Where To Now?
By Srija
COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, changing lifestyles, creating new normals, a world that would have been unrecognizable just a few mere months ago. On a smaller scale, countries have been struggling to bring their increasingly faltering economies up to par, trade, export, and import becoming terms virtually unheard of in this era. What does this spell for the global economy, the previously powerful countries that held the rest of the world in its palms? But more specifically: how will this impact the lives of students, those who recently graduated?
Primarily, looking at it from the global perspective, the global power in terms of the economy are rapidly shifting, though the absolute outcome will only be visible in a post-COVID world. Primarily, this pandemic has forced the spotlight on countries with major influence, the rest of the world observing their action and the manner in which they choose to handle the situation. Though the sudden imitation of lockdown left the lower working class of India in the dark, causing turmoil within the country, the promptness of the government displayed efficiency, the consequences following later. The United States, on the other hand, saw a rapid spike in the number of cases, overtaking China within a matter of days. Furthermore, prior to the Black Lives Matter movement, protests against lockdown neutralized the steps taking by their government, regardless of the effectiveness. The steps taken by the government of the United States have been perceived as reckless, and looking back upon the recent laws passed by Trump, concerning immigration, the future of colleges does not seem too bright. Additionally, the impact of this virus will be significant — affecting college tuitions, donations — and Trump failed to uphold the legacies of several Ivy Colleges by handling the situation with a certain hastiness that will cause major backlash.
A second priority begins to come into play: observing the response and recovery of China. China has shown to be extremely susceptible to declines in the foreign market and declines could challenge the credibility of the Chinese Communist Party. Suspicions against China are seen to be largely common, with various Twitter accounts promoting the Chinese Communist Party whilst others accuse China of withholding crucial information with regards to the virus. Pertaining specifically to students, China remains to be a consideration any longer, formerly a hub for the sciences, but now a country constantly curbed, due to its rapidly falling economy and the amount of hate being faced on a daily basis.
Thirdly, when taking into consideration the entire scheme, the issue can very visibly be traced back to the money colleges receive in the forms of donations, put towards scholarships and reservations for struggling, aspiring students. Monetary problems are plaguing each citizen, with stable sources of income a thing of the past. Those who donated in former times, money to be put towards campus expansions or simply offering a helping hand, can no longer be counted on. Tuition and scholarship money is being cut down, whereas the traveling ban prevents in-person learning, resorting to online classes. Another area to be examined, excluding India, China and the United States, would be the UK. The recent implementation of Brexit implies a cheaper college going experience, turning the country into one of the top viable options.
In conclusion, the shift of global powers is an ongoing process, and the manner in which a country takes it into stride is of the utmost importance, especially if it is a country with a certain amount of influence over the rest of the world. The future is unknown, but the steps taken by a country, or a group of countries, show their efficiency and leadership, the United States displaying the opposite, whereas China does not fall into this category whatsoever.