Contrary to the US, Pakistan ranks third in the number of international students currently studying in China with more than 28,023 students. A total of 492,185 international students from 196 countries studied in China, last year, up 0.62 per cent from the previous year. The official data shows that China has become the top education destination for Pakistani students as out of all of them enrolled in Chinese universities, around 7,034 are studying on scholarships, says a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Tuesday.

The number of Pakistani students has risen in China mainly because of a series of preferential policies offered by the Chinese government after the launch of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a pilot project of Belt and Road Initiative. Currently, 6,156 Pakistani students are studying in Phd, 3,600 in Masters, 11,100 in Bachelors and 3,000 in Short Term Exchange Programs across China. Pakistani students are also studying Chinese language, engineering, medical, computer science and various other fields.

Various scholarships are provided by the Chinese government to lure international students over - most notably, students from the Belt and Road Initiative participating countries and regions have been facilitated to obtain scholarships under the Chinese Government Scholarship - Silk Road Program. China has also launched a scholarship program for Pakistani students, including those from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), for the academic year 2025-26.

The scholarships offer opportunities to pursue undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs, as well as conduct research at Chinese universities. The report stated, amid the US’s erratic mania that has left high and dry hundreds of Pakistani students enrolled in American universities by evoking their valid educational visas on the pretext of national security, China stands firm to be exclusively wide open for Pakistani as well as international students offering them stable, smooth and world-class quality knowledge at par excellence.

Trump administration is always notorious for its topsy-turvy and perilous steps irrespective of friends or foes around the globe. Now rot has set in on educational spectrum for international students. More than 500 international students including Pakistan students have had their US visas revoked in recent weeks as the administration of President Donald Trump intensifies enforcement on student visa holders. The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) has officially announced the cessation of the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) for Pakistani students last Tuesday.

The decision, communicated by the U.S. Department of State, marked the end of the program after 15 years of fostering educational and cultural exchange between the two nations. The Global UGRAD Program was a significant platform for Pakistani students to gain academic exposure, leadership skills, and cultural experiences in the United States.

Speaking at weekly media briefing in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said student exchange programs were vital for strengthening bilateral relations, fostering educational and technological collaboration, and deepening people-to-people ties. Meanwhile The US Departments of State and Homeland Security have reportedly initiated parallel actions-visa revocations by the State Department and “status termination” by Homeland Security. In both cases, affected Pakistani students must exit the US and reapply for their visas.

According to Nafsa, a network supporting international education and exchanges, the process to challenge or appeal such actions remains unclear. Universities across the country are finding it difficult to track such developments as they are not formally notified when their students are affected. Some institutions have cautioned their students and faculty against travelling abroad, fearing potential detentions or questioning on re-entry. Students from top-tier universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia were initially affected, but the trend has now expanded to a broader group of colleges.

The reasons for the revocations vary widely, including even minor infractions such as traffic violations. The impact is being felt across the US higher education landscape. The Central European University in Vienna reported a 25% rise in applications from the US from international students for the coming academic year. Similarly, the University of Toronto has seen a significant increase in interest from international and Pakistani students suffering the US insidious educational policy.

On the last Friday, a coalition of 16 university associations formally requested clarity from the Departments of Homeland Security and State, after receiving uncoordinated notices asking some students to “self-deport.” The group stated the notices lacked instructions on how to appeal or verify the decisions, raising concerns over mistaken identity or administrative error.

They also highlighted the economic contribution of international students, who currently number about one million. These students contributed an estimated $43.8 billion to the US economy and supported 375,000 domestic jobs, apart from enhancing academic and cultural diversity on campuses, the report added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China