Campus Censorship Puts American Soft Power at Risk

International students see American life portrayed in movies and on TikTok; U.S. universities have built global brands, helped along by Hollywood and merchandising. When it comes time to apply, international students can readily imagine a U.S. college experience, starting with seeing themselves in a crimson sweatshirt studying on a grassy quad flanked by ivy-covered buildings.

And as the U.S.’s hold on cutting-edge science and innovation slips away to China , and other destinations with more welcoming visa policies offer lower-cost degrees and jobs, soft power might be the only edge American universities have left.

The desire is about more than bricks and mortarboards. Students from other countries have long sought out American values of academic freedom and open discourse. They are