By Marcelina Horrillo Husillos, Journalist and Correspondent at The European Business Review
During his first term as U.S. President, Trump famously rolled back numerous environmental regulations, withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, and frequently criticized ESG initiatives as a form of unnecessary government overreach.
With the new Trump administration, attacks on academic freedom by him and other Republicans became routine in 2024. Vice President-elect JD Vance called professors “the enemy”.
Yet geopolitical tensions, economic problems such as inflation, nationalism, conspiracy theories, fake news and anti-immigration and anti-globalisation sentiments and policies have gradually brought about a much more negative opinion about education and science.
In the United States, confidence in higher education fell to 36% in 2023, a 12% decline from 2018. Similar declines can be seen elsewhere, although not as precipitous as in the United States. Early signs of this deterioration of confidence were already present during the first Trump administration and in other countries with right-wing nationalist governments, such as Hungary. But in 2024 these signs also turned into policy in several other countries. Global higher education is facing an even more difficult year in 2025 and it keeps going!
Threats to Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy
Within days of the inauguration of his second term, Trump signed at least three executive orders ending DEI programs in the federal government and withdrew from the Paris Accord for a second time. Some major U.S. brands have jumped on the bandwagon since the election, and several universities and university systems – particularly public schools in Red States that rely on federal money – have also pulled back on DEI initiatives amid Republican crackdowns.
One of the biggest targets in the political crosshairs of Trump and his allies is DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Backlash momentum has been steadily growing since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions in June 2023, and conservatives are increasingly citing the ruling in broader DEI debate. At least 22 states have banned or rolled back DEI measures at public universities and/or government agencies, and now Trump seems to be looking for ways to entice U.S. corporations to follow suit.
With the new Trump administration, attacks on academic freedom by him and other Republicans became routine in 2024. Vice President-elect JD Vance called professors “the enemy”.
The Trump administration almost immediately began cutting off billions in funds in highly renowned universities, which the administration says it is devoted to rooting out antisemitism: Columbia; George Washington University; Harvard; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California. The government has also told the university not to expect grant money in the future
During the second term of the Trump’s administration, billions in funds for research have been also frozen, while administration officials have also tried to prevent universities from enrolling international students. Investments in research and development (R&D) will more likely decline than increase.
The US and in general the Global North, are implementing policies to limit skilled immigration and admissions of international students. Reflecting on their latest Open Doors statistics, the Institute of International Education pointed out that international student numbers in the United States are up, but their own figures and those of others show that the numbers of newly admitted international students are actually down, and Trump administration plans will make studying in the United States even less attractive.
Impact on Higher Education and Talent
In its 2024 plan, the right-wing Dutch government mentioned the importance of innovation 85 times, but then cut the budget for higher education and research by €1 billion (US1.03 billion) a year (later reducing this amount to half a billion after pressure from the opposition – and taking that money away from healthcare).
In their biannual meeting in Tirana from 29 to 30 May 2024, the Bologna Declaration ministers of education in Europe adopted the key academic values of autonomy, academic freedom, academic integrity, participation of students and staff in governance and society’s responsibility for higher education, while at the same time these values are being attacked continuously by several of its participating governments.
In a recent interview in Times Higher Education, the Hungarian minister of education called Hungarian universities “normal” institutions when, in fact, the Orbán government has robbed them of their autonomy and academic freedom.
While Governments in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are working on strongly reducing international student enrolments, these are also facing opposition from tech companies and the higher education sector. For many tech companies, recruiting internationally is the key to meeting the demand for tech and engineering talent.
Moreover, the actions taken by the U.S. administration to restrict international student enrollment and tighten visa regulations have significantly impacted how international students perceive the U.S. as a destination for education. And this change of scenario can lead to the loss of talent in America becoming a Europe’s gain.
Overall, the governments’ aims for restricting international students from accessing Management programs crashes with the increase demand for fresh global talent from tech companies. A survey from global talent marketplace Andela found that 88% of enterprise companies are looking for top tech talent in other countries.  And with tech talent in high demand around the world, enterprises are increasing efforts to recruit international tech talent and open tech hubs in foreign countries.
But some countries are attracting tech talent from abroad at higher rates than others — such as The Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. These countries offer competitive salaries, a lower cost of living compared to other major tech hubs, and better opportunities for quality of life and work-life balance.
Geopolitics in European Management Education
Shifting global politics and rising global challenges are directly impacting higher education around the world. In an era where geopolitics has become a daily used keyword, and where decisions at a global level have an impact on our domestic lives, management education must integrate geopolitics as a natural way to expand and adapt to the new reality.
Neoma, in northern France, for example, has just introduced a geopolitics course to the first year of its Master in Management (MiM), taught jointly by professors at the school and at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations. The module aims to help future managers anticipate threats and crises. One session, for instance, is devoted to doing business in wartime, another on mitigating geopolitical risk.
“Geopolitics used to be reserved for strategists and diplomats, but it’s become an essential skill now in a world where the lines between politics and business are increasingly blurred,” says MiM director Imen Mejri. “A serious geopolitical understanding is indispensable for anyone closely or remotely linked to the international arena” he adds.
As part of its core curriculum, Vlerick Business School, in Belgium, runs two courses preparing students for geopolitical and macro challenges. “Fickle geopolitics affects corporate strategy, its implementation and long-run decision-making,” says David Veredas, professor of sustainable finance. “Any MiM student who aspires to become a corporate leader needs to understand the mega trends that drive geopolitics”
“The main skills are reflective thinking and a joy of reading,” Veredas adds. “Future corporate leaders need to stay ahead of the curve and consider the big picture, and that requires time to reflect and to read.”
Nova School of Business and Economics, in Portugal, has introduced modules on international migration and what it calls “wicked global leadership”. “It’s the capacity of leaders to tackle wicked problems — problems so complex that they resist understanding, let alone resolution,” explains Professor Milton de Sousa. “To tackle wickedness, leaders need to immerse themselves in the context directly while engaging with stakeholders at multiple levels in the search for shared understanding and practical solutions,” he adds. “I want MiM students to grasp the skills of paradoxical thinking, complexity leadership, and humble inquiry.”
Conclusion
At its best, academic freedom depends on open borders, open debate, and open minds. But as Trump-era policies target international students, crack down on campus activism, and threaten funding for schools that don’t dismantle their DEI programs, many around the world are wondering if that freedom is at risk.
Talent doesn’t have a nationality, neither should it be perceived or filtered as such. The tech industry and its unstoppable development is rooted in its global, international, multicultural and inclusive nature. The Tech growth which already covers and enhances so many aspects of our lives, is pushing out boundaries from narrow minds and crashes with narrower decisions wanting to maintain the certain hierarchy unrealistic in today’s world.
The future of European Management Education is on a path to reinvent itself, to become greater and wider, to become more inclusive, and to gain attractiveness to attract foreigner talent. These traits are the result of both, market and the society demand.
Geopolitics have become part of our lives, the decisions made at a global level have an impact in shaping our reality. These certainly also shape the labour market and affect balance or imbalance between offer and demand, hence integrating these in the Management Education studies is a must.
