Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

Dr. Niall Hegarty, a management professor at St. John's University's Tobin College of Business, was recently interviewed by CNN regarding the United States' decision to "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students" and its potential impact on other international visa applications.

Hegarty highlighted the mutual advantages for both the U.S. and China in fostering international education. He pointed out the financial benefits that U.S. schools receive and the prestige international students gain by attending U.S. colleges, which allows them to interact with top-tier peers. He mentioned that New York State alone gains an economic impact of $2 billion from international students.

Despite current challenges, Hegarty remains optimistic, stating, "this too shall pass," and advised students not to be discouraged by the compliance process, emphasizing that paperwork and vetting have always been part of the experience for international students. When discussing further impacts, he suggested that larger U.S. institutions with international campuses might redirect students to those locations, while smaller campuses may need to consider online instruction as an alternative for affected students.

During the interview, Hegarty also shared his personal journey from Ireland to New York City to attend St. John's University, where he now teaches.

The full interview is available online, with Dr. Hegarty's segment starting at 05:10 minutes.