The rise of Trump poses a paradox of higher education

An elitist college system seems to have deepened divisions in the US and this may hold lessons for India too

- HARSH V. PANT

This is the time of year when India's best and brightest get busy applying for admission to America's elite higher education institutions. For many in India, getting admission in an Ivy League institution has long been a benchmark of success.

The US higher education system has been the envy of the world in more ways than one. Its excellence has played a major role in sustaining America's global leadership by projecting its soft power far and wide, attracting the best of talent to the nation's shores and using it to retain its cutting edge in the realm of ideas and innovation.

Ivy League institutions are hubs for ground-breaking research in diverse sectors, fuelling economic growth, enhancing national security and influencing global policies. In addition, these universities serve as cultural and intellectual ambassadors for the US, shaping global perspectives on democracy, innovation and higher education. They contribute to America's competitive edge by providing rigorous academic training, cultivating critical thinking and emphasizing research that addresses global challenges.

So one can be pardoned for assuming that in a society and polity as sharply polarized as today's America, these features of its elite institutions would remain unchallenged. But with Donald Trump returning to power (he is set to take oath as the next US president in early 2025) against a pushback from liberal America, the role of the Ivy League is back in political conversation.