Forest Of The Rain Productions: "How would Trump’s Travel Ban have affected you during your early stages as an educator and researcher in the United States?"
Dr. Sairah Qureshi: My early career in research as a doctoral student actually was carried out in the UK, reason being the program can be completed in 3-4 years & as a local student, the fees were astronomically cheaper compared to US tuition and fees and were 100% independently led research degree. This afforded me to travel here to the United States for a few months at a time to spend time with my husband as well as a change in scenery. However, the obstacles I would have faced as a Green Card holder would have multiple & racial profiling questions, at immigration, especially during my second year conducting the actual field work interviews...thus needing to be there in the UK more often. Depending on the immigration officer, I envisaged at least being detained at the airport, if not face deportation!!!
Other obstacles I would have faced was perhaps suspending the Ph.D. until attaining US citizenship, with being able to hold dual nationality, this has really assisted with this particular issue!
Forest Of The Rain Productions: In your opinion what does the American educational landscape risk losing as a result of Trump’s Travel Ban?
Dr. Sairah Qureshi: In my opinion, the US educational landscape faces losing talented individuals who would have made valuable contributions towards the US public and the economy! As it stands, not only have certain students have been refused entry to the US, which includes those in the medical field and postdoctoral stage, this travel ban would have and will continue to deter people from wanting to come to the US, but seek education and employment in other countries such as Canada and Australia, thus actually to help strengthen their economies!
As a University professor, I have some very frightened and paranoid students...even though their country is not on the travel ban list, however with Trump's unpredictable and temperamental behavior, this has shed so much distrust among people from different ethnic minorities. My students are afraid and have admitted that they don't know what Trump will do next, thus, shedding light on why they feel anxious and insecure!!
Dr. Sairah Qureshi: My early career in research as a doctoral student actually was carried out in the UK, reason being the program can be completed in 3-4 years & as a local student, the fees were astronomically cheaper compared to US tuition and fees and were 100% independently led research degree. This afforded me to travel here to the United States for a few months at a time to spend time with my husband as well as a change in scenery. However, the obstacles I would have faced as a Green Card holder would have multiple & racial profiling questions, at immigration, especially during my second year conducting the actual field work interviews...thus needing to be there in the UK more often. Depending on the immigration officer, I envisaged at least being detained at the airport, if not face deportation!!!
Other obstacles I would have faced was perhaps suspending the Ph.D. until attaining US citizenship, with being able to hold dual nationality, this has really assisted with this particular issue!
Forest Of The Rain Productions: In your opinion what does the American educational landscape risk losing as a result of Trump’s Travel Ban?
Dr. Sairah Qureshi: In my opinion, the US educational landscape faces losing talented individuals who would have made valuable contributions towards the US public and the economy! As it stands, not only have certain students have been refused entry to the US, which includes those in the medical field and postdoctoral stage, this travel ban would have and will continue to deter people from wanting to come to the US, but seek education and employment in other countries such as Canada and Australia, thus actually to help strengthen their economies!
As a University professor, I have some very frightened and paranoid students...even though their country is not on the travel ban list, however with Trump's unpredictable and temperamental behavior, this has shed so much distrust among people from different ethnic minorities. My students are afraid and have admitted that they don't know what Trump will do next, thus, shedding light on why they feel anxious and insecure!!