Letters | Trump vs Harvard is a battle over future of US college education

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The showdown between US President Donald Trump and Harvard University has become a clash over academic freedom, constitutional limits and the politicisation of higher education.

At the heart of the conflict are demands for Harvard to dismantle its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, submit to federal oversight in its admissions and hiring, and provide the disciplinary records of its foreign students.

White House officials reportedly tried to play down the April 11 letter, saying it should not have been sent, only for a Harvard spokesman to retort that the Trump administration’s actions since have “real-life consequences”.

After Harvard refused the demands, Trump’s administration froze US$2.2 billion in funding and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. Congressional Republicans have announced an investigation, accusing Harvard of flouting civil rights law. Unless Harvard complies by the end of the month, the Department of Homeland Security will remove its ability to host international students, which make up over a quarter of its enrolment.

Harvard president Alan Garber has vowed: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights”. In his widely shared response, Garber framed the actions as an attempt to “control the Harvard community” and a direct violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights. The American Association of University Professors and its Harvard chapter have filed a lawsuit asserting the funding cut is politically motivated and violates academic liberties.