The uncertainty south of the border could prove to be an opportunity for Montreal universities, who are stepping up efforts to recruit the brightest minds from countries targeted by the U.S. travel ban.
In the wake of President Donald Trump's executive order, attempting to block travel from seven Muslim majority countries,
Université de Montreal has created a special travel fund to help send some 200 graduate students affected by the proposed ban to conferences further abroad.
“If they want to be recognized, they need this exposure to these conferences,” said Associate Vice Rector Chantal Pharand. “It’s essential.”
Along with McGill and Concordia, U de M has also extended its application deadline for students from the targeted countries.
Since Trump's election, it has seen a jump in application from both Iran and the U.S.
“They may choose to come to Canada instead, and that would be beneficial to all of us,” said Pharand.
Sina Honari, from Iran, said he would rather miss out on opportunities in the U.S. than to travel there.
“The issue is that I have to go through interviews that are two hours long and it’s a bit, I would say, humiliating and it violates the privacy, because they check your computer and stuff like that,” he said.
Iranian student Negar Rostamzadeh is considering a career in Montreal, an emerging hub for artificial intelligence.
"I think it’s a really good time for Canada to have brain drain from the U.S. mainly,” she said.
