Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification As parents of a Harvard student, we watch with mounting concern as an unprecedented
confrontation unfolds between our child’s university and the Trump administration. This clash represents a fundamental battle between academic freedom and political authority.
Trump has increased the
pressure on Harvard, demanding reforms on the pretext of addressing alleged biases and antisemitism. These demands extend far beyond reasonable oversight, seeking to fundamentally transform Harvard’s academic environment, admission policies and institutional autonomy. The administration’s threat to freeze US$2.2 billion in grants and US$60 million in contracts, with US$9 billion under review
, represents an extraordinary attempt at financial coercion.
The administration’s demands are troubling in their scope and implications. They include requirements to shutter diversity initiatives, reform international student admissions to screen out those deemed hostile to American values and submit to federal supervision of faculty and student viewpoints. These demands strike at the very heart of academic freedom and institutional independence.
Beyond funding threats, the administration has wielded additional weapons: threats to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status as well as demands to restrict international student enrolment and provide extensive documentation of foreign donations and communications dating back a decade.
Luckily,
Harvard’s response has been both principled and inspiring. Rather than capitulating, it has taken a firm stand against governmental overreach. This courage has catalysed broader resistance within academia, with institutions like MIT, Princeton and Stanford joining in opposition to federal pressure.
