NEW YORK – Paul Krugman, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics, warned that President Donald Trump's policy of restricting international students’ access to study in the United States poses a serious threat to the country’s economic future.

He made the remarks during an interview on Morning Brief, broadcast by Yahoo Finance on Tuesday (3/6).

Krugman stated that the United States’ dominance in scientific research and technology heavily depends on the role of research universities such as MIT and Harvard, which rely extensively on graduate students from abroad.

“I spent years teaching at MIT, and I know very well that international students are the heart of our research ecosystem,” Krugman asserted.

He described Trump’s move to freeze federal funding for elite campuses and his proposal to cap the number of foreign students as “catastrophic” from a long-term perspective.

Such actions, Krugman warned, could devastate the US economy by 2035.

More troubling still, he criticised the administration’s policy of reviewing foreign students’ social media accounts and denying visas merely for criticising the president.

“This not only makes the US seem unwelcoming, but also creates enormous uncertainty for academia and innovation,” he said.

Asked where potential students might turn if the US becomes less accessible, Krugman highlighted Europe as the most likely alternative.

“Europe has excellent universities and more stable policies. They could attract top researchers who once chose the US,” he added.

He also revealed that American research universities may now be considering building branch campuses in Europe or forming transcontinental partnerships.

“If we keep making these mistakes, we’ll lose the global race to Europe. And frankly, it looks like we’re on that path,” Krugman concluded with concern. (EF/ZH)