure students could continue their studies abroad.
According to HKS Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein, the program would only launch if “sufficient demand” existed from students unable to come to campus. In a recent email to incoming students, Debra E. Isaacson, senior associate dean for degree programs and student affairs, confirmed that the program would not move forward due to low participation.
“At the anticipated levels of participation, the cohorts would have been too small and the class offerings too few to ensure the world-class HKS experience that you deserve,” she wrote, as reported by
The Harvard Crimson.
Canadian program moves forward
While HKS Global has been shelved, the Canadian visiting program continues. Students enrolled in this pathway will be registered as full-time students at the Munk School but will earn HKS degrees. Classes will be a mix of online and in-person sessions, taught by instructors from both Harvard and Munk.
This program is currently open only to returning students, unlike HKS Global, which had been intended for both new and returning cohorts.
Limited options for international students
The cancellation of HKS Global leaves some students with fewer alternatives. International students yet to secure a U.S. visa must either defer enrollment or withdraw from the program. To ease this transition, HKS has extended the on-campus arrival deadline to October 20 for students in the Master in Public Policy (MPP) and Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) programs.
Meanwhile, International Mid-Career MPA students may begin their studies online through the Public Leadership Credential pathway. Students who complete this credential within two years can later transfer to the full degree program at HKS without reapplying.
Legal battles cast a shadow
The uncertainty surrounding international enrollment persists amid ongoing legal disputes. Harvard sued the federal government in May after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. The lawsuit expanded after President Donald Trump’s June proclamation temporarily barred foreign students from entering the U.S. with Harvard-sponsored visas. Federal judges issued preliminary injunctions against both measures, though the government has since appealed.
A spokesperson for HKS emphasised that the school remains ready to launch HKS Global in the future if circumstances change and a larger number of students require remote study options.
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