St. John's Professor interviewed by CNN about international visas

Dr. Niall Hegarty, Professor of Management at the Tobin College of Business at St. John's University, was interviewed by CNN on May 28, 2025 regarding recent news that the United States will “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students” and implications for other international visa applications.

Hegarty expressed the mutual benefits to both the US and China in supporting international education, including the financial benefits to U.S. schools and the prestige sought by international students "rubbing shoulders with the best and brightest" at U.S. colleges. Hegarty also noted New York State alone benefits from 2 billion in economic impact from international students.

Hegarty expressed optimism that "this too shall pass" and encouraged students to not be deterred through this compliance process, noting that paperwork and vetting has always existed for international students. When asked about any other possible impacts, Hegarty predicted that bigger U.S. institutions with international campuses may pivot to onboard students at those satellite campuses while smaller campuses might need to explore online instruction as a contingency plan for those impacted.

The CNN interviewer also inquired about Hegarty's own international experience, to which the professor shared his journey from Ireland to NYC to attend St. John's University, where he now continues to teach.  

The interview can be viewed at this link with Dr. Hegarty's segment airing at the 05:10 minute mark.