Harvard's Summers Says U.S. Shouldn't Shut Out Foreign Students

June 9 (Bloomberg) -- Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers said restrictions that make it more difficult for foreign students to study in the U.S. have become ``a serious issue'' for the nation.
He said in a speech today in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that the U.S. has never been more misunderstood in the world and one of the ways that will change is if U.S. students study abroad and students from other countries are encouraged to continue their education here.
``Wars can start or end depending on what leaders do or do not understand about history or religion or culture,'' Summers said, according to a printed copy of the speech delivered to the Harvard Alumni Association. ``Economies can grow or contract depending on what policy makers do or do not understand about economic theories.''
Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on Washington and New York, the U.S. has clamped down on visas for students from other countries. Some of the attackers that flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were in the U.S. on student visas.
In today's speech, Summers said that while the U.S. needs to guard its citizens, it can't shut out foreign students who could build the foundations of understanding that could end wars, promote economic growth and contribute to medical and scientific breakthroughs.

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